Social Functions of Small Talk and Gossip

This chapter examines the social functions of speaker-oriented attitude datives in Levantine Arabic. It analyzes these datives as perspectivizers used by a speaker to instruct her hearer to view her as a form of authority in relation to him, to the content of her utterance, and to the activity they are both involved in. The nature of this authority depends on the sociocultural, situational, and co-textual context, including the speaker’s and hearer’s shared values and beliefs, their respective identities, and the social acts employed in interaction. The chapter analyzes specific instances of speaker-oriented attitude datives as used in different types of social acts (e.g., commands, complaints) and in different types of settings (e.g., family talk, gossip). It also examines how these datives interact with facework, politeness, and rapport management.

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Small talk as work talk: Enacting the patient-centered approach in nurse-practitioner-patient visits

Communication & Medicine ◽

10.1558/cam.31374 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 97-107 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Staci Defibaugh

Keyword(s):

Nurse Practitioners ◽

Nurse Practitioner ◽

Medical Visit ◽

Patient Centered ◽

Small Talk ◽

Medical Visits ◽

Relational Work ◽

The Us ◽

The Individual ◽

Patient Relationships

Small talk in medical visits has received ample attention; however, small talk that occurs at the close of a medical visit has not been explored. Small talk, with its focus on relational work, is an important aspect of medical care, particularly so considering the current focus in the US on the patient-centered approach and the desire to construct positive provider– patient relationships, which have been shown to contribute to higher patient satisfaction and better health outcomes. Therefore, even small talk that is unrelated to the transactional aspect of the medical visit in fact serves an important function. In this article, I analyze small talk exchanges between nurse practitioners (NPs) and their patients which occur after the transactional work of the visit is completed. I focus on two exchanges which highlight different interactional goals. I argue that these examples illustrate a willingness on the part of all participants to extend the visit solely for the purpose of constructing positive provider–patient relationships. Furthermore, because exchanges occur after the ‘work’ of the visit has been completed, they have the potential to construct positive relationships that extend beyond the individual visit.

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How much Artistic Freedom is permitted when it comes to Language? - Analysis of a Crime Novel

European Journal of Social Sciences Education and Research ◽

10.2478/ejser-2018-0033 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 50-60

Author(s):

Manuela Svoboda ◽

Petra Zagar-Sostaric

Keyword(s):

Foreign Language ◽

German Language ◽

Direct Speech ◽

Small Talk ◽

Language Analysis ◽

Crime Novel ◽

Blood Relative ◽

German Origin ◽

Artistic Freedom ◽

The One

Abstract In this article a closer look will be taken at the issue of inaccurately using a foreign language, i.e. German in this particular case, in a crime novel or thriller. Of course, in fiction the author has complete artistic freedom to invent and present things as he/she intends and it doesn`t necessarily have to be realistic or legitimate. But what happens when it comes to an existing language being quoted in fiction? For this purpose David Thomas’ thriller “Blood Relative - How well do you know the one you love?” is analysed regarding parts in which German quotes are used. As the plot is located partly in England and partly in former East Germany (GDR) and the protagonist’s wife is of German origin, direct speech, titles and names are used in German. Subsequently, they are translated into English by the author in order to be understood by the English reader. However, there are many grammar, spelling and semantic mistakes in these German expressions and common small talk quotes. This begs the question, is it justified to disregard linguistic correctness with regards to artistic freedom given the fact that we are dealing with a fictional thriller, or is it nevertheless necessary to be precise concerning foreign language usage? How far may one “test” their artistic freedom in this particular case? In order to answer these questions a detailed analysis of the thriller is performed, concerning artistic freedom and modern literature/light fiction as well as the German language used in quotes and direct speech.

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Professional Activities of Teacher-Andragogue (Foreign Experience)

Comparative Professional Pedagogy ◽

10.2478/rpp-2014-0031 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 4 (3) ◽

pp. 26-30 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Larysa Lukianova

Keyword(s):

Adult Education ◽

Education System ◽

Professional Activity ◽

Social Functions ◽

Foreign Experience ◽

Professional Activities ◽

Technological Organization ◽

Integral Role ◽

Role Position ◽

Self Learning

Abstract The idea of the conceptualization of adult education has been postulated in the article including its significant differences. The leading distinguishing feature is the personality of pedagogical staff that works with adults. It has been substantiated the dependence of the functions which are performed by pedagogical staff in the adult education system, on the main characteristics of the society. It has been shown the content of the integral-role position of a pedagogue-andragogue which has 3 elements: subject and content, project and technological, organization and diagnostic. The professional activity of a pedagogue-andragogue has been analyzed as the specialist who professionally organizes and conducts adult training and learning, helps create individual programs of training. At the same time, in his/her activity he/she combines different social functions as well. The most typical are to provide the help in renovating the motivation towards learning and professional activity, to combine the content both andragogical and professional activity of his/her learners, to share the methods of supervising adult self-learning.

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The Culture Zone in Katowice and its qualities as a public space

Urban Development Issues ◽

10.2478/udi-2018-0026 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 59 (1) ◽

pp. 27-41

Author(s):

Paweł Pistelok

Keyword(s):

Public Space ◽

Empirical Research ◽

Public Life ◽

Public Spaces ◽

Social Functions ◽

Upper Silesia ◽

Industrial Heritage ◽

Basic Rights ◽

Post Industrial ◽

Right Of Access

Abstract A city’s public spaces ought to meet a number of requirements to serve their main purpose, that is to foster public life. They need, for instance, to answer people’s needs, fulfil certain social functions, and let people use their basic rights, among them the most important right of access. In Katowice, one of the most prominent examples of the regeneration of public spaces is now the Culture Zone. The aim of this paper is to discuss the development of social functions in the area mentioned, a fine example of the post-industrial heritage of Upper Silesia. Applying some of the qualities of public space identified in the theories adopted, the paper discusses how the Culture Zone [in Polish: Strefa Kultury] fulfils the above-mentioned demands and requirements. Is it accessible? Does it meet the need for comfort? Does it function as a leisure space? By referring to analyses and opinions presented in the literature and comparing them with the results of the author’s own empirical research, this article discusses the importance, opportunities, and shortcomings of the Culture Zone as a public space.

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News Probe: What Does It Tell Us about Chinese Journalism Today?

MedienJournal ◽

10.24989/mj.v30i2-3.291 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 30 (2-3) ◽

pp. 52

Author(s):

Hugo De Burgh ◽

Xin Xin

Keyword(s):

Social Functions ◽

Investigative Journalism ◽

Chinese Media ◽

The Media

Investigative journalism is a genre of journalism which was until some 15 years ago widely thought of as an Anglophone phenomenon. Yet, sini.:e thc early 1990s Chinese investigative journalists have had notable achievcments and rheir work suggests promise of further surprises. The CCTV investigative programme News Probe deploys techniques and approaches that are apparently very similar to those in use in the Anglophone investigative journalism, but are there differences? And how may we account for the differeni.:es? The author showed four editions of News Prohe (translated) 10 two leading producers and commissioners ofBritish television investigative journalism and asked rhem to comment on them; he provides their evaluation and then interprets the difterences identified ancl places his interpretation within a context of current wcstern scholarship on the Chinese media. That the investigative genre now cxists in societies very different from thosc of which it was supposed to be uniquely a product givcs rise to questions about the con<litions that make for investigative journalism, the power of the media and their social functions in different societies.

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