Conversation Analysis - 2nd Edition by Ian Hutchby & Robin Wooffitt (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Talk is a central activity in social life. But how is ordinary talk organized? How do people coordinate their talk in interaction? And what is the role of talk in wider social processes? Conversation Analysis has developed over the past forty years as a key method for studying social interaction and language use. Its unique perspective and systematic methods make it attractive to an interdisciplinary audience.

In this second edition of their highly acclaimed introduction, Ian Hutchby and Robin Wooffitt offer a wide-ranging and accessible overview of key issues in the field. The second edition has been substantially revised to incorporate recent developments, including an entirely new final chapter exploring the contribution of Conversation Analysis to key issues in social science. The book provides a grounding in the theory and methods of Conversation Analysis, and demonstrates its procedures by analyzing a variety of concrete examples.

Written in a lively and engaging style, Conversation Analysis has become indispensable reading for students and researchers in sociology, sociolinguistics, applied linguistics, social psychology, communication studies and anthropology.

From the Back Cover

Talk is a central activity in social life. But how is ordinary talk organized? How do people coordinate their talk in interaction? And what is the role of talk in wider social processes? Conversation Analysis has developed over the past forty years as a key method for studying social interaction and language use. Its unique perspective and systematic methods make it attractive to an interdisciplinary audience.

In this second edition of their highly acclaimed introduction, Ian Hutchby and Robin Wooffitt offer a wide-ranging and accessible overview of key issues in the field. The second edition has been substantially revised to incorporate recent developments, including an entirely new final chapter exploring the contribution of Conversation Analysis to key issues in social science. The book provides a grounding in the theory and methods of Conversation Analysis, and demonstrates its procedures by analyzing a variety of concrete examples.

Written in a lively and engaging style, Conversation Analysis has become indispensable reading for students and researchers in sociology, sociolinguistics, applied linguistics, social psychology, communication studies and anthropology.

Review Quotes

"Provide[s] rich and detailed guidance to the antecedents and motivations underpinning the central themes, principles and practices of CA [Conversation Analysis] ... It is comprehensive and to the point in its coverage of the central principles and provides many illustrative examples for analytical guidance. It also gives those in disciplines other than sociology food for thought about ways in which neutral talk can be analysed in the social sciences."
Discourse Studies

"This splendid second edition introduces conversation analysis in a way that is both clear and engaging. It selects themes from across the field and introduces them in a way that captures their richness and teases out their broader implications. It will be an invaluable resource for those teaching conversation analysis and those academics who wish to learn about it."

Jonathan Potter, Loughborough University

"This updated edition of a cherished introduction to CA is valuable for its focus on the striking role CA has played in such closely related areas of inquiry as linguistics, psychology, education, politics, medicine, language disorders, and linguistic anthropology. This book will be treasured for its comprehensive, accessible and engaging presentation of the findings and future trajectories of the study of language and social interaction."

Sandra A. Thomson, University of California, Santa Barbara

"This new edition offers eloquent support for scholars who use CA as a method. It nicely leads students unfamiliar with CA through not only the details of transcription but also through the motivations behind transcription choices. The book will also continue to challenge social science researchers to rethink core concepts and cherished categories in a truly rigorous manner."

Cecilia Ford, University of Wisconsin

About the Author

Ian Hutchby is Professor of Sociology at the University of Leicester.

Robin Wooffitt is Senior Lecturer in Sociology at University of York.