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orderly and meaningful conversation to proceed (see e. g. Schegloff 1992), to the
prospective and retrospective aligning of action and meaning (e. g. 'Could I ask you
a personal question'; 'I didn't mean to sound nasty there'). Alignment in this sense
is associated with the achievement of intersubjectivity between speaker and hearer
in the achievement of 'smooth' conversation.
Alignment is not restricted in use to refer to the achievement of
intersubjectivity
though but can also apply to what is essentially the alignment of
particular selves. For example, in responding (aligning ones conversational
utterance) to a speakers introduction of something 'newsworthy' or 'interesting',
speakers may align in effect a surprised or informed self (for e. g. in the use of 'oh
really' or'you don't say'). This effectively signals not only an appropriate
comprehension of meaning, but also an appropriate alignment of symbolic self,
thereby both ratifying the self proffered by the speaker ('interesting newsteller) and,
equally as importantly, setting up the appropriate conversational environment
(albeit a temporary one) for the speaker and hearer to continue to mobilise
appropriate selves. This focus on the relationship between conversational action
and the symbolic representation of the self been addressed more closely in
symbolic interactionist circles. Here, the concept of alignment has been used
variously to refer to largely verbal actions taken to align both individual lines of
conduct, and that conduct with wider cultural norms. Essentially,
'aligning actions'
(see Stokes and Hewitt 1976) are commonly perceived in sociological studies as
actions which proscriptively seek to define or retrospectively seek to get potentially
face-threatening behaviourback on track', to a state of non-conflict and mutual
acceptance of the definitions of the situation and proffered selves (Malone 1997,
138). For instance Stokes and Hewitt (1976), although again associating alignment
with the achievement of intersubjectivity,
focus on negative selves that might be
warded off or redefined with the use of aligning actions. Persons may for example
employ disclaimers
to proscriptively define upcoming information proffered about
the self or others, or may employ explanations following some negatively
sanctioned action. In this sense, aligning actions are synonymous with alignments
of the self.
Alignment has also been employed at a wider cultural level. Katriel (1986)
extends these prior conceptions of alignment to the study of specific cultural
contexts. In her ethnographic study of the Israeli interactional idiom of straight talk,
she identifies a two-way alignment, which aligns ensuing potentially face-
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