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57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 U: FOUR p[oster beds and= KJ: [The Castle KJ: =The Cas[tle pub LJ: [Jacu:: zzi and everythin'= LIVI: =Yeah= KJ: =Yeah= RP: =Brilliant= KJ: =NEXT WEEk LJ: KJ: LM: LJ: [A BIG four poster bed in [an 01::: d (1) conve[rted [Yeah [AND IT JUST makes your [realise that youre actually (someone [other than just KJ: [And its only up the road [yeah LM: his mum and dad an[d reallp [Yeah LM: =That's d:: [ght Li (The wi:: [fe LIVI: TM: [WELL WE we've got an arrangement with [his erm [yeah LM: with his er with me sister-in-law Terry's e: r >sister< and she's got one lad and= LJ: =yeah= 0 LJ: And we've got our two (. ) AND THERE IS no baby sitters because my parents have died and his parents aren't very well are they= TM: =No:: LIVI: And really you you're on your own= LJ: =yeah= LM: =You struggle= LJ: =You str[uggle (. ) yeah KJ: [Yeah LJ: Yeah KALJ, and TMUM both have two children of similar ages. The talk can be conceived of then as being centred around not merely a common topic, but a common life stage and parental experience. The concept of 'the kids' (note, not just 'any' kids) thus provides a prime conversational resource for the ratification of solidarity between these two couples. There is unmitigated consensus displayed by both pairs of participants as to the experience from a parental perspective of having children, the burden of responsibility that this can sometimes be, and importantly, a consensus about the consequences for the parents, i. e., needing to get away. The sociable conversation then helps participants to identify and establish clear and unequivocal grounds for commonality. This is a clear example of what I have referred to as positive alignment within the wider conversational context of a sociable episode. 144
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Rather than being fixed in a state of solidarity and commonality though, even this short excerpt of conversational data displays the second of the two generic alignments I have thus far talked about, viz., negative alignment. Based on the achieved common understanding, each couple respectively feels secure enough to change to a more individuated footing (see Goffman 1981). In turn, each one does this by proffering their own more individuated attempts to achieve what has been agreed upon as a common need, i. e. getting away from the kids. KJ&LJ invoke plans to take a trip to Castleton (a local beauty spot), whilst TIVIUM draw on their own baby minding arrangements. In effect there is a shift from an 'us' (qua sociable collective) to a 'we' (qua married couple) footing. This allows each couple to claim individuated experiences and nuances whilst remaining solidaric. What this short piece of conversational data reveals then is the mutual proffering, ratification and support of both solidaric and individuated claims. Both positive and negative equilibric alignment are manifest at a conversational level as unproblematic and smooth running sociable chat, further evidenced by the fact that following this particular encounter, both couples spoke favourably of having had a 'good chat' about the kids with the other. The same face-based dynamics are also apparent in German sociable conversation. This can be demonstrated by drawing on an example of the type of conversation favoured by German participants in their doing of sociability, namely, objective discussion. In the following episode of conversation the participants are talking about 'Arbeitslosigkeit' ['Unemployment']. Excerpt 6.2 'Arbeitslosigkeit KN: =ich [würde lieber drei vierhundert Mark [im Jahr Autobahngebühr GB: [So ist das [so ist das KN: zahlen (. ) und dafür weniger Krankenkasse und Steuern und alles (0.5) denn ich muß doch >wir müssen doch für die Arbeitslosen mitbezahlen
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U: FOUR p[oster beds and=<br />
KJ: [The Castle<br />
KJ: =The Cas[tle pub<br />
LJ: [Jacu:: zzi and everythin'=<br />
LIVI: =Yeah=<br />
KJ: =Yeah=<br />
RP: =Brilliant=<br />
KJ: =NEXT WEEk<br />
LJ:<br />
KJ:<br />
LM:<br />
LJ:<br />
[A BIG four poster bed in [an 01::: d (1) conve[rted<br />
[Yeah<br />
[AND IT<br />
JUST makes your [realise that youre actually (someone [other than just<br />
KJ: [And its only up the road [yeah<br />
LM:<br />
his mum and dad an[d reallp<br />
[Yeah<br />
LM: =That's d:: [ght<br />
Li (The wi:: [fe<br />
LIVI:<br />
TM:<br />
[WELL WE we've got an arrangement with [his erm<br />
[yeah<br />
LM: with his er with me sister-in-law Terry's e: r >sister< and she's got one lad<br />
and=<br />
LJ: =yeah= 0<br />
LJ: And we've got our two (. ) AND THERE IS no baby sitters because my<br />
parents have died and his parents aren't very well are they=<br />
TM: =No::<br />
LIVI: And really you you're on your own=<br />
LJ: =yeah=<br />
LM: =You struggle=<br />
LJ: =You str[uggle (. ) yeah<br />
KJ: [Yeah<br />
LJ: Yeah<br />
KALJ, and TMUM both have two children <strong>of</strong> similar ages. The talk can<br />
be conceived <strong>of</strong> then as being centred around not merely a common topic, but a<br />
common life stage and parental experience. The concept <strong>of</strong> 'the kids' (note, not<br />
just 'any' kids) thus provides a prime conversational resource for the ratification<br />
<strong>of</strong> solidarity between these two couples. There is unmitigated consensus<br />
displayed by both pairs <strong>of</strong> participants as to the experience from a parental<br />
perspective <strong>of</strong> having children, the burden <strong>of</strong> responsibility that this can<br />
sometimes be, and importantly, a consensus about the consequences for the<br />
parents, i. e., needing to get away. The sociable conversation then helps<br />
participants to identify and establish clear and unequivocal grounds for<br />
commonality. This is a clear example <strong>of</strong> what I have referred to as positive<br />
alignment within the wider conversational context <strong>of</strong> a sociable episode.<br />
144
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