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19 EP: ' [Although I mean that [nowadays you don't have zero
20 HB: [erm also
21 unemployment [anywhere in the whole world
22 HB: [You mustn't forget
23 KN: [Hm::
24 (0.5)
25 EP: America is booming at the moment but even there you [have unemployment
26 KN: [Hm::
27 EP: and in Great Britain you have it is there as we[II
28 KN: [IN HOLLAND I have but Peter
29 was talking to a Dutchman and there is a very small proportion of unemployed
30 and he said they don't want to [work at all I
31 HB: [Also [also=also
32 HB: =Switzedand=
33 KN: =Hm
34
35 HB: Has only=
36 KN: =Has [hardly any unemployed=
37 HB: [few
38 EP: =Hrn
39 (0.5)
40 HB: Yeah and Switzerland has=
41 KN: =Man
What happens in 'Arbeitslosigkeit' is typical of German positive and
negative alignment. The talk focuses on a common issue - that of
unemployment. Unemployment in Germany is a common source of worry and
sociable debate. In this particular episode, all participants are confirming the
primacy that the issue of unemployment should be given in any discussion of
the state of a nation. However, all speakers attempt to negatively align by
adding something of their own individuated knowledge claims into the
discussion. Indeed, it is this cumulative introduction of knowledge claims into
the talk that allows for the sociable conversation 'as talk about unemployment'
to proceed, much in the same way as talk about places 'we' want to get away to
allows'Time away from the Kids'to proceed.
These two brief excerpts then demonstrate that both positive and
negative alignments can occur within the same conversational environment as
part and parcel of sociable conversation. At a conversational level, participants
achieve this in different ways. The participants in 'Time away from the Kids',
employ rather personalised nuances of their own past or intended activities in
acquiring time away from their respective children. This relaying of personal
experience is a characteristic way to achieve negative alignment in English
sociable episodes. In the 'Arbetislosigkeit, participants both positively and
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