Download (23MB) - University of Salford Institutional Repository

In terms of its positive and negative characteristics then, this piece of
talk may be treated as marked by heightened positive alignment. That is, as
both players and images, contributing participants mobilise similar selves. In
terms of images, participants mobilise what were termed generally 'party-
going' selves, that is persons who all attended the same party. Importantly,
there are similarities in the symbolic nature of these selves. In terms of selves
as players, again, there are striking similarities in the types of selves
mobilised across participants. All mobilise re-invoking and abased selves.
Thus, what is primarily positive alignment is achieved in and through
the mobilisation of normative English sociable selves.
The equilibric handling of conversation and selves is clearly evidenced
in 'Cookie's Party'. First and foremost, this piece of talk is 'typical' of English
sociable handling of reminisced topics. It is quite generally clearly
recognisable talk about a past party that'we' attended, one not unique to one
or the other individual but common to all. Second, there is an preference
towards solidarity in terms of how the party is defined, and how it is evaluated.
There is then a definitional and evaluative working consensus underlying the
talk (Goffman 1967). In terms of sociable selves, participants are clearly
working towards ratifying and mutually supporting re-invoking selves as
players, and abased selves as images, achieved primarily in and through the
mobilisation of similar selves. Participants collective mobilise both re-invoking
and abased selves not only to allow them to make their own conversational
claims, but to support those made and mobilised by their fellow participants.
In this way, participants are able to talk about Cookie's party in the way that
they do, as a collective reminiscence. Of course, as I shell demonstrate in the
following episode, ratification and support need not rely on the mobilisation
and alignment of similar sociable selves, neither in English nor German talk.
However, it is the positive alignment of sociable selves which marks'Cookie's
Party'.
250