Why Do You Ask?: The Function of Questions in Institutional Discourse

The First Volume To Make Questions And Questioning The Explicit Focus Of Its Investigation, This Book Examines The Use Of Questions In Institutional Discourse. Fifteen Original Essays Consider A Wide Range Of Institutional Settings--from Traditionally Studied Contexts Such As Medicine, Law, And The Mass Media To Little-considered Settings Such As Call Centers, Counseling Environments, And Help Lines. It Documents The Ways In Which Social Change Has Transformed The Nature Of Institutional Encounters And, At The Same Time, Has Increased The Sorts Of Institutional Encounters In Which People Engage, Particularly Those Associated With Service-related Activities. The Function Of Questions In Institutional Discourse : An Introduction / Susan Ehrlich And Alice F. Freed -- The Design And Positioning Of Questions In Inquiry Testimony / Jack Sidnell -- Questioning In Medicine / John Heritage -- Interrogating Tears : Some Uses Of Tag Questions In A Child-protection Helpline / Alex Hepburn And Jonathan Potter -- Grammar And Social Relations : Alternative Forms Of Yes/no-type Initiating Actions In Health Visitor Interactions / Geoffrey Raymond -- Asking Ostensibly Silly Questions In Police-suspect Interrogations / Elizabeth Stokoe And Derek Edwards -- Pursuing Views And Testing Commitments : Hypothetical Questions In The Psychiatric Assessment Of Transsexual Patients / Susan A. Speer -- Questions That Convey Information In Teacher-student Conferences / Irene Koshik -- Is That Right? : Questions And Questioning As Control Devices In The Workplace / Janet Holmes And Tina Chiles -- Questioning In Meetings : Participation And Positioning / Cecilia E. Ford -- The Spatial And Temporal Dimensions Of Reflective Questions In Genetic Counseling / Srikant Sarangi -- Questions In Broadcast Journalism / Steven Clayman -- Questions And Institutionality In Public Participation Broadcasting / Joanna Thornborrow -- I'm Calling To Let You Know! : Company-initiated Telephone Sales / Alice F. Freed -- How May I Help You? : Questions, Control, And Customer Care In Telephone Call Center Talk / Anna Kristina Hultgren And Deborah Cameron. Edited By Alice F. Freed And Susan Ehrlich. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.