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Walking away. The embodied achievement of activity closings in mobile interactions
Journal
Journal of pragmatics
Volume
47
Number
1
Pages / Article-Number
41-58
Abstract
In this paper we describe in detail the coordinated practices of walking away as reflexively contributing to the organization of activity closings. The paper contributes to conversation analytic studies interested in multimodality, space and mobility, by showing the relevance of walking for the systematic and situated organization of talk-in-interaction. More particularly, the paper deals with sequential environments in which activity closings are projected, and achieved by the participants; it shows that in this position, initiating walking away is a resource that makes closing publicly projectable and recognizable. Moreover, the study shows how walking away is a negotiated matter, being initiated by some, aligned or disaligned by others, possibly retracted and revised. Finally, the study demonstrates that walking away as a coordinated and negotiated practice raises normative expectations among the participants: a deviant case is discussed in which participants orient to the absence of such a coordination. In sum, the paper offers a detailed analysis of a particular multimodal practice walking as a conduct systematically coordinated with talk-in-interaction. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
