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Article published In: Language and Dialogue
Vol. 11:3 (2021) ► pp.379–404

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Constructing disagreement space

Talk show host’s actions

 | University of Massachusetts Amherst
Published online: 3 August 2021
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/ld.00100.vas
Abstract
The study is a single case analysis and explores how disagreement space is constructed in a dialogue that addresses language ideology and identity issues in Belarus. Disagreement space is understood as a set of the interactant’s commitments, beliefs, intentions that can be reconstructed from their actions and “called out” by another participant (Jackson, Sally. 1992. “Virtual Standpoints” and the Pragmatics of Conversational Argument.” In Argumentation Illuminated ed. by Frans H. van Eemeren, Rob Grootendorst, J. Anthony Blair, and Charles Arthur Willard, 260–269. Amsterdam: SicSat.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar). The interactional data includes the video-recording of the debate that was devoted to the issue whether Belarusian should be the only official language of Belarus. While two opponents are dominating parties in this debate, the host also plays an important role in this argumentative activity. The current study examines the host’s actions to shape disagreement space and argues that the host should be viewed as a valid party in a multi-party argumentative activity.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Third parties’ contributions to argumentation process
  • 3.Language situation in Belarus
  • 4.Methodology and data
  • 5.Data analysis
    • 5.1Framing
    • 5.2Selecting issues to discuss
    • 5.3Introducing the voice of the not-present
    • 5.4Temporizing the discussion
  • 6.Conclusion
  • References
References (37)
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