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Article published In: Language and Dialogue
Vol. 6:2 (2016) ► pp.306–328

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The dialogic construction of justifications and arguments of a seven-year-old child within a ‘democratic’ family

 | “Sapienza” University of Rome (Italy)
 | University of Teacher Education (HEP-BEJUNE) Biel/Bienne (Switzerland)
Published online: 18 August 2016
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https://doi.org/10.1075/ld.6.2.05pon
The paper focuses on arguing and reasoning processes occurring at dinnertime family conversations. Our goal is to highlight the interplay between two sides of argumentative practices: the justification as social need to provide evidences for an assertion; the dialogic function of argumentation that refers to the goals arguers want to achieve during discussions. Through the analysis of a case study we discuss a sequence in which a child resists his father’s directive by an elaborated argumentative strategy in order to achieve his goal. Results show how participants engage in opposing the other’s standpoint and are socialized to argumentative dialogues.
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