Person reference and a preference for association in emergency calls

Abstract

Person reference is pervasive in talk. Conversation analytic work has identified preferences in person reference relating to recognitional reference. However, the principles shaping non-recognitional reference are less well understood. We propose a preference for association in an institutional setting where recognition is not relevant. Our data are calls to the New Zealand police emergency line which were institutionally classified as family harm. Using a collection methodology, we found that non-recognitional person reference typically takes the form my x which directly associates speaker and referent, for example “my partner”, “my ex-partner”, “my dad”. Initial references that suggest no association (e.g. “someone” or “an abusive guy”) were subsequently revised by callers using self-repair or targeted by call-takers through questions that seek clarification about association. The shifts from non-associative to associative references demonstrate participants’ orientations to the relevance of association and are evidence of a preference for association in the setting under examination. Data are in English.