Linguistic aspects in asymmetrical institutional interaction: Call center case

• Main Authors: Koprivica-Lelićanin Marija, Šuvaković Aleksandra
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Institute of Ethnography, SASA, Belgrade 2011-01-01
• Series: Glasnik Etnografskog Instituta SANU
• Subjects: asymmetry; institutional talk; discourse analysis; conversation analysis; call center; power; interaction
• Online Access: http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0350-0861/2011/0350-08611102191K.pdf

In institutional communications, the roles of participants were determined by institutional frame, and distribution of interactional power was asymmetrical. This work investigates by a case study if interaction between the call center operators and clients can have asymmetrical features. Turn taking organization, overall structural organization of the interaction, sequence organization, turn design, lexical choice, epistemological and other forms of asymmetry were considered. Interruption, enforcing explicitness, controlling topic and formulation were marked in analyzed interactions for instrumental achieving of domination.