Overview
1 SOC 136C, Fall 2025 Final Paper By completing Assignments 1-4 you have progressively worked toward a (more or less “complete”) analysis of a single stretch of interaction – which is included below as Extract 1. In this final paper, we will expand this work to include attention to one or more additional stretches of interaction that we have not previously worked with during the course (shown below in Extracts 2-7). These additional extracts share some basic features in common with Extract 1, including that they come from similar types of telephone calls, and thereby involve similar setting-based omni-relevant categories and associated activities. They may also involve a range of similarities and/or differences (relative to Extract 1 and/or each other) in whether/when/how Pn-adequate and/or other (non-setting-based) categories become relevant, and in relation to the range of interactional practices or phenomena this can involve – i.e., with respect to action formation, word selection/person reference, turn-taking, sequence organization, and repair. Extracts 1-7 can thus now be treated as a collection from which you can choose cases (or parts of cases) to analyze in your paper. The task for the paper is to use what you have learned in the course to produce an analysis of your choosing. The choices potentially available to you are numerous, and no particular option is necessarily better than any other – this will depend on how well you carry out whatever choice you make (also see the notes on grading criteria below). However, there are two main ways you could approach this: 1. You could select one extract – or a relatively substantial (±1 minute) part thereof – to analyze in detail from start to finish, in roughly the way we have done with Extract 1 across all the assignments. (At the risk of stating the obvious, if you choose this option, you should not do so based on Extract 1, since we have already analyzed this extract in the assignments!) 2. You could select smaller parts from multiple different extracts to build one or more collections of cases that exemplify recurrent category-related interactional practices/actions/phenomena. (Since parts of Extract 1 might be included in such collections, this could involve some re-use of some of the analysis you have done for Assignments 1-4. However, in this case your paper should focus primarily on developing analyses of additional cases rather than simply repeating what you have done for the assignments.) Whichever of these options you choose, the focus of the analyses in your paper should demonstrate, in an empirically grounded way, your grasp and application of the reciprocal relationship between categories and interaction that we have explored throughout the course – as summed up in this point from Lecture 1, which we returned to in a range of specific ways throughout the course: Interaction shapes categories and categories shape interaction. In addition, please take note of the following in preparing your paper: • You need not reproduce the transcripts of the data extracts in the text of your paper – simply refer to them as needed throughout your analysis using the same extract numbers and line numbers shown in the transcripts below. • We will discuss this paper and the data in Lecture 19 (December 4), when I will also offer you some further advice/tips on how to approach it, so you are strongly advised to attend this lecture! • In addition to my regular week 10 office hours (Thursday, December 10, 10:00am-12:00pm), I will have extra office hours on Monday, December 8, 1-3pm and Tuesday, December 9, 9:30-11:30am. You are strongly encouraged attend to discuss your ideas with me and your colleagues. • In writing up your analyses, please keep in mind that (as you were asked to do in the assignments) you should, wherever possible, a) use evidence to support your claims (e.g., line numbers or brief 2 quotes from the transcript), and b) specify how it is that the evidence (line numbers/quotes) you are pointing to serves as evidence in support of your claims. • Your analyses of the data extract(s) you select to work on need not be exhaustive in order to earn full credit. That is, you do not need to say everything that could possibly be said about the data, as long as what you do say is well-supported by the evidence you point to. • As noted previously, in keeping with the collaborative approach we wish to foster in this course, you are encouraged in developing your responses to the above questions to share ideas with us and your classmates – both during group office hours and in your own time. However, your submission should be written independently, in your own words, and should not be simply a copy or a slightlyaltered version of someone else’s submission. In brief, the rule for collaborating is work together, but write alone! If you are in any way uncertain about how to apply this rule in practice, please consult with us for further guidance. • If the requirements for the paper are in any way unclear, and/or if you are having difficulties writing the paper, please do not hesitate to ask for assistance! Some notes on grading criteria: Papers that earn grades in the “A” range are likely to have most or all of the following features: • Analysis of data using an empirically grounded (based on evidence from the data extracts) range of the concepts covered in the course, and with no major errors in the use of these concepts and few or no minor errors. • Use (and appropriately formatted citations) of relevant lecture materials/slides and required and/or optional readings to frame, and/or inform, and/or support analyses. (Note: There is no minimum expected number of cited sources – the expectation is that you will use those sources that are relevant for the particular focus you have chosen, rather than that you will cite some minimum number of them simply for the sake of citing them.) • An appropriate structure, including the use of sub-headings to guide the reader through the paper. • Clear writing that is completely or largely free of grammatical and typographical errors. Papers that earn grades in the “B” range are likely to have most or all of the following features: • Analysis of data using a range of the concepts covered in the course, but with at least one major error in the use of these concepts and/or numerous minor errors, and/or with some analysis not being adequately empirically grounded. • Use (and appropriately formatted citations) of relevant lecture materials/slides and required and/or optional readings to frame, and/or inform, and/or support analyses, but with inaccuracies and/or errors in their application to the analyses. • An appropriate structure, including the use of sub-headings to guide the reader through the paper. • Generally clear writing, but with a moderate number of grammatical and typographical errors. Papers that earn grades in the “C” range are likely to have most or all of the following features: • Some attempt to analyze data using at concepts covered in the course, but with numerous major and/or minor errors in the use of these concepts, and/or with substantial amounts of analysis not being adequately empirically grounded, and/or including summaries of what happens in the interaction rather than providing CA-based analyses thereof. • Superficial or no use of relevant required and/or optional readings to frame, and/or inform, and/or support the analyses, and/or consistent inaccuracies and/or errors in their application to the analyses. • An unclear structure, and/or writing, and/or a significant number of grammatical and typographical errors. Papers that earn grades in the “D” range or lower are likely to have most or all of the following features: • Little or no attempt to analyze data using the concepts covered in the course, and/or little or no correct use of these concepts, and/or little or no adequate empirical grounding, and/or largely only summarizing what happens in the interaction rather than providing CA-based analyses thereof. • No use, or largely inaccurate/erroneous use, of relevant required and/or optional readings. • An unclear structure, and/or writing, and/or a significant number of grammatical and typographical errors. The recommended length for the paper is 1,500 to 2,000 words (excluding references). Please do not exceed the upper limit of this recommended range. The paper is due at 11:59pm on Wednesday, December 10, and should be submitted using the link provided on Canvas. Early submissions are welcomed.
3 Note: • In cases where calls are not in the public domain, identifying information has been replaced with “bleeps” in the recordings and anonymized in the transcripts. • While all these calls involve difficult and potentially emotive issues, this is especially so for Extract 7, in which a highly distressed caller reports the use of violence by ICE agents in Chicago. If you prefer not to listen to or analyze this call, you can use other extracts to focus on in your paper.
(1) [Hill; Soda Thieves Call] 1 CT: >Tallahassee police department Emily speaking, how may 2 I help you< 3 C: H:i I need three teenagers removed from my store right away, 4 (1.8) 5 CT: Where: is your sto:re. 6 C: The Burger King on (Tennessee) Street, it’s (.) ten sixty 7 West Tennessee? 8 (1.0) 9 CT: And you’re the employee there? 10 (0.2) 11 C: >I am the stor-< w=I’m: thu::h assistant manager. 12 (0.7) 13 CT: And what’s the name of the sto:re? 14 (0.5) 15 C: Burger King, 16 CT: Burger King. And what are they doin’. 17 (0.8) 18 C: (Alright.) Well, (1.0) for one they’re not listening they’re 19 causing a big scene out front becaus:e I: (.) caught one of 20 ‘em stealing soda:? 21 (0.2) 22 C: And refused to dump out the cu::p. 23 (0.2) 24 C: And I told him >over and over again no matter< what it 25 is the:ft. 26 (0.4) 27 C: And he said he didn’t ca:re. 28 (0.2) 29 C: .h=So now he’s fighting with me and refuses to leave. 30 (2.8) 31 CT: ¯#O:ka:y#=h U:h: males, females, black=whi:te, 32 (0.2) 33 C: Male black about six foot. 34 CT: All o[f em?] 35 C: [All ]three of em. Yep! 36 (0.8) 37 C: An’ I’m like a five foot little white girl, so it’s li:ke 38 .h hh .h they’re not gonna listen to me no matter what I say. 39 (4.8) 40 CT: .h (.) All:: right.=We’ll get somebody out there as soon 41 as we can.=They’re inside right now? 42 C: Yep! 43 CT: Ao:kay we’ll get somebody out there. 44 C: >Thank you.< 45 CT: >Uh huh buhbye.< 46 ((click)) 4 (2) [HLG Call] 1 CT: >Nine one one, the line’s recorded, what’s the< exact >location 2 a’ your emergency.< 3 C: .hh Hi um: I’m act(ually) on um:: (Ware Street) ((line cuts out)) 4 in Cambridge, (.) and the house number is seventeen? 5 CT: Seventeen [(the hou-) 6 C: [Ware Street? 7 CT: M- Okay, ma’am? Your cell phone cut out. What’s- uh- what’s 8 the address again? 9 (0.2) 10 C: Sorry, it says seven Ware, that’s W, A, R, E? 11 CT: (‘s there at) [(seve-) 12 C: [Street? 13 CT: The emergency’s at seven Ware Street, right? 14 C: Oh no, it’s seventee- I’m sorry, some other woman is talking 15 >next to me,< but it’s seventeen, one seven Ware Street? 16 CT: .h What’s the phone number you’re callin’ me from. 17 C: I’m calling you from my cell phone number? 18 (0.2) 19 CT: All right >what’s the problem, tell me< exactly what happened. 20 (0.5) 21 C: .hh Um: u- w- I don’t know what’s ha:ppening, I just had an uh: 22 elder woman uh: n- standing here and she had noticed two 23 gentlemen, .h trying to get in a house a- at that number 24 seventeen Ware Street, .hh and uh: they kinda had (tuh) 25 barge in and they broke (.) .h the screen doo:r, and they 26 finally got in, an: when I had looked I went (0.2) further 27 closer to the house a little bit? After the gentlemens were 28 already in the house, .hh I noticed t- two: suitcases. .h So 29 I’m not sure if these are two individuals who actually work 30 there, I mean who live there? .hh[h 31 CT: [You think they might have 32 been break[in’. 33 C: [(Beside-) .h I don’t know, cuz I have no idea, 34 [I just notice35 CT: [(Well- but do) you think the possibility might have been 36 there, or uh (j’s that-) >what do you mean by< “barged in,” 37 did they kick the door in, er: 38 C: Um: no they were pushing the door in: like uh:: .hh uhm::: 39 like the screen: part of the b- front door was 40 CT: How [did they open the door itself with the lock off. 41 C: [kinda like cut. 42 C: They:: I didn’t see a key or anything cuz I was a little bit 43 away from the door, .h but I did notice that they:’d (.) 44 CT: And what did thes[e suitcases have to do with anything? 45 C: [pushed their46 C: I don’t know, I’m just saying that’s what I saw. Uh- I: (.) 47 jus[t (showi- i-) 48 CT: [Do you know what apartment they uh: (.) broke into? 49 (0.5) 50 C: No, they just the first floor, (0.2) I don’t even think that (.) 51 it’s an apartment, it’s seventeen Ware Street. a dozen.< 21 (1.0) ((typing sounds)) 22 CT: What (.) kind of a truck is it? What color? 23 C: I have a nineteen fifty Chevrolet one ton tru:ck, 24 [.hh it’s being me]ssed with right no:w. 25 CT: [( Chev¿] 26 (0.8) 27 CT: How many are there, Black or whi:te? 28 C: Uh:: all kinds of ‘em. 29 (0.2) 30 C: I don- uh- would you wan’ [a detailed31 CT: [What’s your name? 32 (0.4) 33 C: My name is Glenn. G L E N N. 34 CT: Alright, we’ll be right there. 35 C: Thank you. 7 (4) [WC EMS 10469] 1 ((ring)) 2 CT: Emergency medical services, [(how can we help you?) 3 C1: [Hi, I’m phoning from Daventry Secondary 4 School, (0.5) we have an emergency? 5 (0.4) 6 CT: I’m speaking to? 7 C1: Missus Patel. 8 (0.7) 9 CT: Missus Patel? 10 C1: Ya.=hh 11 CT: Can I have your contact number please? 12 C1: Nine three one, 13 CT: Nine three one, 14 C1: Double six seven one. 15 CT: >Double six seven one,< and where’s this? 16 C1: Daventry. 17 (0.2) 18 CT: Gimme the full addres[s? 19 C1: [EH:: Kent Street? 20 (0.2) 21 CT: Kent, (.) like uh=cee:[::: ( ) 22 C1: [K E N T, (.) street Daventry? 23 (0.8) 24 C1: That’s in Coll[ie Stream? 25 CT: [( ) 26 (11.5) 27 C1: MIS[TER- (Fox) 28 CT: [(O)kay, 29 (0.2) 30 C2: Yes? ((distant - far away from phone)) 31 (1.0) 32 CT: tch Okay >ma- uh gimme 34 a second,< come explain what the problem is. 35 (2.5) ((phone being passed off to FOX)) 36 C1: (Mizziz [ ) ((distant – away from phone)) 37 C2: [.h Hi, good morni[:n:g, uh38 CT: [Hi, good morni:n[g. 39 C1: [Hi, >this Mister Fox 40 from Daventry Secondary School, man.< [.h There was a fight between 41 CT: [(Mm hm?) 42 C2: two child¯ren, h .hh the one chi:ld i:s um is uh l- >unconscious 43 at the moment, h .hh u::m: an’ I’m just a bit concerned man. 44 CT: >Okay, so the ambulance is only< for one patient now? 45 C1: Ya, for one, ya. h (.hh) 46 (.) 47 C2: Can:: ya (o-) coz I’m >j’st a bit< concerned about- you know:, 48 summing >could happen to the chi[ld man,< 49 CT: [Is it- is it a high school, o:r: 50 C2: Sorry? 51 CT: Is it a- it a high school, Davism- m- [(Dav- is a) high school. 52 C2: [Daventry, yes. 53 CT: Is it a high school sir? 54 C2: Yes. 8 55 (0.8) 56 CT: Okay, um:: approximately how old is the guy- >u- (dis=is) the< 57 thuh (.) bo:y. 58 (.) 59 C2: Sorry? It’s a [girl. ‘t[’sa girl. 60 CT: [Uh [( you said) girls? 61 C2: Ya. 62 CT: So- (.) u- g- two girls fight? 63 (0.2) 64 C2: Ya. 65 CT: Okay, how old is (s)he? 66 C2: .h I think she’s about thir¯teen.=hh 67 (1.5) 68 C1: ( ) ((distant)) 69 C2: Ya. ((to PAT)) 70 C1: (From the ) ((distant)) 71 (.) 72 C2: Okay? 73 (.) 74 CT: Oka:y, we sending the first available ambulance, [okay? 75 C2: [Oh, 76 (0.8) ((someone talking in background)) 77 C2: Thank you. 78 CT: Thank you the:n. Bye bye. 79 C2: Bye, 80 CT: Bye:. 9 (5) [BBQ complaint call] 1 CT: Oakland Police, (° °). 2 ((unintelligible portion spoken quietly, possibly as an aside)) 3 C: Um: yeah, I’d like to report that someone is illegally using 4 a charcoal grill, (.hh) in a non designated area on:: (0.2) um: 5 in Lake Merritt Park, kinda near Cle(ve)land Cascade, .hhh I’d 6 like it uh=dealt with immediately, .hhh ((sniff)) so that 7 >coals don’t burn more children and (ours- we) have to pay< 8 more taxes. .hhh ((sniff)) 9 CT: Okay, and where is this again? 10 (0.8) 11 C: U::m:: it’s on::: Lakeshore Avenue:, o- in Lake Merritt, (0.2) 12 u:m:: near Cleveland Cascade, um across the street from: 13 twenny twenny four Lake Shore Avenue? 14 (1.0) 15 CT: .hh All right, an:d the: person that’s u:sing the: gri:ll:, 16 uh w- I need a description of them, what race are they? hh .hhh 17 (.) 18 C: U:m:: African American. 19 CT: And how old approximately? Hh 20 (1.0) 21 C: I’d say about forty. 22 CT: Oka[y. 23 C: [Or late thirties. 24 (.) 25 CT: What color clothing is he wearing? 26 (0.8) 27 C: He is wearing dark black (pants ) an::d a black 28 sweatshirt, (0.2) um with an orange logo on it, I have a 29 picture of it. 30 (.) 31 CT: #All right.# hhh .h And how tall is he approximately? 32 (0.6) 33 C: Um he’s sitting down so I’m not sure. 34 CT: .hh And is he thin, medium, or heavy build? 35 (0.8) 36 C: Uh heavier build. 37 (1.0) 38 C: More muscular though. 39 (0.5) 40 CT: All right, (0.2) .hh an:d do you want (.) officers to come in 41 contact with you when they get there? Hhh 42 (.) 43 C: Yes. 44 (.) 45 CT: Okay, and what is your name? 46 (0.8) 47 C: Jennifer Schulte. 48 CT: .hhhh And what’s a good (.) phone number for you? .hh 49 C: Five one zero, two four two, five seven nine one. 50 CT: .hhhh Okay, we:’ll give you a call when we get there. 51 (0.8) 52 C: Okay, thanks. 53 CT: Thanks. 54 C: Bye. 10 (6) [MC 17.20] 1 CT: Mid-City police and fire? 2 C: Yea:h, on the corner of uh: hhh .HHHH >let’s see, what 3 corner is this?< 4 (.) 5 B: ( eighth and Holloway) ((in background)) 6 (0.4) 7 C: Uh twenny eighth and Holloway, theres: two guys pretty 8 badly hurt.=hh .hh [Laying on the street. 9 CT: [How’d10 CT: How’d they get hu:rt? 11 C: Well, we saw hhh .HHH another guy kickin’ ‘em, hhh but he 12 ran away. 13 (0.2) 14 CT: What’s your name? 15 C: .hh Well, I am John Dybdahl, I’m >from out of town.< Just 16 driving by.=hhh .HH 17 CT: We:ll, can you stay there, and uh:: 18 C: .hh Yeah, we can stay for a little while. Hhh 19 CT: John who? 20 C: .hh Dybdahl. hhh 21 CT: Spell it for me. 22 C: >D Y B D A H L.< .hhh hhhh 23 CT: Okay, now: uh: these two guys, they are down, they need an 24 ambulance? 25 C: Yeah, hh=I think so. 26 (0.4) 27 C: .hhhh They’re >layin’ on the street.< hhh 28 CT: Laying in the stree:[t? 29 C: [Yeah, a little bloody. hhhhh .hh 30 CT: An:d where did this guy go, that you saw beatin’ ‘em? 31 C: He j’st ra:n. He ran:: uh hh .hhh west on twenny eighth. h 32 CT: Ran west on twenny eighth? 33 C: Yeah. .hhh hhh 34 CT: Was it an Indian male, or a Bla[ck, or: 35 C: [Indi- it looked like Indian. hhh 36 CT: Indian male? 37 C: (I b-) yea:h. 38 CT: Can you describe him or anything? 39 C: Yeah. hh .hh J’st get [a ( ) out here, will ya? 40 CT: [H- ha41 CT: Well hang on, I wanna s- get ‘em goin’ and get a description. 42 Stay on the line. 43 (0.2) 44 ((beep; recording ends)) 11 (7) [Chicago ICE raid call, October 4, 2025] 1 CT: Chicago emergency, (Talmy.) 2 C: .hh hhh .hh HI, yes, I wanna report that ICE is on my block, 3 .hh they were arresting people, .h and they literally just 4 grabbed a ma:n, (.h) and they slammed him to the ground, and 5 the agents started beating him up, they had rifles, .h and 6 they’re pointing it at people, they’re stopping people in 7 traffic, .h on Thirty Eighth and Kedzie. 8 (.) 9 C: .hh Can you please send help?=hhh 10 (0.2) 11 C: PLEASE! (We’ll see if-)< 26 C: THIRTY EIGHTH AND KEDZIE, PLEA::[SE! 27 CT: [Okay, 28 (.) 29 CT: [(.hh) we’re gonna send the police, 30 C: [.HHH THERE’S LIKE FIFTEEN ICE AGENTS AND THEY KEEP PULLING 31 PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR CA:RS, PLEASE! .HH 32 (0.5) 33 CT: Okay, we’re gonna send the police, can you hold on 34 an[d 35 C: [PLEASE HELP US, WE NEED ( ) WE NEED- .HH 36 ICE IS HERE MA’AM, AND THERE’S FIFTEEN CARS, PLEASE PLEASE 37 HELP US! 38 (.) 39 C: .HHH PLEASE HELP US! 40 (.) 41 C: .HH 42 (0.4) 43 C: HH= 44 CT: =Oka[y, 45 C: [PLEA:SE HELP US, WE H[AVE RIGHTS! 46 CT: [we’re gonna send the police, ma’am. 47 C: WE ARE CITIZENS HERE TOO MA’AM, PLEASE HELP US! .HH ((sobbing)) 48 (0.2) 49 C: PLEASE HELP US!=HH ((sobbing)) 50 (0.4) 51 CT: We’re gonna send (them) ((recording ends))