The Use of If/ Then Constructions in the Achievement of Information Provision and Client Empowerment
This paper outlines an interactional device utilised by call takers to achieve the organisational goals of information provision and client empowerment on a mental health information line. Following problem presentations or requests for advice by callers, call takers were found at times to utilise a...
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| Vydáno v: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/sds, |
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| Hlavní autor: | |
| Médium: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Jazyk: | Anglais |
| Vydáno: |
Sciences de la société
2014
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| Témata: | |
| On-line přístup: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
| Shrnutí: | This paper outlines an interactional device utilised by call takers to achieve the organisational goals of information provision and client empowerment on a mental health information line. Following problem presentations or requests for advice by callers, call takers were found at times to utilise a conditional ‘if / then’ format for proffering a course of action to callers (e.g. “If you wanted those treatments, then I guess it’s going to your G.P.”). Callers can then align (or not) with the course of action, and as such are seen to make a decision on their own future actions. Using this ‘if / then’ construction thus allows the call takers to achieve their organisational remits of information provision and empowerment, while also managing an organisational restriction on giving advice. As such, these ‘if / then’ constructions may be seen as an interactional device through which this particular organisation is constructed in discourse. |
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