Abstract
In this paper, we present an analysis of how constituents procure services at the constituency office of a Member of Parliament (MP) in the United Kingdom. This paper will investigate how several previously documented interactional practices (e.g. entitlement) combine at the constituency office in a way that secures service. From a corpus of 12.5 hours of interaction, and using conversation analysis, we examine constituents’ telephone calls and meetings with constituency office staff and the MP, identifying practices constituents use. First, constituents opened encounters with bids to tell narratives. Second, constituents presented lengthy and detailed descriptions of their difficulties. These descriptions gave space to manage issues of legitimacy and entitlement, while simultaneously recruiting assistance. Third, we examine ways in which constituents display uncertainty about how the institution of the constituency office functions, and what services are available. The paper offers original insights into how constituency services are provided, and how constituency offices give access and support to ordinary citizens, while expanding the conversation analytic literature on institutional service provision.
About the authors
Emily Hofstetter is University Teacher in the Department of Social Sciences at Loughborough University, UK, and Research Associate at University College London in Neonatology. She recently completed her doctoral thesis on how Members of Parliament interact with constituents at MP “surgeries” in the United Kingdom. Her research interests are in conversation analysis across both institutional and mundane settings.
Elizabeth Stokoe is Professor of Social Interaction in the Department of Social Sciences at Loughborough University, UK. Her current research interests are in conversation analysis, membership categorization, and social interaction in various ordinary and institutional settings, including neighbor mediation, police interrogation, role-play and simulated interaction. She is the co-author of Discourse and Identity (with Bethan Benwell, Edinburgh University Press, 2006) and co-editor of Conversation and Gender (with Susan Speer, Cambridge University Press, 2011).
Appendix: Jefferson transcription key
| t[alk | Square brackets indicate start and end of overlapping speech. |
| [Yeah, | |
| ↑↓ | Marked pitch movement, beyond normal rhythms of speech. |
| Underlining | Indicates emphasis; more underlining is more emphasis. |
| CAPITALS | Indicates louder volume than surrounding speech. |
| °I know° | Indicates quieter speech. |
| #I know# | Indicates creaky voice. |
| (0.4) | Numbers in round brackets measure pauses in seconds. |
| (.) | A micropause, hearable but too short to measure. |
| ((stoccato)) | Additional comments from the transcriber. |
| wa::nted | Elongation of prior sound; more colons shows more elongation. |
| hhh | Out breath, proportionally as for colons. |
| .hhh | In breath proportionally as for colons. |
| Yeh, | Comma: weak rising intonation, as when delivering a list. |
| yeah? | Question mark: strong rise in intonation, irrespective of grammar. |
| Yeah. | Full stop: marks falling, stopping intonation irrespective of grammar. |
| bu- u- | Cut-off of the preceding sound. |
| >he said< | Faster than surrounding talk. |
| <he said> | Reverse indicates slower than surrounding talk. |
| solid.= | Indicates “latching” of successive talk, no silence between talk. |
| =We had | |
| sto(h)p | Shows laughter particles. |
References
Baker, Carolyn, Michael Emmison & Alan Firth. 2001. Discovering order in opening sequences: Calls to a software helpline. In A.W. McHoul & M. Rapley (eds.), How to analyse talk in institutional settings: A casebook of methods, 41–56. London: Continuum International.Search in Google Scholar
Butler, Patrick & Neil Collins. 2001. Payment on delivery: Recognising constituency service as political marketing. European Journal of Marketing 35(9/10). 1026–1037.10.1108/EUM0000000005956Search in Google Scholar
Curl, Traci & Paul Drew. 2008. Contingency and action: A comparison of two forms of requesting. Research on Language and Social Interaction 41(2). 129–153.10.1080/08351810802028613Search in Google Scholar
Drew, Paul & Elizabeth Couper-Kuhlen. 2014. Requesting – From speech act to recruitment. In Paul Drew & Elizabeth Couper-Kuhlen (eds.), Requesting in social interaction, 1–34. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.10.1075/slsi.26.01dreSearch in Google Scholar
Drew, Paul. 1984. Speakers’ reportings in invitation sequences. In J.M. Atkinson & J. Heritage (eds.), Structures of social action: Studies in conversation analysis, 129–151. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.10.1017/CBO9780511665868.010Search in Google Scholar
Edwards, Derek & Elizabeth Stokoe. 2007. Self-help in calls for help with problem neighbors. Research on Language and Social Interaction 40(1). 9–32.10.1080/08351810701331208Search in Google Scholar
Gay, Oonagh. 2005. MPs go back to their constituencies. The Political Quarterly 76(1). 57–66.10.1111/j.1467-923X.2005.00656.xSearch in Google Scholar
Gill, Virginia T., Anita Pomerantz & Paul Denvir. 2001. Pre-emptive resistance: Patients’ participation in diagnostic sense-making activities. Sociology of Health & Illness 32(1). 1–20.10.1111/j.1467-9566.2009.01208.xSearch in Google Scholar
Halkowski, Timothy. 2006. Realizing the illness: Patients’ narratives of symptom discovery. In John Heritage & Douglas Maynard (eds.), Communication in Medical Care: Interaction between Primary Care Physicians and Patients, 86–114. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.10.1017/CBO9780511607172.006Search in Google Scholar
Heitshusen, Valerie, Garry Young & David M. Wood. 2005. Electoral context and MP constituency focus in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. American Journal of Political Science 49(1). 32–45.10.1111/j.0092-5853.2005.00108.xSearch in Google Scholar
Heritage, John & Steven Clayman. 2010. Talk in action: Interactions, identities, and institutions. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.10.1002/9781444318135Search in Google Scholar
Heritage, John & Douglas Maynard (eds.). 2006. Communication in medical care: Interaction between primary care physicians and patients. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.10.1017/CBO9780511607172Search in Google Scholar
Heritage, John & Jeffrey Robinson. 2006. Accounting for the visit: Giving reasons for seeking medical care. In John Heritage & Douglas W. Maynard (eds.), Communication in medical care: Interaction between primary care physicians and patients, 48–85. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.10.1017/CBO9780511607172.005Search in Google Scholar
Hofstetter, Emily. 2016. Citizens getting help: Interactions at the constituency office. Doctoral dissertation. Loughborough: Loughborough University.Search in Google Scholar
Hofstetter, Emily & Elizabeth Stokoe. 2015. Offers of assistance in politician-constituent interaction. Discourse Studies 17(6). 724–751.10.1177/1461445615602376Search in Google Scholar
House of Commons. 2013. You and Your MP: Brief guide. London: Author. Retrieved from: http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-information-office/Brief-Guides/You-and-Your-MP.pdf (accessed 20 October 2013).Search in Google Scholar
House of Commons Modernisation Committee. 2007. Revitalising the chamber: The role of the back bench Member. First Report of Session 2006–07, 13 June. London: House of Commons.Search in Google Scholar
Jefferson, Gail. 2004. Glossary of transcript symbols with an introduction. In Gene H. Lerner (ed.), Conversation Analysis: Studies from the first generation, 13–23. Philadelphia: John Benjamins.10.1075/pbns.125.02jefSearch in Google Scholar
Kendrick, Kobin H. & Paul Drew. 2016. Recruitment: Offers, requests, and the organization of assistance in interaction. Research on Language and Social Interaction 49(1). 1–19.10.1080/08351813.2016.1126436Search in Google Scholar
Korris, Matt. 2011. A year in the life: From member of public to Member of Parliament. London: Hansard Society.Search in Google Scholar
Le Lidec, Patrick. 2009. French deputies, their assistants and the uses of staff appropriations: A sociology of political work. Sociologie du travail 518. e117–e135.10.1016/j.soctra.2009.06.023Search in Google Scholar
Lee, Seung-Hee. 2009. Extended requesting: Interaction and collaboration in the production and specification of requests. Journal of Pragmatics 41(6). 1248–1271.10.1016/j.pragma.2008.09.013Search in Google Scholar
Loat, Alison & Michael MacMillan. 2014. Tragedy in the Commons: Former Members of Parliament speak out about Canada’s failing democracy. Toronto: Random House Canada.Search in Google Scholar
Pomerantz, Anita. 1984. Agreeing and disagreeing with assessments: Some features of preferred/dispreferred turn shapes. In J. Maxwell Atkinson & John Heritage (eds.), Structures of social action: Studies in conversation analysis, 57–101. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.10.1017/CBO9780511665868.008Search in Google Scholar
Pomerantz, Anita. 1986. Extreme case formulations: A way of legitimizing claims. Human Studies 9(2-3). 219–229.10.1007/BF00148128Search in Google Scholar
Potter, Jonathan and Alexa Hepburn. 2003. “I’m a bit concerned”—Early actions and psychological constructions in a child protection helpline. Research on Language and Social Interaction 36. 197–240.10.1207/S15327973RLSI3603_01Search in Google Scholar
Rawlings, Richard. 1990a. The MP’s complaints service. The Modern Law Review 53(1). 22–42.10.1111/j.1468-2230.1990.tb01789.xSearch in Google Scholar
Rawlings, Richard. 1990b. The MP’s complaints service. The Modern Law Review 53(2). 149–169.10.1111/j.1468-2230.1990.tb01801.xSearch in Google Scholar
Raymond, Geoffrey. 2003. Grammar and social organization: Yes/no type interrogatives and the structure of responding. American Sociological Review 68. 939–967.10.2307/1519752Search in Google Scholar
Schegloff, Emanuel A. & Gene H. Lerner. 2009. Beginning to respond: Well-prefaced responses to Wh-questions. Research on Language and Social Interaction 42(2). 91–115.10.1080/08351810902864511Search in Google Scholar
Sidnell, Jack. 2013. Basic Conversation Analytic Methods. In Jack Sidnell & Tanya Stivers (eds.), The handbook of conversation analysis, 77–99. United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell.10.1002/9781118325001.ch5Search in Google Scholar
Siefken, Sven T. 2014. The case against (or for?) casework: German MPs’ service responsiveness in their district work with citizens. Presented at the ECPR General Conference. Glasgow, September 3–6 2014.Search in Google Scholar
Sikveland, Rein, Elizabeth Stokoe & Jon Symonds. 2016. Patient burden during appointment-making phone calls to GP practices. Patient Education and Counseling 99(8). 1310–1318.10.1016/j.pec.2016.03.025Search in Google Scholar
Sterie, Anca. 2015. Recalling the doctor to action: Two requesting formats employed by a nurse for making relevant the doctor’s intervention. Novitas-ROYAL (Research on Youth and Language) 9(2). 118–137.Search in Google Scholar
Stivers, Tanya. 2006. Treatment decisions: Negotiations between doctors and patients in acute care encounters. In John Heritage & Douglas Maynard (eds.), Communication in Medical Care: Interaction between Primary Care Physicians and Patients, 279–312. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.10.1017/CBO9780511607172.012Search in Google Scholar
Stivers, Tanya. 2011. Socializing children into the patient role. In Alessandro Duranti, Elinor Ochs & Bambi Schieffelin (eds.), Handbook of Language Socialization, 247–267. Malden: Wiley-Blackwell.10.1002/9781444342901.ch11Search in Google Scholar
Stivers, Tanya & John Heritage. 2001. Breaking the sequential mold: Answering ‘more than the question’ during comprehensive history taking. Text 21(1/2). 151–185.10.1515/text.1.21.1-2.151Search in Google Scholar
Stokoe, Elizabeth. 2013. Overcoming barriers to mediation in intake calls to services: Research-based strategies for mediators. Negotiation Journal 29(3). 289–314.10.1111/nejo.12026Search in Google Scholar
Stokoe, Elizabeth & Alexa Hepburn. 2005. ‘You can hear a lot through the walls’: Noise formulations in neighbour complaints. Discourse & Society 16(5). 647–673.10.1177/0957926505054940Search in Google Scholar
Vivyan, Nick & Markus Wagner. 2015. What do voters want from their local MP?. The Political Quarterly 86(1). 33–40.10.1111/1467-923X.12128Search in Google Scholar
Whalen, Marilyn & Don Zimmerman. 1990. Describing trouble: Practical epistemology in citizen calls to the police. Language in Society 19. 465–492.10.1017/S0047404500014779Search in Google Scholar
Zimmerman, Don H. 1992. The interactional organization of calls for emergency assistance. In Paul Drew & John Heritage (eds.), Talk at work: Interaction in institutional settings, 418–469. New York: Cambridge University Press.Search in Google Scholar
© 2018 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
