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Prejudicial Expressions in Defense of Adolescent Masculine Identities in Interaction

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Abstract

The aim of this article is to demonstrate the efficacy of a fine-grained, discursive-narrative approach in the investigation of the use of prejudicial expressions in defense of emerging masculine identities in conversational interaction. The processes of masculinity construction by an adolescent, Kev, who used a prejudicial expression to bring a pejorative ‘small’ story to a climax, are examined in detail. Although immediate interlocutor responses were subdued and subtle, an explicit delayed response is followed-up by a repositioning of Kev as an ‘undesirable other,’ to which Kev constructs another small story as a counter-response. It is argued such an interactional approach to prejudice illuminates actors’ social-action goals in real time and could lead to the formulation of more sensitive interventions.

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Notes

  1. The names of participants and places that could locate them are pseudonyms.

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Acknowledgements

An earlier, shorter version of this chapter was presented at the Georgetown Linguistics Society Conference which was held in Washington, DC., in February 2005.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychology Department, Texas A&M University—Corpus Christi, 6300 Ocean Drive, Corpus Christi, TX, 78412, USA

    Luke Moissinac

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  1. Luke Moissinac
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Correspondence to Luke Moissinac.

Appendix

Appendix

Transcription Conventions

(.):

Pause

=:

Latching of successive talk

-:

Interruption/cut-off

[overlap]:

Overlapping speech

No::::

Elongation of prior syllable

↑:

Rising intonation

↓:

Falling intonation

°quieter°:

Quieter than surrounding talk

emphasis :

Emphasis

LOUD:

Strong emphasis

>faster<:

Accelerated talk

<slower>:

Drawn out talk

((...)):

Talk unclear or inaudible

{comments}:

Comments by transcriber including paralinguistics/non-verbals

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Moissinac, L. Prejudicial Expressions in Defense of Adolescent Masculine Identities in Interaction. Sex Roles 55, 609–619 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-006-9117-9

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