Gossip at Work: Unsanctioned Evaluative Talk in Formal School Meetings Export

@article{citeulike:5861963, abstract = {This article uses a form of linguistic ethnography (LE) to analyze videotaped recordings of gossip that took place during formal school meetings.By comparing these gossip data against existing models of gossip based on data collected in informal settings, the authors identify eleven new response classes, including four forms of indirectness that operate to cloak gossip under ambiguity and seven forms of avoidance that change the trajectory of gossip. In doing so, this article makes three larger contributions. First, it opens a new front in research on organizational politics by providing an empirically grounded, conceptually rich vocabulary for analyzing gossip in formal contexts. Second, it contributes to knowledge about social interactions in organizations. By examining gossip talk embedded within a work context, this project highlights the nexus among structure, agency, and interaction. Third, it contributes to understandings of gossip in general. By examining gossip in a context previously unexamined, this project provides analytical leverage for theorizing conditions under which gossip is likely and when it will take various forms. 10.1177/0891241609342117}, author = {Hallett, Tim and Harger, Brent and Eder, Donna}, citeulike-article-id = {5861963}, citeulike-linkout-0 = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0891241609342117}, citeulike-linkout-1 = {http://jce.sagepub.com/content/38/5/584.abstract}, citeulike-linkout-2 = {http://jce.sagepub.com/content/38/5/584.full.pdf}, day = {1}, doi = {10.1177/0891241609342117}, journal = {Journal of Contemporary Ethnography}, keywords = {communication, ethnography, k-12, workplace}, month = {October}, number = {5}, pages = {584--618}, posted-at = {2009-09-30 22:20:36}, priority = {2}, title = {Gossip at Work: Unsanctioned Evaluative Talk in Formal School Meetings}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0891241609342117}, volume = {38}, year = {2009} }

TY - JOUR ID - citeulike:5861963 L3 - citeulike-article-id:5861963 N2 - This article uses a form of linguistic ethnography (LE) to analyze videotaped recordings of gossip that took place during formal school meetings.By comparing these gossip data against existing models of gossip based on data collected in informal settings, the authors identify eleven new response classes, including four forms of indirectness that operate to cloak gossip under ambiguity and seven forms of avoidance that change the trajectory of gossip. In doing so, this article makes three larger contributions. First, it opens a new front in research on organizational politics by providing an empirically grounded, conceptually rich vocabulary for analyzing gossip in formal contexts. Second, it contributes to knowledge about social interactions in organizations. By examining gossip talk embedded within a work context, this project highlights the nexus among structure, agency, and interaction. Third, it contributes to understandings of gossip in general. By examining gossip in a context previously unexamined, this project provides analytical leverage for theorizing conditions under which gossip is likely and when it will take various forms. 10.1177/0891241609342117 IS - 5 JF - Journal of Contemporary Ethnography EP - 618 TI - Gossip at Work: Unsanctioned Evaluative Talk in Formal School Meetings VL - 38 SP - 584 KW - communication KW - ethnography KW - k-12 KW - workplace AU - Hallett, Tim AU - Harger, Brent AU - Eder, Donna PY - 2009/10/01/ UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0891241609342117 ER -