1. Conversation Analysis

Harvey Sacks, Emanuel Schegloff, and Gail Jefferson proposed that social interaction results from an “inner machinery,” meaning that the internal processes of conversation operate through a systematic and interrelated procedure. This raises an important question: What are these mechanisms and cognitive processes that shape our social interaction?

Conversation Analysis (CA) seeks to answer this question by examining how conversations are structured and produced. It has become a key discipline that explains the subtle complexities and tacit knowledge underlying social interaction—knowledge that participants intuitively understand during interaction but cannot always explicitly articulate.

According to Hutchby (2019), Conversation Analysis is an approach within social studies that investigates the sequential organization of talk as a means to access participants’ understandings. It emphasizes the collaborative ways in which speakers organize naturally occurring interaction.

2. Cooperative Principle

In his theory, Grice introduces the Cooperative Principle, which helps interlocutors maintain meaningful and coherent communication. This principle explains how people can interpret non-literal meanings, assuming that interlocutors make their contributions in a cooperative manner. Grice states that speakers should:

“Make your conversational contribution such as is required, at the stage at which it occurs, by the accepted purpose or direction of the talk exchange in which you are engaged.”

When following the Cooperative Principle and its maxims, we generally assume that speakers will provide the appropriate amount of information, tell the truth, stay relevant, and express themselves clearly. These principles are taken for granted in everyday interaction and are rarely mentioned explicitly.

However, speakers sometimes use certain expressions to indicate that they may not fully adhere to these maxims. These expressions are known as hedges, which signal possible violations or non-observance of the maxims.

 

3. The Cooperative Principle and Conversational Maxims

Grice’s Cooperative Principle and conversational maxims serve as foundational guidelines for achieving successful communication. Grice (1989: 26–27) formulates the Cooperative Principle as follows:

“Make your conversational contribution such as is required, at the stage at which it occurs, by the accepted purpose or direction of the talk exchange in which you are engaged.”

This overarching principle is supported by four categories of conversational maxims, which guide rational, cooperative exchange. According to Grice (1989), these maxims are:

• Quantity – provide the right amount of information
• Quality – provide truthful and supported information
• Relevance – be relevant
• Manner – be clear, brief, and orderly

These maxims collectively form the basis of how interlocutors manage and interpret meaning in conversation.

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-The end-