The Concept of Action (New Departures in Anthropology)

Synopsis

When People Do Things With Words, How Do We Know What They Are Doing? Many Scholars Have Assumed A Category Of Things Called Actions: 'requests', 'proposals', 'complaints', 'excuses'. The Idea Is Both Convenient And Intuitive, But As This Book Argues, It Is A Spurious Concept Of Action. In Interaction, A Person's Primary Task Is To Decide How To Respond, Not To Label What Someone Just Did. The Labeling Of Actions Is A Meta-level Process, Appropriate Only When We Wish To Draw Attention To Others' Behaviors In Order To Quiz, Sanction, Praise, Blame, Or Otherwise Hold Them To Account. This Book Develops A New Account Of Action Grounded In Certain Fundamental Ideas About The Nature Of Human Sociality: That Social Conduct Is Naturally Interpreted As Purposeful; That Human Behavior Is Shaped Under A Tyranny Of Social Accountability; And That Language Is Our Central Resource For Social Action And Reaction. Basics Of Action -- The Study Of Action -- The Distribution Of Action -- The Ontology Of Action -- Collateral Effects -- Natural Meaning. N.j. Enfield, University Of Sydney, Jack Sidnell, University Of Toronto. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 202-217) And Index.