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Conversational Analysis of Conflict Talk between Family Members Based on Downton Abbey

Author(s)

Jing Zhao

Affiliation(s)

Chongqing Business Vocational College, Chongqing, China

Abstract

Through investigating the conflict talks between family members based on Downton Abbey, this paper aims to promote mutual understanding when conflict talk happens and find out how conflict talk start, maintain and terminate, finding out what methods that deserve close attention of family members to avoid conflict or solve the conflict. Based on the theory of Conversational Analysis, the author investigated modes and methods adopted in initiating, maintaining and terminating stage respectively, pointing out that in initiating stage, family members prefer to use position statements-negative response and opposing questions-confrontational response modes to order-refusal mode. Interruption and repetition are two main features of conflict talks usually occur in maintaining stage. During verbal conflict, participants usually interrupt or repeat the utterance of themselves or the other party’s. In terminating stage, submission, intervention of third party, and leave of one party are frequently adopted in conflict talk between family members. The third party who intervenes is usually people with higher status.

Keywords

Conflict Talk; Initiating Stage; Maintaining Stage; Terminating Stage; Modes; Methods

References

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