Mutualities in Dialogue

Dialogue has developed from more primitive forms of social communication in the course of evolution. In Mutualities in dialogue, 'dialogue' refers to face-to-face interaction between two or more individuals using a system of signs (both verbal and nonverbal). The contributors, distinguished scholars in disciplines from primatology to social psychology to linguistics and communication studies, all address the question: what is it that we share in the course of a dialogue? They argue that culture, mutualities of language and some interpersonal knowledge are prerequisites for effective communication. Even in instances of noncooperation or of asymmetrical dialogue - such as attempts to persuade, manipulate or blame - some forms of elementary commonalities must be present. Mutualities in dialogue focuses on the interacting dialogical participants as a dyad rather than as two individuals, and is influenced by approaches such as dialogism, phenomenological perspective-setting and perspective-taking, interactionism and exchange theory. An introduction outlines the theoretical underpinnings of the volume and is followed by chapters on mutualities in preverbal and nonverbal communication, establishing and maintaining mutuality, problems of mutuality and understanding, and dialogues with speech-impaired partners.

1. Commonality, mutuality, reciprocity: a conceptual introduction C. F. Graumann; Part I. Mutualities in Preverbal and Nonverbal Communication: 2. Mutuality and dialogue in non-human primate communication D. W. Ploog; 3. Origins of reciprocity and mutuality in prelinguistic parent-infant 'dialogues' M. Papousek; 4. Congruence, contagion, and motor mimicry: mutualities in nonverbal exchange H. G. Wallbott; Part II. Establishing and Maintinaing Mutuality: 5. Mutual inferencing in conversation J. J. Gumperz; 6. Coordination of perspective in dialogue: intrapersonal and interpersonal processes R. M. Krauss. S. R. Fussell and Y. Chen; Part III. Problems of Mutuality and Understanding: 7. On mutual understanding and agreement in dialogues K. Foppa; 8. Troubles with mutualities: toward a dialogical theory of misunderstanding and miscommunication P. Linell; Part IV. Dialogues with Speech-Impaired Partners: 9. Mother-child dialogues: a comparison of preschool children with and without specific language impairment H. Grimm; 10. Complementarity in the construction of a problematic utterance in conversation S. Collins and I. Markova; 11. The communicative act: an epilogue to mutualities in dialogue R. Farr and R. Rommetveit.