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ALIGNING ACTIONS: TYPES AND SOCIAL DISTRIBUTION *
Author(s) -
Hunter Christopher H.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
symbolic interaction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.874
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1533-8665
pISSN - 0195-6086
DOI - 10.1525/si.1984.7.2.155
Subject(s) - typology , interpersonal communication , focus (optics) , social psychology , psychology , event (particle physics) , power (physics) , sociology , epistemology , philosophy , physics , quantum mechanics , anthropology , optics
Research on aligning actions requires a clearer understanding of what types of aligning actions exist. A typology of aligning actions is described which is based on three criteria: temporal focus (retrospective or prospective), claim made (concerning the actor's responsibility or the act itself), and the desirability of the event involved. The typology is shown to incorporate the aligning actions already discussed in the literature and to suggest new possibilities. Using this typology, a number of propositions are offered suggesting how aligning actions are used by actors with differing levels of interpersonal power, as relfected in their gender and age.