XIX ISA World Congress of Sociology (July 15-21, 2018)

467

Institutional Interaction: Struggles over Knowledge and Legitimacy

RC25 Language and Society (host committee)

Language: English

Language is a vital medium for action in institutional environments. Institutions are talked or written into being as institutional tasks are carried out and institutional identities are accomplished. This session focuses on the social organization of interaction in institutional settings, including issues such as social categories, asymmetric relationships, and struggles over knowledge and legitimacy. The session thus engages with the research committee’s thematic focus on ‘the power of language’ by applying a bottom-up perspective, emphasizing the flexible use of linguistic resources (such as grammar and lexical choice) for negotiating institutional matters such as entitlement and justice. The session aims to increase our understanding of institutional practice by examining in detail how events unfold, how meaning is established and how language is systematically used to particular ends across institutional contexts. Interactions of interest could for instance be encounters between clients and professionals, or intra-organizational work among professionals, rendering visible processes of conflict and collaboration. Contributions that make use of naturally occurring data are especially encouraged.