Accessibility statement

Talk at Work - SOC00002H

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  • Department: Sociology
  • Module co-ordinator: Prof. Merran Toerien
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: H
  • Academic year of delivery: 2021-22
    • See module specification for other years: 2022-23

Module summary

This module will look at understanding 'Talk at Work' – both in the sense of the talk that occurs in the workplace and how talk is put to work to achieve (or, sometimes, to hinder) the institution’s goals.  

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Spring Term 2021-22

Module aims

The module aims to equip you with conceptual and analytic tools for understanding Talk at Work – both in the sense of the talk that occurs in the workplace and how talk is put to work to achieve (or, sometimes, to hinder) the institution’s goals.  The module focuses on naturally occurring, recorded work-place interaction, using the approach known as conversation analysis (CA) as a lens for understanding how such interaction functions in practice.  

Module learning outcomes

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

  • Critically evaluate the role played by social interaction in the workplace
  • Make a well-justified and critical case for the value of studying real workplace interactions 
  • Apply some of the methodological tools of conversation analysis (CA) to analyse recordings of real-world workplace interactions
  • Assess the usefulness of research findings – from the published literature and your own analyses – for building interventions aimed at making a positive change in workplace interaction

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Assessment 1 - 4000 word Essay 		N/A 100

Special assessment rules

None

Reassessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Assessment 1 - 4000 word Essay 		N/A 100

Module feedback

Feedback at University level can be understood as any part of the learning process which is designed to guide your progress through your degree programme by providing commentary on your work to date. So feedback means more than just written comments on written work. We aim to help you to reflect on your own learning and to feel clearer about your progress through clarifying what is expected of you informative and summative assessments. The University guidelines for feedback are available in the Guide to Assessment Standards, Marking and Feedback.

 

You will receive feedback in a number of forms:

  • On any formative (non-assessed) work, you will receive written or verbal feedback about how to improve your work (though you may not receive a mark)

  • On summative work (work that is assessed) you will receive detailed written feedback from the marker. This is intended to show areas in which you have done well, and areas in which you need to improve.

  • Your supervisor will also give you feedback on your work. S/he will be able to look across a range of your work and discuss ways in which you can build on your strengths and improve in any areas

 

Feedback on your summative written work is made available to you online via e:vision. You will receive an email telling you when it is ready to look at. You are then advised to take this work (printed out or on your laptop) to your regular meeting with your academic supervisor. Your supervisor will be able to look at your work with you and address any queries you have, as well as advise you on ways to improve your work.

 

 

Indicative reading

  • Antaki, C. (ed). (2011). Applied conversation analysis: intervention and change in institutional talk. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Drew. P. and Heritage, P. (eds). (1992). Talk at Work: Interaction in Institutional Settings. Cambridge; Cambridge University Press. 
  • Heritage, J. and Maynard, D. (eds) (2006) Communication in Medical Care: Interaction between Primary Care Physicians and Patients. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.