Discusses similarities among writing, texts, and containers. Claims that containerization is a central metaphor in composition studies. Argues that this metaphor constrains the way texts are understood and treated. Examines alternatives to the text-as-container metaphor. (HB)

Addresses how universities frame their managerial discourse regarding sexual harassment, which often perpetuates the bureaucratization, commodification, and privatization of sexual harassment. Offers a poststructuralist critique and deconstruction of the policies and brochures developed by the Big Ten universities to reveal oppressive and/or…

Discusses the language of law and its general interest to the field of applied linguistics. Specific focus is on legal language, the problems and remedies of legal communication (e.g., language and disadvantage before the law, improving legal communication) the legislation of language (e.g., language rights, language crimes), and forensic…

Gives a thorough rhetorical investigation of "The X-Files" beginning with an exploration of the show's antecedent genre. Links the show to the genre of ontological detective stories, not science fiction. Describes the way in which the show simultaneously deconstructs and reconstructs authority. Creates a new story using science,…

Describes a Utopian vision of a new multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary field called "Dialogue," that would unite researchers with a common focus on dialogue. (Author/VWL)

Suggests that there are various methods that can be, and are used to study language and social interaction in its different guises; asserts that this is a good thing. Discusses some of the different meanings that "language" and "social interaction" have in research and concludes that the language-social interaction intersection is not unitary.…

Suggests that language and social-interaction research should pay more attention to practical metadiscourse in general, and in particular to what happens when theorized concepts of language and social interaction are used for practical purposes. An abbreviated empirical example is provided that illustrates one way in which theorized concepts in…

Suggests that the future of social interactionist work may display a great divide between a new sociocognitivist theory linked to sociotechnical engineering, on the one hand, and a sociocultural critical theory of such engineering. (Author/VWL)

Discusses the concept of identity and its relation to language and social interaction. Suggests the need to accept both quantitative and qualitative methods, in which the richness and variability of language in use is emphasized. (Author/VWL)

Calls for increased emphasis on certain lines of research on language and social interaction, basically arguing for greater attention to "horizontal" (cross-cultural, cross-language) and "vertical" (developmental) comparative research. Considers the balance between research on ordinary conversation and talk in institutional settings. (Author/VWL)

The discourses of globalization presents it as an irresistible and irreversible phenomenon. An alternative perspective views it as a set of policies and a conscious act of human agents, providing opportunities to challenge it and work against it. (SK)

Introduces a special issue containing a series of articles on the relation of social interaction and morality. The articles analyze actual instances of moral discourse, elucidating the nature and dynamics of the relationship. This introduction discusses morality, discourse, and social science; proto-mortality as a substructure of discourse;…

Explores issues concerning the accountability of conduct and the moral work that may be managed through accounts of actions, in the context of naturally occurring telephone conversations. Distinguishes between the implicit and explicit moral work of accounts, considering cases in which speakers appear implicitly to be doing defensive moral work in…

Criticizes the use of the term "education for all" that appeared in an article by Lene Buchert in an earlier issue of this journal. This author argues that Buchert's research strategy is flawed, and that Buchert should have established general, organizing principles for the research undertaken. (CAK)

Finds that when paired with older adults simulating dementia, the young adults' instructions were longer, more informative, and more repetitious; however, the young adults did not alter their prosody or grammatical complexity. Suggests that young adults adjust their speech to the perceived communicative needs of older listeners by varying…