Ordinary Morality and Gossip

Jessica S. Robles

University of New Hampshire

Questions

• How do people talk about others?

• How are stances toward others proffered in communication?

• How is this accomplished in interpersonal group interaction?

• What are the implications of the moral orientations evinced in discourse?

Are your neighbors all drug dealers?

1 Carrie: ◦um◦ (0.5) s↑o are your neighbors all drug dealers: (0.5) or,

2 Kathy: [heh heh]

3 Mike: [wha:t]

4 Kathy: heh heh heh (.) heh heh heh heh heh=

5 Carrie: =so I was sitting outside the other morning (0.5) eating breakfast reading (.)

6 (just on the step) and (.) one of them stumbles out (.) [literally stumbles out

7 Mike: hmheh

8 Carrie: in a sports bra (0.5) and shorts (.) like brings the dog out and just goes and

9 like s- stre:tches (.) full out on the gr(h)ass: (.) it’s l(h)ike=

10 Kathy: =huh huh

11 Carrie: [(eight) in the morning]

Line 9 action

Like totally judging1 Kathy: =heh heh heh heh heh th(h)e little boy’s like “where’d you just move

2 in” (.) and was like to:tally judging I’m like “I moved in that d(h)uplex r(h)ight

3 [th(h)ere”

4 Riley: [ha ha ha] ha

5 Kathy: and he wa - and then it was like “o:h↓” and

6 like no one said anything

7 [(all the sudden)

8 Riley: [(and then there’s just)

9 Carrie: [and all the sudden they realized

10 Kathy: “see ya::” huh huh huh huh huh

11 Carrie: they realized you were in the poor houses=

12 Kathy: =yeah=

13 Mike: =oh you rent=

14 Kathy: =great.

15 Mike: you’re not in a two-and-a-half million dollar home

16 Kathy: ◦uh huh◦

And then it’s validated

1 Mike: [kid] probly has a twenty thousand dollar tree house.

2 Kathy: I know he’s l(h)ike nine totally judging me like “o:h.” huh huh huh I’m

3 like “fu(h)ck y(h)ou(h)”

4 Carrie: hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah=

5 Mike: =huh=

6 Carrie: =please tell me you said that.

7 Riley: a::nd then it’s validated [huh huh huh huh

8 ((laughter))

9 Mike: =huh .hh (.) then you [spit on their crops and r(h)an [aw(h)ay

10 ((laughter))

11 Kathy: oh yeah (.) I’m takin this=

12 ((laughter))

13 Carrie: [grabbed a [pumpkin and ran]

((4 lines deleted))

17 Mike: =I’m gonna go home and roll a cigarette (.) huh huh huh huh=

18 Kathy: =hah hah hah hah (.) ◦o:h my god◦

Lady of the night1 Carrie: I just don’t understand why she doesn’t put clothes on (.) I swear

2 I’ve seen her dressed? twice=

3 Mike: =she had to sell though

4 Kathy: huh huh huh [huh huh]

5 Carrie: [appar]ently

6 Riley: [huh (.) she’s in between clients]

((2 lines deleted)

9 Carrie: (yeah) I’ve seen her in clothes twice other than that she’s in her ro:be

10 Kathy: [did she have a red light on over her head

11Carrie: [or she’s wrapped in a blanket sitting [on the ( )]

12 Mike: [yeah she] must be uh::

13 (1.0)

14 Kathy: prostitute=

15 Riley: =(may[be she-)]

16 Mike: [lady] of the night

line 9 “twice”

Reconstructing/moralizing…

• Appropriate or intelligible actions

• Actions aligned with socioeconomic/class categorizations

• Actions aligned with gendered behavior