Facts and Normative Connections: Two Different Worldviews

Abstract

Stivers (2015/this issue) convincingly documents one systematic way in which Conversation Analysis (CA) can provide CA-grounded categories for formal coding. However, formal coding belongs to the view of the world as an aggregate of facts, while CA is involved in the view of the world as normative connections. These worldviews are entirely different and therefore nonrival, and they may be able to provide each other with well-grounded resources. Although CA-grounded formal coding has its place, so too does trying to respecify, and make directly accessible, all facts as normative accomplishments.

I am grateful to Tomone Komiya and Oskar Lindwall for their insightful comments on earlier versions of this commentary.