These are conventionalized ideals or specific appearances of self that speakers cite or adopt in talk to construct subjectivity. Subject positions are not purely individual but represent conventional social identities available in cultural contexts. They can be stable and coherent or shifting and contested depending on interactional demands. Speakers strategically invoke positions to accomplish particular social actions and manage accountability.

State University of New York at Binghamton

- Extreme Case Formulations
- Interpretative Repertoires
- Ideological Dilemmas
- Subject Positions
- Multimodal Communication

Analytical Tools and Concepts in Discursive Psychology

Lester, J. N. (Ed.). (2021). Discursive Psychology and Disability. Palgrave Studies in Discursive Psychology. Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Reference For: Discursive Psychology and Disability

IRs are recognizable routines of arguments, descriptions, and evaluations found in people's talk that form relatively consistent language units. They highlight inconsistencies within different routines shared by groups and accumulate to form collective commonsense. IRs can be opposing or ideologically grounded, revealing cultural resources available for making sense of issues. They show how speakers draw on shared cultural knowledge to construct accounts.

Interpretive Repertoires

ECFs involve descriptions using extreme expressions like "nightmare," "horrific," "everything," or "total standstill" to strengthen claims and defend complaints. Speakers use ECFs to present behaviors as problematic due to their frequency or severity. These formulations legitimize complaints against potential skepticism and imply transgression of normal standards. ECFs are strategic rhetorical devices for accomplishing credibility and warranting concern.

Extreme Case Formulations

These are patterns of contrasts and contradictions that emerge when opposing interpretative repertoires clash in participants' talk. They reveal underlying ideological tensions that speakers must negotiate in conversation through strategic language choices. Dilemmas show how people manage competing cultural demands and expectations in their accounts. They highlight the complex rhetorical work required to navigate contradictory social positions.

Ideological Dilemmas 

Subject Positions when Constructing Subjectivity

This expands discourse definition beyond linguistic talk to include all perceivable forms of communication like gestures, eye gaze, and spatial positioning. For children with intellectual disabilities, multimodal actions include vocalizations, gross-motor movements, and augmentative communication use. The approach recognizes non-linguistic expressions as valid communicative endeavors deserving analytical attention. It challenges linguistic privilege in communication research.

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