Epistemic Resources for Social Affiliation: The Case of Indigenous Mexican Migrants in the United States

• In Event: 078 - Section on Sociology of Culture Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 100min: Table 09. Culture and Globalization

Abstract

Interactants frequently display understanding of one anothers’ goals and actions in conversation. Aside from building a common ground necessary for conversation to take place, this shared understanding can be a means for creating and maintaining social identification. One’s social identity serves not only to indicate to others a particular category membership, but also to affiliate with others in the same group. Identity practices in interaction are therefore crucial to the creation and maintenance of a social group. For indigenous Mexican immigrants in the U.S., this interactional means of connecting with their cultural practices is especially crucial. An investigation into the interactive construction of social identity and group solidarity can reveal these individuals are socialized into the community in everyday, casual conversation as well as institutional settings. One way of displaying and maintaining social affiliation in social interaction is the display of knowledge states, also known as epistemic status. This study draws on ethnographic fieldwork and conversation analysis to investigate the displays of epistemic stance and status that arise in a community of indigenous Mexican migrants in California, and how these communicative strategies contribute to social affiliation.

Author

• Adrienne Lynett, University of California, Los Angeles