Utilizing EM/CA to explore trust formation in manual-based rehabilitative interactions within Probation Service

• In Event: Methodology and law enforcement

Abstract

A trust-based relationship between probation officers and clients is generally regarded as crucial for successful rehabilitation within probation services. However, recent ethnographic studies expose a discrepancy between the ideal trust-based interaction and the prevalent reality of manual-based, scripted conversational practices within the Danish probation service. This disjunction manifests as a choreographed rehabilitative interaction, where predefined roles, set within an asymmetric social hierarchy, portray the client as inherently intransigent and erratic, often cast as an irresponsible subject. Despite ongoing discussion, more comprehensive empirical examinations into the nature of trust within both scripted and unscripted supervisory interactions are imperative to truly understand the potentials and pitfalls of manual-based rehabilitative interventions.

The SCRiPT project, titled "Rehabilitation through Scripted and Unscripted Conversational Routines in the Nordic Probation Services and the Implications for Trust Relations”, brings together an interdisciplinary group of Nordic researchers committed to exploring the intricacies of trust relations in natural probation service settings. Leveraging video-ethnography and conversation analysis within an ethnomethodological framework (EM/CA), this project aims to uncover potentials for stimulating desistance through the formation of trust relations in both scripted and unscripted motivational conversations within Nordic probation services.

This presentation will explore the intricacies of the SCRiPT project’s methodological design, underscoring its distinctive strengths and untapped benefits in utilizing EM/CA for the analysis of rehabilitative practices. By precisely identifying how meticulous mapping of conversational nuances related to trust establishment, loss, and regeneration can be achieved through this methodology, the presentation will highlight the role of EM/CA as a valuable tool for enhancing the validity of ethnographic studies within supervisory settings. Furthermore, it will emphasize how the application of EM/CA can elevate the quality of evaluations of manual-based strategies in probation service, contributing to a more nuanced discourse and serving as a foundation to inform future policies and practices in the field.

Author

• Asbjørn Storgaard, Lund University