Morality at dinnertime: The sense of the Other as a practical accomplishment in family interaction

Abstract

Since Garfinkel brought our attention to the moral order implied in everyday activities, studies on social interaction have described the practices through which members constitute the moral dimensions of everyday life. Drawing on Duranti’s notion of the ‘sense of the Other’, this article illustrates how mundane morality is presupposed and (re)constructed in the micro-order of everyday life. Examples of video-recorded family dinner interactions are discussed, adopting a conversation analytic approach. The analysis illustrates how the sense of the Other is made relevant by parents as an organizing principle of ongoing activities and ‘talked into being’ to manage ordinary tasks (e.g. pursuing synchronicity and distributing food). The analysis reveals that parents use siblings as a resource to embody the ‘generalized other’ and socialize children to take the other’s perspective. Our study contributes to demonstrating the relevance of looking at ordinary practices as powerful means through which members orient to a moral version of the world and treat it as a natural one.