Positioning Theory aims at providing an analytical framework to study the ontology of sociology in terms of identity and individuation. Instead of looking at social relations through space and time, Positioning Theory proposes an alternate reference - by considering persons and conversations. Persons, or discourse participants, construct stories about themselves by discourse which have social acts comprehensible to other discourse participants. These stories contain positions, which tell of the discourse participant's moral or personal attributes. Positions in discourse may not come naturally. At times, a discourse participant who may impose dominance may compel other discourse participants to challenge this imposition. Types of positioning include first- and second-order positioning, performative and accountive positioning, moral and personal positioning, self and other positioning, and finally, tacit and intentional positioning.
First- and Second-Order Positioning
This type of positioning occurs when there are discourse participants interacting with each other. First-order positioning happens when a discourse participant subjects him/herself to a position. Second-order positioning occurs when another discourse participant negates a position which was subjected to a discourse participant.
Performative and Accountive Positioning
Performative positioning is related to first-order positioning, whereby a discourse participant actively subjects him/herself to a certain type of position in his/her discourse. Accountive positioning is that of second-order positioning. In particular, accountive positioning occurs when a position is rejected within an ongoing discourse, or when a position is rejected in a subsequent related discourse. Though seemingly similar to first- and second-order positioning, performative and accountive positioning focus on the immediacy of the perlocutionary effect. Hence, the plot in which the position is subjected is taken into account.
Moral and Personal Positioning
Moral and personal positioning basically looks at the types of position subjected to interlocutors based on their 'roles' in society. For example, it would be typical for a incapacitated patient to request from help from a nurse, and it would be the nurse's responsibility to attend to this request. However, it would by atypical, or rather, amoral, for the roles to be reversed, in that the nurse makes a request beyond the means of the incapacitated patient.
Self and Other Positioning
This relates to performative positioning, whereby when one positions him/herself, he/she would subject 'others' to being deviants to what constitutes the self. In other words, whatever characteristics used to define a self position, would define what positions do not constitute the 'self'.
Tacit and Intentional Positioning
Most first-order positioning may occur in a tacit manner, in that the interlocutors are not aware of their own positionings. Intentional positionings are common as well, especially in discourse events where the interlocutors' self perceived positions are challenged by others.
From: L. van Langenhove and R. Harre, Introducing Positioning Theory, Positioning Theory: Moral Contexts of Intentional Action, 1999.
First- and Second-Order Positioning
This type of positioning occurs when there are discourse participants interacting with each other. First-order positioning happens when a discourse participant subjects him/herself to a position. Second-order positioning occurs when another discourse participant negates a position which was subjected to a discourse participant.
Performative and Accountive Positioning
Performative positioning is related to first-order positioning, whereby a discourse participant actively subjects him/herself to a certain type of position in his/her discourse. Accountive positioning is that of second-order positioning. In particular, accountive positioning occurs when a position is rejected within an ongoing discourse, or when a position is rejected in a subsequent related discourse. Though seemingly similar to first- and second-order positioning, performative and accountive positioning focus on the immediacy of the perlocutionary effect. Hence, the plot in which the position is subjected is taken into account.
Moral and Personal Positioning
Moral and personal positioning basically looks at the types of position subjected to interlocutors based on their 'roles' in society. For example, it would be typical for a incapacitated patient to request from help from a nurse, and it would be the nurse's responsibility to attend to this request. However, it would by atypical, or rather, amoral, for the roles to be reversed, in that the nurse makes a request beyond the means of the incapacitated patient.
Self and Other Positioning
This relates to performative positioning, whereby when one positions him/herself, he/she would subject 'others' to being deviants to what constitutes the self. In other words, whatever characteristics used to define a self position, would define what positions do not constitute the 'self'.
Tacit and Intentional Positioning
Most first-order positioning may occur in a tacit manner, in that the interlocutors are not aware of their own positionings. Intentional positionings are common as well, especially in discourse events where the interlocutors' self perceived positions are challenged by others.
From: L. van Langenhove and R. Harre, Introducing Positioning Theory, Positioning Theory: Moral Contexts of Intentional Action, 1999.
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