Neither speaker nor recipient: The middle-distance look of unaddressed participants

Abstract

This article studies the middle-distance look of ratified unaddressed participants and the way in which it is sequentially organized in relation to the discursive conducts of current speaker. An analysis of naturally occurring video recorded discourse reveals that ratified unaddressed participants constitute themselves as non-recipients by employing middle-distance look. The article formulates a list of observations (missing in the literature) regarding the middle-distance look of ratified unaddressed participants. It raises questions which may generate knowledge on (a) the connection between middle-distance look and discursive ambiguity, (b) types of middle-distance look, (c) middle distance look as related to seating arrangements and group size.