Harvey Sacks (July 19, 1935 – November 14, 1975) was an American sociologist influenced by the ethnomethodology tradition. He pioneered extremely detailed studies of the way people use language in everyday life. Despite his early death in a car crash and the fact that he did not publish widely, he founded the discipline of conversation analysis. His work has had significant influence on fields such as linguistics, discourse analysis, and discursive psychology.
In 1975 Sacks died in a car accident. He was survived by his wife, two siblings, and his parents.[4]
Work
Sacks became interested in the structure of conversation while working at a suicide counseling hotline in Los Angeles in the 1960s.[5] The calls to the hotline were recorded, and Sacks was able to gain access to the tapes and study them. In the 1960s, prominent linguists like Noam Chomsky believed that conversation was too disorganized to be worthy of any kind of in-depth structural analysis.[citation needed] Sacks strongly disagreed, since he saw structure in every conversation, and developed conversation analysis as a result.
Sacks's recorded lectures were transcribed (by Gail Jefferson who also edited them posthumously) but the tapes were not saved. The duplicated copies of the transcribed lectures were made freely available by Sacks and achieved international circulation and recognition during his lifetime and subsequently[citation needed] .
He treated such topics as: the organization of person-reference; topic organization and stories in conversation; speaker selection preferences; pre-sequences; the organization of turn-taking; conversational openings and closings; and puns, jokes, stories and repairs in conversation among many others.[6]
Legacy
Emanuel Schegloff, one of Sacks's close collaborators, colleagues and co-authors, became his literary executor. The subsequent handling of the literary estate (nachlass, to use the academic term) has attracted some controversy.[citation needed]
Sacks's major work, Lectures on Conversation, is composed of edited revisions of transcribed lectures held from Spring 1964 through to 1972, and comprises about 1200 pages in a two-volume work published by Basil Blackwel in 1992. This publication project was instigated largely by David Sudnow and Gail Jefferson, colleagues and students of Sacks at Berkeley, UCLA and Irvine, and includes an introduction by Emanuel Schegloff. In her acknowledgements in these volumes, Jefferson mentioned the help of Sudnow in dealing with Sacks's literary estate. The Harvey Sacks Memorial Association, registered as a not-for-profit Association, was formed by Sudnow.[citation needed]
These Lectures have been important for Sacks's later influence and for the field of Conversation Analysis.
Sudnow was a follower of Alfred Schutz in phenomenology, and Harold Garfinkel in ethnomethodology. Sudnow regards the work of Sacks as outside the ethnomethodological mainstream.[citation needed] By contrast Garfinkel lists Sacks as one of 'Ethnomethodology's Authors' [7]
Works
Sacks, H. (1963) "Sociological Description," in Berkeley Journal of Sociology, 8:1–16.
Sacks, H. (1967) "The Search for Help. No One To Turn To," In E.S. Schneidman (ed) Essays in Self Destruction, New York, NY: Science House, pp. 203–223.
Sacks, H. and Garfinkel, H. (1970) "On formal structures of practical action," in J.C. McKinney and E.A. Tiryakian (eds.), Theoretical Sociology, Appleton-Century-Crofts, New York, 1970, pp. 338–366. Reprinted in H. Garfinkel, ed., (1986) Ethnomethodological Studies of Work, 160-193.
Sacks, H. (1972) "An Initial Investigation of the Usability of Conversational Data for Doing Sociology," in D. Sudnow (ed.) Studies in Social Interaction, Free Press, New York, pp. 31–74.
Sacks, H. (1972) "Notes on Police Assessment of Moral Character," in D.N. Sudnow (ed.) Studies in Social Interaction, Free Press, New York, NY, pp. 280–293.
Sacks, H. (1973/1987). On the preferences for agreement and contiguity in sequences in conversation. In G. Button & J. R. Lee (Eds.), Talk and social organisation (pp. 54 – 69). Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters.
Sacks, H. (1974) "On the Analyzability of Stories by Children," in R. Turner (ed.) Ethnomethodology, Penguin, Harmondsworth, pp. 216–232.
Sacks, H. (1974) "An Analysis of the Course of a Joke's telling in Conversation," in R. Bauman and J.F. Sherzer (eds.) Explorations in the Ethnography of Speaking. Cambridge, UK; Cambridge University Press, pp. 337–353.
Sacks, H., Schegloff, E. A. & Jefferson, G. (1974) "A Simplest Systematics for the Organisation of Turn-Taking for Conversation," in Language, 50:696–735.
Sacks, H. (1975) "Everyone Has To Lie," in B. Blount and M. Sanches (eds.) Sociocultural Dimensions of Language Use, Academic Press, New York, NY, pp. 57–80.
Sacks, H. (1978) "Some Technical Considerations of a Dirty Joke," in J. Schenkein (ed.) Studies in the Organization of Conversational Interaction, Academic Press, New York, NY, pp. 249–269.
Sacks, H. (1979) "Hotrodder: A Revolutionary Category," in G. Psathas (ed.) Everyday Language: Studies in Ethnomethodology. Irvington Press, New York, NY, pp. 7–14.
Sacks, H. and E.A. Schegloff. (1979) "Two Preferences in the Organization of Reference to Persons in Conversation and Their Interaction," in G. Psathas (ed.) Everyday Language: Studies in Ethnomethodology, Irvington Press, New York, NY, pp. 15–21.
Sacks, H. (1989) "Lectures 1964-1965," in Gail Jefferson (ed.) with an Introduction/Memoir by E.A. Schegloff, Human Studies, 12: 211–393.
Sacks, H. (1992). "Lectures on Conversation, Volumes I and II" Edited by G. Jefferson with Introduction by E.A. Schegloff, Blackwell, Oxford. ISBN1-55786-705-4
^Pomerantz, Anita; Fehr, B. J. (2011). "Conversation analysis: An approach to the Analysis of Social Interaction". In Teun Adrianus van Dijk (ed.). Discourse Studies: A Multidisciplinary Approach. SAGE. pp. 165–190. ISBN978-1-84860-649-4. Retrieved 2013-12-29.[
^Sacks, H., & Jefferson, G. (1995). Lectures on conversation.
^Garfinkel, Harold. Lebenswelt origins of the sciences: Working out Durkheim's aphorism. Human Studies 30 (2007): 9-56.
External links
Archival collections
Guide to the Harvey Sacks Lecture Transcripts. Special Collections and Archives, The UC Irvine Libraries, Irvine, California.
January 20, 2023
harvey, sacks, july, 1935, november, 1975, american, sociologist, influenced, ethnomethodology, tradition, pioneered, extremely, detailed, studies, people, language, everyday, life, despite, early, death, crash, fact, that, publish, widely, founded, discipline. Harvey Sacks July 19 1935 November 14 1975 was an American sociologist influenced by the ethnomethodology tradition He pioneered extremely detailed studies of the way people use language in everyday life Despite his early death in a car crash and the fact that he did not publish widely he founded the discipline of conversation analysis His work has had significant influence on fields such as linguistics discourse analysis and discursive psychology Harvey SacksBorn 1935 07 19 July 19 1935DiedNovember 14 1975 1975 11 14 aged 40 1 NationalityAmericanOccupation s Sociologist anthropologistKnown forFounder of conversation analysis Contents 1 Life and academic career 2 Work 3 Legacy 4 Works 5 References 6 External links 6 1 Archival collectionsLife and academic career EditSacks received his doctoral degree in sociology at the University of California Berkeley 1966 2 an LL B at Yale Law School 1959 3 and a B A at Columbia College 1955 3 He lectured at the University of California Los Angeles and Irvine from 1964 1975 In 1975 Sacks died in a car accident He was survived by his wife two siblings and his parents 4 Work EditSacks became interested in the structure of conversation while working at a suicide counseling hotline in Los Angeles in the 1960s 5 The calls to the hotline were recorded and Sacks was able to gain access to the tapes and study them In the 1960s prominent linguists like Noam Chomsky believed that conversation was too disorganized to be worthy of any kind of in depth structural analysis citation needed Sacks strongly disagreed since he saw structure in every conversation and developed conversation analysis as a result Sacks s recorded lectures were transcribed by Gail Jefferson who also edited them posthumously but the tapes were not saved The duplicated copies of the transcribed lectures were made freely available by Sacks and achieved international circulation and recognition during his lifetime and subsequently citation needed He treated such topics as the organization of person reference topic organization and stories in conversation speaker selection preferences pre sequences the organization of turn taking conversational openings and closings and puns jokes stories and repairs in conversation among many others 6 Legacy EditEmanuel Schegloff one of Sacks s close collaborators colleagues and co authors became his literary executor The subsequent handling of the literary estate nachlass to use the academic term has attracted some controversy citation needed Sacks s major work Lectures on Conversation is composed of edited revisions of transcribed lectures held from Spring 1964 through to 1972 and comprises about 1200 pages in a two volume work published by Basil Blackwel in 1992 This publication project was instigated largely by David Sudnow and Gail Jefferson colleagues and students of Sacks at Berkeley UCLA and Irvine and includes an introduction by Emanuel Schegloff In her acknowledgements in these volumes Jefferson mentioned the help of Sudnow in dealing with Sacks s literary estate The Harvey Sacks Memorial Association registered as a not for profit Association was formed by Sudnow citation needed These Lectures have been important for Sacks s later influence and for the field of Conversation Analysis Sudnow was a follower of Alfred Schutz in phenomenology and Harold Garfinkel in ethnomethodology Sudnow regards the work of Sacks as outside the ethnomethodological mainstream citation needed By contrast Garfinkel lists Sacks as one of Ethnomethodology s Authors 7 Works EditSacks H 1963 Sociological Description in Berkeley Journal of Sociology 8 1 16 Sacks H 1967 The Search for Help No One To Turn To In E S Schneidman ed Essays in Self Destruction New York NY Science House pp 203 223 Sacks H and Garfinkel H 1970 On formal structures of practical action in J C McKinney and E A Tiryakian eds Theoretical Sociology Appleton Century Crofts New York 1970 pp 338 366 Reprinted in H Garfinkel ed 1986 Ethnomethodological Studies of Work 160 193 Sacks H 1972 An Initial Investigation of the Usability of Conversational Data for Doing Sociology in D Sudnow ed Studies in Social Interaction Free Press New York pp 31 74 Sacks H 1972 Notes on Police Assessment of Moral Character in D N Sudnow ed Studies in Social Interaction Free Press New York NY pp 280 293 Sacks H 1973 1987 On the preferences for agreement and contiguity in sequences in conversation In G Button amp J R Lee Eds Talk and social organisation pp 54 69 Clevedon UK Multilingual Matters Sacks H 1974 On the Analyzability of Stories by Children in R Turner ed Ethnomethodology Penguin Harmondsworth pp 216 232 Sacks H 1974 An Analysis of the Course of a Joke s telling in Conversation in R Bauman and J F Sherzer eds Explorations in the Ethnography of Speaking Cambridge UK Cambridge University Press pp 337 353 Sacks H Schegloff E A amp Jefferson G 1974 A Simplest Systematics for the Organisation of Turn Taking for Conversation in Language 50 696 735 Sacks H 1975 Everyone Has To Lie in B Blount and M Sanches eds Sociocultural Dimensions of Language Use Academic Press New York NY pp 57 80 Sacks H 1978 Some Technical Considerations of a Dirty Joke in J Schenkein ed Studies in the Organization of Conversational Interaction Academic Press New York NY pp 249 269 Sacks H 1979 Hotrodder A Revolutionary Category in G Psathas ed Everyday Language Studies in Ethnomethodology Irvington Press New York NY pp 7 14 Sacks H and E A Schegloff 1979 Two Preferences in the Organization of Reference to Persons in Conversation and Their Interaction in G Psathas ed Everyday Language Studies in Ethnomethodology Irvington Press New York NY pp 15 21 Sacks H 1989 Lectures 1964 1965 in Gail Jefferson ed with an Introduction Memoir by E A Schegloff Human Studies 12 211 393 Sacks H 1992 Lectures on Conversation Volumes I and II Edited by G Jefferson with Introduction by E A Schegloff Blackwell Oxford ISBN 1 55786 705 4References Edit Prof Harvey Sacks The New York Times 19 November 1975 Silverman David 1998 Harvey Sacks social science and conversation analysis Oxford University Press US p 28 ISBN 978 0 19 521472 7 a b Schegloff Emanuel A 1989 Harvey Sacks Lectures 1964 1965 an introduction memoir Human Studies 12 3 4 185 209 doi 10 1007 BF00142761 ISSN 1572 851X Prof Harvey Sacks The New York Times 19 November 1975 Pomerantz Anita Fehr B J 2011 Conversation analysis An approach to the Analysis of Social Interaction In Teun Adrianus van Dijk ed Discourse Studies A Multidisciplinary Approach SAGE pp 165 190 ISBN 978 1 84860 649 4 Retrieved 2013 12 29 Sacks H amp Jefferson G 1995 Lectures on conversation Garfinkel Harold Lebenswelt origins of the sciences Working out Durkheim s aphorism Human Studies 30 2007 9 56 External links EditArchival collections Edit Guide to the Harvey Sacks Lecture Transcripts Special Collections and Archives The UC Irvine Libraries Irvine California Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Harvey Sacks amp oldid 1103802517, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
