Language and social interaction in the natural world: on Charles Goodwin's theory of co-operative action

This text provides a critical analysis and assessment of Charles Goodwin's theory of co-operative action. First, it characterizes Goodwin's distinctive research style, analyzing his specific way of presenting research findings, as well as drawing on memoir and biographical texts and published interviews. This distinction lies in: a) a strong emphasis on the collection and analysis of empirical data, b) the use of video data, c) the original presentation of data and analysis in collages/assemblages of transcripts, images and analytical commentary, d) a holistic, integrative and interdisciplinary approach to the research object, e) the inclusion of ethnographic knowledge in the analysis, and f) an axiomatic style of thinking. Then the text introduces the conceptual architecture of the theory of co-operative action and discusses the contributions of this theory to the field of (linguistic) anthropology, particularly to questions about the origins of language, the historical diversification of languages and cultures, the situated nature of communication, the distribution of knowledge, and the formation of competent members of cultural communities. It concludes that Goodwin's theoretical insights have the potential to shape the future of not only linguistic anthropology, but also interactionally-oriented linguistics.