"I'm Trying to be Supportive but...": Identity and Epistemic Authority as Warrants for Advice Giving

Abstract

While a large body of research about advice-giving in institutional settings exists, much less has been done regarding advice in mundane conversation. Studying advice sequences in mundane conversation differs because participants do not hold an institutional warrant to deliver advice, making the establishment of one relevant. Using conversation analysis, this study focuses on a single-case analysis of an advice sequence in a portrayal of mundane talk between friends. After transcribing and analyzing the data, the findings revealed two main areas that participants draw upon to establish a warrant. The first is the enactment of the ‘friend’ identity, in which participants demonstrate traits often associated with the role of a friend. The second is epistemic authority. Participants utilize accounts, emotions, and personal experience to claim epistemic authority, establishing it as a warrant. Overall, these findings are useful in expanding the current literature on advice giving and providing ideas for future research.