Bilmes1996

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Bilmes1996
BibType ARTICLE
Key Bilmes1996
Author(s) Jack Bilmes
Title Le silence constitué: La vie dans un monde de plénitude de sens
Editor(s)
Tag(s) EMCA, Silence
Publisher
Year 1996
Language French
City
Month
Journal Reseaux
Volume 80
Number
Pages 129–142
URL Link
DOI 10.3406/reso.1996.3806
ISBN
Organization
Institution
School
Type
Edition
Series
Howpublished
Book title
Chapter

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Abstract

Although silence can be taken to mean a total absence of sound, the word is frequently used with reference to a socio-cultural environment. This article focuses on silence as the absence of talk. The richness and multiplicity of silences stems from the fact that a particular silence may consist of an absence in relation to a particular subject of conversation. Thus, for each type of talk, there exists a type of silence. Silences are made particularly meaningful through what we here call « weakly constituent machanisms » or, in other words, what by convention constitutes a relevant silence. Conversation analysis enables us to highlight some aspects of the role and significance of silence in conversation. Finally, we introduce the concept of « implicit silence ». Implicit silence originates with a flow of talk in which something is considered important but is left unsaid. We show how certain types of sociological analysis pinpoint implicit silences.

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