Svinhufvud2017

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Svinhufvud2017
BibType ARTICLE
Key Svinhufvud2017
Author(s) Kimmo Svinhufvud, Liisa Voutilainen, Elina Weiste
Title Normalizing in student counseling: Counselors’ responses to students’ problem descriptions
Editor(s)
Tag(s) EMCA, Normalizing, Troubles-telling, Institutional talk, Students, Counseling
Publisher
Year 2017
Language
City
Month
Journal Discourse Studies
Volume 19
Number 2
Pages 196-215
URL Link
DOI 10.1177/1461445617691704
ISBN
Organization
Institution
School
Type
Edition
Series
Howpublished
Book title
Chapter

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Abstract

University students seek counseling to discuss concerns about their academic skills, motivation, time management and well-being. This article examines the conversational activity of normalizing recurrently used by counselors to manage students’ negative emotions and troubles-telling. Normalizing refers to an activity in which something in the interaction is made normal by labeling it ‘normal’ or ‘commonplace’ or by interpreting it in an ordinary way. Three uses for normalizing were identified in a sample of 16 videotaped counseling sessions: (1) supporting the student’s position, (2) challenging the student and (3) presenting the student’s problem as workable. We argue that normalizing is a means of addressing students’ problematic emotions and offering support, yet in a way that maintains an orientation toward problem solving. Furthermore, while normalizing seems to serve affiliation, suggesting that the problems are not unique, it can be treated either as delicate or as problematic by the counselors and by the students.

Notes