The `Northridge Earthquake' Conversations: Conversational Patterns in Japanese and Thai and their Cultural Significance

Abstract

Cultural patterns and norms are revealed not only through what participants talk about but also through how they construct their talk. Comparing the behavior of Japanese and Thai interactants using the analytical concept of `floor', this article attempts to elucidate their respective cultural norms. While Japanese exhibit many features of the `collaboration' speech style, Thais show abundant features of the `self-assertive' style. These styles are a realization of their respective cultural norms: `mutual dependency' for Japanese and `independence' for Thai. In this study, observations frequently made by anthropologists about these cultures are compared and supported with empirical data. The database consists of four conversations in Japanese and four conversations in Thai. The pair in each conversation are two strangers who experienced the same earthquake in Los Angeles. Interlocutors, though strangers to each other, were similar in age and student status, and share the same language. The topic provided (the earthquake) was identical for all conversational pairs and was relevant to the participants' lives after the major disaster. Thus our database provides an ideal site for a meaningful crosscultural study. Being strangers, the participants cannot rely on their personally shared knowledge, and thus depend on their shared cultural common ground more heavily. The norms elucidated from conversational patterns can thus be confirmed as norms more generally held by all members of the respective cultural groups.