Learning the rules of rules in disputes in family interaction

Younhee Kim & Richard Fitzgerald

Discourse Studies2026https://doi.org/10.1177/14614456251397174article
ABDC A
Weight
0.50

Abstract

Parents might deal with a child’s non-compliance to a directive by invoking a behaviour rule, for example, ‘We need to share’. While the design of such rules is to appear as normative or universal, children often find that in some situations where one rule might apply, some different rule is invoked as being operative this time in this situation. Children then, are not only exposed to the normative expectation of rules, but also that rules are contingent and situated, being invoked in situ and made operative within a locally applied hierarchy of context. Based on 36 hours of video-recording of parent-child interaction, our analysis draws on Ethnomethodology and Membership Categorisation Analysis to examine how children learn about rules as a contingent and situated practice and demonstrate their understanding and mastery of the rules of rules through negotiating the application of a particular rule in situ.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/14614456251397174

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@article{younhee2026,
  title        = {{Learning the rules of rules in disputes in family interaction}},
  author       = {Younhee Kim & Richard Fitzgerald},
  journal      = {Discourse Studies},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/14614456251397174},
}

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

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