Claiming Power in Doctor-Patient Talk

Ainsworth-Vaughn, Nancy

ISBN 10: 0195096061 / ISBN 13: 9780195096064

Published by Oxford University Press, New York

About this Item

Hardcover First Edition, 1st Printing in Fine / Very Good++ condition. The covers are in excellent shape with sharp corners, though the spine caps are slightly indented. The binding is square and tight. Minor abrasion is present on the front flyleaf. The interior pages are clean and unmarked.Claiming Power in Doctor-Patient Talk by Nancy Ainsworth-Vaughn analyzes 101 medical encounters in private-practice settings across the United States to explore how both physicians and patients claim and share power through language. Using detailed discourse analysis, the author examines storytelling, topic control, and various types of questions to show how power dynamics are negotiated during medical visits. The conversations span a continuum from structured interviews to casual exchanges, offering insight into how rhetorical strategies shape identity and influence diagnoses. With a clear and accessible writing style, Ainsworth-Vaughn redefines key concepts such as rhetorical questions and topic transitions, and highlights storytelling as a diagnostic tool. The work concludes with practical implications for physicians and medical educators aiming to improve communication in clinical settings.The book will be carefully packaged for shipment for protection from the elements. A USPS electronic tracking number will be issued free of charge. Feel free to contact us for more information or pictures regarding the book.

Seller Inventory # 17026

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Claiming Power in Doctor-Patient Talk
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, New York
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0195096061
• ISBN 13: 9780195096064
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: First Edition.
• Printing: First Printing
• Condition: Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket
• Dimensions: 9.5W x 6.35H x 0.8D inches 9.5 inches width by 6.35 inches height by 0.8 inches depth

About this title

Synopsis

Nancy Ainsworth-Vaughn studied stories, topic control, "true" questions, and rhetorical questions in 101 medical encounters in US private-practice settings. In exceptionally lucid and accessible style, Ainsworth-Vaughn explains how power was claimed by and co-constructed for both patients and doctors (previous studies have focused upon doctors' power). The discourse varied along a continuum from interview-like talk to conversational talk. Six chapters are organized around data and include extended examples of actual talk in detailed transcription; four of these data-oriented chapters focus upon dynamic, moment-to-moment use of speech activities in emerging discourse, such as doctors' and patients' stories that co-constructed selves, and a patient's sexual rhetorical questions. Two more chapters offer non-statistical quantitative data on the frequency of questioning and sudden topic changes in relation to gender, diagnosis, and other factors. Contributing to discourse theory, Ainsworth-Vaughn significantly modifies previous definitions for topic transitions and rhetorical questions and discovers the role of storytelling in diagnosis. The final chapter provides implications for physicians and medical educators.

About the Author

Nancy Ainsworth-Vaughn is at Michigan State University.