Extract 7
1 Hala: and i see that as an eating disorder
2 [speciali:st .hh
3 Clare: [but- but you wouldn’t- but wouldn’t force
4 a child t- to eat (.) to stuff themselves in
5 a Henry the eighth style [ban quet (.) what
6 Hala: [well-
7 Clare: you would do is you’d have por tion control
8 .h you’re a [responsible parent .hh you’re
9 Hala: [but-
10 Clare: giving them a wide variety of nutrition
In extract 7, Hala asserts her topic-relevant Expertise as an “eating disorder specialist” (lines 1-2), credentialing her rights to be heard on the matter. Clare interrupts, with a tongue-in-cheek remark about a “Henry the eighth style banquet” (line 5). Invoking a trope of responsible parenting (lines 7-8), Clare both aligns her own actions with well-worn expectations of what a ‘good mother’ should do, and by use of the generalising person pronoun “you”, she elevates a claim whereby all “responsible” parents are expert when it comes to managing children’s weight. Clare further bolsters her argument by asserting wisdom related to her interlocutor’s field of topical expertise, with references to “portion control” and “a wide variety of nutrition” (lines 7, 10). Aligned with prior findings where parents engage in debates with professional experts (E.g. Holland, 2019), we witness Clare increasingly negate the value of Hala’s topic-relevant contribution as she assumes the role of Mother-cum-Expert.
The next debate concerns homework. Ruth hosts, and Richard has been introduced as a secondary school teacher.