On stance-taking with one-sided vs. two-sided shoulder lifts in German talk-in-interaction

Taking a stance toward events, objects, and other persons is fundamental to human interaction. We investigate one specific body movement that is involved in stance-taking in interaction: a shoulder lift, realized as either a one-sided or a two-sided movement. Using multimodal Conversation Analysis, we trace how interactants employ shoulder lifts in different positions within responsive turns in various interaction types in German. This study reveals how the actions to which shoulder lifts contribute are bound to specific turn and sequence positions. We demonstrate how shoulder lifts are used for disclaiming the speaker's accountability or responsibility by framing their turn as non-expandable or non-expansion-worthy, thus curtailing the sequence. Furthermore, the study shows how participants orient to different types of shoulder movements, i.e., lifts with one or with both shoulders, as accomplishing different interactional tasks. By showing that shoulder lifts are a positionally sensitive resource for speakers in building stances, we showcase the potential of conversation analytic and interactional linguistic approaches to further our understanding of multimodal stance-taking in interaction.