Dominance Relations in the Light of Repair-mechanisms in Family-doctor-Patient and Hospital Teacher-Student Encounters

Introduction: Repair mechanisms, both marked and unmarked, are present in institutional interactions including family doctor-patient and hospital teacher-student encounters. While in most of the cases unmarked repair is carried out by the dominant partner, sometimes marked repair mechanisms are initiated by the client. The present study was undertaken to throw light upon these marked repairs. The aim of the study is to compare two interactions, the first is between a GP and a patient and the second is between a hospital teacher and a student.
Material and method: The dominance relations in the recorded and transcribed dialogues were shown as the first step in the investigation of the repairs. After realising typical repair mechanisms, the focus of the analysis is directed to special occasions, where the initiator is not the dominant participant.
Results: The doctor-patient relationship can be characterized by the dominance of the doctor and in the teacher-student encounter by the dominance of the teacher. Although in most of the cases the dominant participant initiates the turns, the initiation of the non-dominant party can also be observed, in 16–20 % of the encounters.
Conclusions: The relatively frequent repairs of the non-dominant party suggests a diversion from the conventions of the institutional talk, which requires further investigation.