Calabria2026
| Calabria2026 | |
|---|---|
| BibType | ARTICLE |
| Key | Calabria2026 |
| Author(s) | Virginia Calabria, Brett Smith |
| Title | Advancing Conversation Analytic research in Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences: a forward-looking agenda |
| Editor(s) | |
| Tag(s) | EMCA, Conversation analysis, Sport and Exercise Sciences, Co-production, Qualitative methods, Embodiment, In press |
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| Year | 2026 |
| Language | English |
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| Journal | Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health |
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| URL | Link |
| DOI | 10.1080/2159676X.2026.2644981 |
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Abstract
Conversation Analysis (CA) has increasingly been recognised as a valuable qualitative approach for examining interactional practices in sport and exercise contexts, yet it remains methodologically marginal within Sport and Exercise Sciences (SES). This paper aims to broaden our understanding of what CA is, what it offers, and how it contributes to advancing qualitative research and practice in SES. We introduce CA’s core principles and analytic commitments, distinguishing it from other qualitative approaches commonly used in the field, including reflexive thematic analysis, narrative analysis, and critical discourse analysis. Drawing on existing CA-informed studies, we demonstrate the potential of focusing on how interactional practices central to sport and exercise – such as coaching, instruction, feedback, identity work, embodiment, and the negotiation of power – are accomplished in real time through talk and embodied conduct. Building on this review, we outline a forward-looking agenda for CA in SES, identifying opportunities for expanding empirical contexts beyond elite sport, strengthening co-produced and participatory approaches, advancing multimodal and embodied analyses, and addressing ethical and practical challenges associated with naturalistic data collection. We argue that CA does not seek to replace existing qualitative traditions in SES but adds a distinctive interactional dimension that complements them. By embracing CA’s emic, fine-grained analysis of naturally occurring interaction, SES scholars can deepen theoretical understanding, enhance applied relevance, and contribute to more inclusive, socially just, and practice-oriented research.
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