This seminal work explores how interaction structures and practices systematically shape and challenge social categories, highlighting their role and significance in social life. The book investigates such matters by providing a new framework for integrating conversation analysis and membership categorization analysis.

Chapter 0: Prologue: Why Categories Matter Chapter 1: An Introduction to Categories in Social Interaction Chapter 2: Approaching Membership Categorization Chapter 3: Chapter 4: Forming and Making Sense of Actions Chapter 5: Chapter 6: Chapter 7: Chapter 8: Chapter 9:

Kevin A. Whitehead is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, USA, and Visiting Associate Professor in the School of Human and Community Development at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. His research uses ethnomethodological and conversation analytic approaches to study recorded talk-in-interaction, focusing in particular on practices through which social categories are used, reproduced and resisted, and on and their intersections with social problems including racism and violence.

Elizabeth Stokoe is Professor in the Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science at The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), UK. Her research uses conversation analysis and membership categorization to understand social interaction in diverse settings. She is also passionate about science communication and translating research findings for and with public, commercial, and third sector partners.

Geoffrey Raymond is Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, USA. His research interests include conversation analysis, the role of talk-in interaction in the organization of institutions, and qualitative research methods.