THE WRITING CONFERENCE AS PERFORMANCE

This study uses the performative theory of Erving Goffman to understan d the conversational roles taken on by students and teachers during co llege-level writing conferences. According to Goffman, both teacher an d student are engaged in the performance of roles, and they cooperate so that discrepant information (revelations that might undermine these roles) are not revealed. Some of that information can come out, howev er, in what Goffman calls ''backstage'' areas. This study creates two ''backstage'' areas where both an instructor and the two students invo lved can listen to tapes of their conferences and provide commentary a bout tensions and miscommunications in the conferences. The study part icularly examines confusions about terminology concerning unify in wri ting and the negotiation of roles in the conference. The perspective t aken in this study illuminates the specific performative demands of a writing conference, suggesting that because these demands are new to s ome students, their teachers may need to engage in considerable role-s hifting to ease the conversational burden and help he students ''save face.''