HOW TO START TO TALK ABOUT MONEY - DEVELOPING CLIENTHOOD IN INTERACTION IN A SOCIAL-WELFARE OFFICE

The process of defining clienthood, in terms of real-time talk and the inherently local linguistic and interactive practices, which highligh ts the need for an explication of the interaction order, is analyzed i n this article. The tracking of the objectives and patterns of actions of local interaction in a Finnish social welfare office between socia l workers and longterm clients reveals the ongoing negotiating about m eaning, rights and social positions and the central role of institutio nal speech in the constitution of a social welfare office. Basic inter actional solutions for managing the institutional task of dealing with the applicant's interested claims was found. The social workers could , using different practices, initiate the treatment of the question of benefits so that the participants, with mutual alignment, avoided rep resenting the clients interested claims. Also the clients could initia te the treatment, but the social workers did not align with the initia tions that could be classified as interested.