Token up-dates

the reiteration of mutual knowledge in the opening stages of job interviews

Martha Komter

pp. 247-259

in: Human Studies 9, 1986.

Abstract

Ordinarily we tend to take our shared world for granted. The opening stages of kob interviews apparently are occasions where certain selected aspects of this shared world are recapitulated. This activity is typically performed by the interviewer. The absence of response from the applications, other than "continuers', underlines the main function of these token up-dates as ratifications of the state of mutual knowledge that displays the official starting position from which the participation can proceed with their business.Three kins of mutual knowledge are referred to and displayed by the interviewerThe production of these token up-dates organizes the listenership of the recipients in such a way that a specific move by the interviewer is exptected, depending on the kind of knowledge that is mentioned.The production of token up-dates not only projects an immediate next move. The selection of items brought into the interview in this way also illustrates the concern interviewers have with information, and with the "completeness' of information. It adumbrates the importance of knowledge as the official organizing principle of the coming interview.