ERIC Number: EJ941702
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011-Sep
Pages: 25
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1052-0147
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
A Tool in the Kit: Uses of Bullshitting among Millennial Workers
Martin, Daniel D.; Wilson, Janelle L.
Qualitative Report, v16 n5 p1245-1269 Sep 2011
This study explores the nature, use, and social organization of one form of communicative action that is common in everyday life--"bullshitting." We use this form of communication to assess the ways in which dimensions of community, power and status are created in interaction. Abiding by the canons of ethnographic content analysis, we gathered data from over one hundred student respondents to ascertain the behaviors, utterances, and stories that people define as "bullshitting." The study finds that members of the "millennial generation" hone skills both in the telling and detection of this form of communication as they participate in a variety of contexts, including school, work, and interpersonal relationships. Special attention is given to the ways in which bullshitting is used as a cultural resource for agentive action. Dramaturgical and organizational theories are drawn upon in theorizing the data. (Contains 1 table.)
Descriptors: Persuasive Discourse, Credibility, Ethnography, Content Analysis, Deception, Trust (Psychology), Social Environment, Organizational Culture, Age Groups, Interpersonal Communication
Nova Southeastern University. 3301 College Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33317. Tel: 954-262-5389; Fax: 954-262-3970; Web site: http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Adult Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A