On becoming a 'better person': Language socialization from modality to morality in middle school dance classes

The basic question being asked in this dissertation is: How are linguistic, embodied and interactional practices being used in these dance classes to socialize students not only into becoming 'good dancers' but also into becoming 'good people'? In addition this dissertation is asking whether the data analyzed here supports the hypothesis that: modal and indexical is particularly suited to socializing social-moral values and practices especially among older children and adolescents.;Data collection involved the observation and videotaping of approximately 65 hours of dance class interaction. In addition data collection included informal interviewing of participants and the collection of artifacts such as copies of student journals, assignments, etc. Data analysis is qualitative and focuses primarily on the micro-analysis of videotaped interactions using primarily techniques associated not only with language socialization studies but also with: (a) linguistic analysis; (b) discourse and conversation analysis; (c) the multi-modal analysis of embodied actions; and (d) the analysis of specific classroom interactions. In addition macro-analytic techniques were used to (a) identify those cultural values and practices commonly expressed and enacted by members of the communities in which these interactions take place and (b) examine whether and how the specific sequences examined here may be socializing moral values, decision making and action taking among the students in Mr. B's classrooms.;The language socialization practices analyzed provide evidence that modal and indexical language is being used in conjunction with embodied and classroom interaction to socialize social-moral values. The interactions analyzed in this dissertation suggest: (a) that the meanings of moral domain words such as 'good,' 'lying,' 'cheating,' and 'blame' are intersubjectively constructed through language socialization practices; (b) that modal verbs such as 'want' can be used to socialize imitative learning, empathy and responsibility; and (c) that language can be used not only to verbally bully but also to intervene by reframing social identities and relationships during the course of social interaction.