Overall Structural Organization and Projects

This chapter introduces the concepts of overall structural organization and project from a Conversation Analysis perspective, focusing on ancient Greek and Latin materials. It examines how conversations are organized into distinct activity types, beginning with basic interactions such as opening sequences and greetings, as well as the role of compliments in social exchanges. The chapter then explores larger conversational projects, including medical examinations and courtroom interrogations, highlighting the organizational features that shape these activities. A detailed case study of Horace’s Satire 1.9 is included, illustrating how emerging and conflicting projects are negotiated within the text. By analyzing the way these larger projects unfold and interact, the chapter sheds light on the complex dynamics of conversational organization in discourse in classical literature.