Hurting and Blaming: Two Components in the Action Formation of Complaints About Absent Parties

This article investigates the action formation of complaints about absent parties-asking what makes them recognizable as such. It shows that recipient responses display their understanding that complaints comprise two components: a display of hurt (related to the impact of the complained-of events) and a blaming (attributing responsibility to an absent party). The setting, a bereavement support group in the UK, is perspicuous for this investigation because the group facilitators respond to the clients' complaints by decoupling their constituent components, validating the hurt while avoiding affiliating with the blaming embodied in them. This makes visible these complaint-recipients' distinctive orientations to the two components of complaints. The article advances understandings of the action formation of complaints; it documents practices whereby service providers can show compassion toward the hurt embodied in clients' complaints; and it shows how principles of bereavement support are implemented in face-to-face interactions. The participants speak British English.

Automated summary

This article investigates the formation of complaints regarding absent parties, specifically focusing on what makes them recognizable. The study finds that complaints comprise two components: a display of hurt and a blaming. The setting of a bereavement support group in the UK provides an ideal context for this investigation, as the facilitators validate the hurt expressed by clients while avoiding affiliation with the blaming aspect. This research advances understanding of complaint formation, documents practices for service providers to show compassion towards clients' hurt, and illustrates the implementation of bereavement support principles in face-to-face interactions.