The generic use of the 1st-person singular ich ‘I’ in German oncological consultations: Managing demonstrated and anticipated trouble

Abstract

This article explores the interactional functions of the generic use of 1st-person singular ich ‘I’ in German oncological consultations. In these highly sensitive interactions, various types of trouble arise that doctors have to manage. In this context, trouble can refer to patient resistance to treatment recommendations, whether active or passive, as well as various forms of conduct that impinge upon the progressivity of the ongoing interaction. Following a review of the existing, albeit limited, research on generic uses of the 1st-person singular, I show how doctors employ generically used ich when managing these troubles in situ. Specifically, doctors either retrospectively address displayed trouble, for example, by accounting for their original treatment recommendation, or prospectively endeavor to pre-empt anticipated trouble on the part of their patients. Thus, the generic use of ich is closely related to the specific contingencies and affordances of oncological consultations. I argue that the generic use of ich provides a more involved and vivid reference form in contrast to the default German generic pronoun man ‘one’. This is due to its speaker-deictic semantic core, which leaves a trace of subjectivity within an otherwise generic scenario. However, the boundaries between a generic and a deictic interpretation remain fuzzy.