Footing is a term used by sociologist Erving Goffman to refer to a kind of frame that identifies the relationship between speakers. The same information can be communicated with different footings—and radically different effects. Imagine a man who insists he cannot let you into the swimming pool without your card, saying, “How do I know you’re not trying to sneak in?” Imagine the difference in effect if he says, “I wish I could let you in. I don’t think the policy makes sense either, but I can’t go against policy.” In the latter instance, the footing between the card checker and client is “you
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