ALIGNING ACTIONS: TYPES AND SOCIAL DISTRIBUTION*

Research on aligning actions requires a clearer understanding of what types of aligning actions exist. A typology of aligning actions is described which is based on three criteria: temporal focus (retrospective or prospective), claim made (concerning the actor's responsibility or the act itself), and the desirability of the event involved. The typology is shown to incorporate the aligning actions already discussed in the literature and to suggest new possibilities. Using this typology, a number of propositions are offered suggesting how aligning actions are used by actors with differing levels of interpersonal power, as relfected in their gender and age.