The positioning theory diamond as analytic tool to examine multimodal social interaction in an engineering club

This paper presents a conceptual and methodological adaptation of the Positioning Theory diamond as originally proposed by Slocum-Bradley (2009). The authors propose an updated graphic representation that foregrounds the diamond in moral fields within arrays of identities and relationships that are not bound by space and time. The positioning diamond is illustrated as an analytical, research tool by applying it to study the social interactions, including multimodal interactions, of children (ages 7-10 years) in an afterschool engineering club. The paper illustrates how the authors applied the Positioning Theory diamond jointly with Bamberg's three-tiered positioning analysis and multimodal analysis to develop a clearer perspective on one particular learner. The authors argue that scholars of positioning theory should look to studies of multimodality to deepen their analysis of speech and other acts. Multimodal analysis and the Positioning Theory diamond can be used effectively to explore social interactions in addition to speech.