Language and Social Interaction
We explore communication and culture across a variety of everyday and institutional contexts.
The way that people communicate with each other is fundamental to who we are, what we do, and how we live our lives. We communicate through talk, gesture, expression, text, discourse and an ever-widening set of cultural practices. Through social interaction, we build personal relationships, enact our professional lives, persuade and argue, construct ourselves and others, and exercise or resist power.
- The basics of communication: What are the rules of conversation?
- Identity and politics: How is prejudice expressed in everyday life?
- Healthcare: How do doctors and other healthcare staff and patients communicate sensitively and effectively?
- Crises and emergencies: How do emergency personnel handle delicate situations of high risk?
- The future of conversation: How do AI and voice technologies manage social interaction in everyday life?
- Disordered talk: What difficulties of communication do people with dementia, aphasia or learning disability need to overcome?
Research highlights:
The power of effective communication: Deep understanding of real talk ‘in the wild’ can engage audiences and save lives