The human body is a rich and complex communicative resource. In this class, we will examine how the body, in coordination with talk, contributes to meaning making in face-to-face interaction. We will look closely at the movements of the eyes, face, hands, head, torso, and legs, as well as the use of objects and space, for their role in the moment-by-moment accomplishment of a range of activities: opening and closing encounters, telling stories, aligning to an interactional partner,  and so on. Although we will mainly draw on interactionist studies of the body, we will also consider cognitive, cultural, developmental, and even evolutionary themes in our investigations.  The class will center around the use of videotaped data to examine
embodied behaviors in interaction.  Non-majors please contact the professor regarding registering for this class.