Research Group Social Interaction in Public Spaces
The research group focuses on everyday social interaction in public spaces. The central question of the SIPR research group is: "How can we offer organizations an interactional perspective on societal transitions, particularly in the domains of 'safety, healthcare, and climate policy,' where technologization acts both as a driver and a challenge?"
Lines of research within the research group
Both patients and healthcare professionals indicate that conversations during treatment mainly focus on diagnosis and treatment, while concerns about quality of life are rarely addressed, not even during aftercare. As a result, the information needs, emotions, or concerns of the patient are not adequately met. This hampers a good relationship between the healthcare provider and the patient. An important question in this research area is: "What conversational dilemmas arise in interactions between healthcare professionals and patients, and what are the factors that promote or hinder discussions about these dilemmas?"
Digitalization brings significant changes to social interaction in society, for example by determining who participates in which conversations and where.
How do people shape norms and values in both online and offline social interactions? What effects does this have on their conversations, and how can these insights be used in societal change and digital innovation? To this end, we develop conversational tools that help identify linguistic patterns related to potential polarization in public debates; offer options for interaction; and improve overall interaction.
The current climate and ecological crisis demands social interactions that are both connecting and realistic.
What are innovative formats for climate conversations, how can we ensure the quality of these conversations, and how can we keep them going? How can people safely share emotions, feelings of grief, or despair with one another? How can people learn from each other in these discussions, not only exchanging viewpoints but even merging them? How can parties be encouraged to reflect? And how can technology play a constructive role in this process?
Digital innovation is a double-edged sword that, on one hand, creates new communication possibilities, but on the other hand, can also foster impersonal and polarized communication. The future-proof communication professional (and in fact, almost every professional today is also a communication professional) requires technical literacy: knowing how to communicate with sensitivity in various digital contexts, but also being able to assess which digital environment is most appropriate—whether face-to-face, by phone, through public campaigns, on social media, or a hybrid form.
Publications
- A blueprint for what? From a critical policy discursive analysis of UN’s sustainable development goals to a constructive rearticulation for their application
- “Normally I Always Ask Briefly...” How Patients and Healthcare Professionals in Oncology Construct Sexuality as a Delicate Topic
- “Those blimmin Ts and Cs”: a mixed methods analysis of how people manage personal information, privacy, and impressions
Education
We associate the work of our research group to education by applying an interactive approach, an active open-door policy and by utilising the sub-functions of a variety of lecturer-researchers. The insights and knowledge obtained from our research is also directly applied during lectures.
“The era of explaining things in a better or convincing manner seems to be over. It’s fascinating to see how citizens increasingly take matters into their own hands. How does the government understand and exploit peoples’ concerns, ideas, time and language? This is usually what the discussion is about. All around we are witnessing an ongoing struggle for truly open and authentic interaction about complex and intractable themes.”
Guido Rijnja Jury chair for the Galjaard award
Collaboration
Bureau EMMA, Netherlands Public Prosecution Service, Logeion: the Dutch Association for Communication Professionals, Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat) and University of Amsterdam
Our professors and researchers
