Language, Social Interaction, and (Mis)understanding

Catalog description

From late-night hangouts with friends, to online blowups with strangers, to chats with the AI-assistants that are increasingly embedded in every platform, we are always interacting with others. But, how do we figure out what is meant by what is said, written, or signed? How do we know when someone is being sarcastic or sincere? And, what happens when our conversational partner is not human? In this class, we will examine what linguists, philosophers, psychologists, anthropologists, and everyday people have said about the process of sense-making in social interaction. We will consider the case of face-to-face conversation, as well as what happens in online spaces. In addition, we will ask how new conversational technologies, like chatbots, are unsettling some of the ways in which humans typically participate in and perceive interactions. The goal of this course is to develop a critical, interdisciplinary understanding of how meaning is constructed, negotiated, and contested in everyday interaction. Along the way, we will reflect on our own interpretive and interactional practices. Assignments will include readings, student-led discussions, analytic exercises, and a final exam.