Scholarship on social interaction focuses on the language and nonverbal processes through which people connect with one another. Courses in this area concentration examine the development of personal relationships, the role of communication in social influence, the processes of group deliberation, and other communication activities as they occur in face-to-face and on-line settings. Courses explore how communication shapes and reflects initial encounters, informal conversations, interpersonal conflicts, close relationships, and decision making. They also reflect on the nature of social interaction as a theoretical, ethical, and cultural practice.

Faculty

The faculty listed below emphasize this area of study in their teaching and research, though most have additional areas of expertise. This list is not exhaustive, as many University of Washington faculty outside the Department of Communication also teach courses and conduct research in this area.

Courses

Undergraduate students who wish to learn more about social interaction can enroll in the Department of Communication courses listed below.

COM 270: INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
COM 289: COMMUNICATION AND DIFFERENCE
COM 351: INTERVIEWING PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES
COM 373: COMMUNICATION IN SMALL GROUPS
COM 374: PERSPECTIVES ON LANGUAGE
COM 375: COMMUNICATION ETHICS
COM 376: NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
COM 389: ETHNICITY, GENDER, AND COMMUNICATION
COM 417: POLITICAL DELIBERATION
COM 470: DISCOURSE: ANALYZING TALK AND TEXTS
COM 471: PERSUASION
COM 472: EMPIRICAL APPROACHES TO INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
COM 474: COMMUNICATION, CONFLICT, AND COOPERATION
COM 475: ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION
COM 478: INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
COM 482: COMPUTER-MEDIATED INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
COM 484: CULTURAL CODES IN COMMUNICATION
COM 485: FIELDWORK IN COMMUNICATION STUDIES
COM 490: REPRESENTING BEYOND THE BINARIES: MIXING RACE, GENDER, AND SEXUALITY IN THE MEDIA