Sensing in Social Interaction: The Taste for Cheese in Gourmet Shops

This book explores how people engage in sensing the materiality of the world as a way of social interaction, proposing a conceptual and analytical advance in how to approach sensing as an intersubjective and interactional phenomenon. It demonstrates this through a multimodal analysis of video-recorded data in gourmet shops across Europe, highlighting the systematic features of looking, touching, smelling, and tasting in situated activities.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 585 pages
Publication date: 19 October 2023
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

This captivating book delves into a novel perspective on the intricate ways in which individuals engage with the materiality of the world as a fundamental aspect of social interaction. It presents a groundbreaking conceptual and analytical breakthrough in understanding sensing as an intersubjective and interactional phenomenon, situated within the framework of conversation analysis and ethnomethodology. Through a meticulously collected set of video-recorded data, the author vividly showcases how individuals' reactions to cheese in gourmet shops across Europe emphasize the profound role that the senses play in shaping human behavior and communication. A comprehensive multimodal analysis of these case studies unveils the systematic patterns of looking, touching, smelling, and tasting that emerge in situated activities. By seamlessly blending interdisciplinary research with real-life scenarios, the volume constructs a comprehensive theoretical and methodological framework for exploring the embodied and linguistic dimensions of sensing in interaction. This groundbreaking work not only sheds light on the intricacies of human perception and communication but also offers valuable insights into the broader cultural and social implications of sensory experiences.

Weight: 836g
ISBN-13: 9781108706131