Short presentation

I study social interaction and the practical use of objects and technologies in different settings and situations as they naturally unfold. 

I have studied a variety of "dead" objects like papers, pencils, glasses, and other tools, but I am particularly interested in the use of computers, AI and new technologies such as video-mediated platforms, telepresence robots, smart glasses, and smart home speaker systems (e.g., Google Home). Across these settings and types of technologies, I am working on a theory for a more inclusive notion of agency and the distributed nature of action-construction and perception. This research also includes human-animal interaction and animal-plant interaction and other forms. I engage with these settings by simultaneously developing a new approach called post-praxeology, which seeks to combine ethnomethodology with process philosophy. 

I am also engaged in a variety of practical research that involves classical communication disciplines such as PR, PA, branding, internal and external communication, leadership, strategy, vision, mission, and culture.

My research focuses on the semiotic and sensory resources human beings use to construct meaning in social interactions. I am interested in the underlying structures in the multimodal construction of norms and interactional order, which is embedded in an ecology of sign systems that includes not only talk but also a range of different displays made by the body and structures in the environment. I have particularly been interested in the senses and multisensory experiences, as I have led research projects studying the everyday lives of visually impaired people. 

Methods

Conversation Analysis and multimodal interaction analysis

Videoetnography

Etnography and all sorts of qualitative methods

Ethnomethodology and breaching experiments 

Participatory Innovation and design thinking processes

Process philosophy: Whitehead, Serres, Deleuze 

My ongoing research projects:

Grief

Making Hybrid Senses

NewWorkTech

CV

2024-                Full professor, NorS 

2018-2024        Associate Professor, NorS

2014-2018         Assistant Professor, INSS

2013-2014 External lecture, INSS  

2013-         Senior Consultant and partner, Nextwork

2012-2013 Senior Consultant, Kommunikationsforum

2012-2013 Research assistant, INSS

2009-2012 Industrial PhD, INSS + Co-editor at Kommunikationsforum

2007-2009 Co-editor, Kommunikationsforum

Teaching

Teaching and supervision

I teach courses in Conversation Analysis, Identity, methods, communication theory and business communication. 

I supervise theses within the broad spectrum of communication, branding, new trends, technology, conversation analysis, videoetnography, multimodality studies, business meetings and culture, innovation and creativity, leadership, service design and international business communication but also more theoretical projects with different philosophical perspectives.

Primary fields of research

I work broadly within communication theories, microsociological and linguistic theory as well as process philosophy. I have a broad knowledge of sociological and anthropological theory, the history of philosophy, and the theory of science. I typically work based on the following theories and methods:

• Conversation Analysis with special focus on recent multimodality and semiotics, etc. focus on body and use of things. See, for example, the book: Multimodal Interaction Analysis with Videoethnographic data collection.
• Involving theories for innovation, co-creation and communication strategy.
• Network theory with special focus on Latour and ANT
• Video ethnography and visual anthropology
• Theories about technology, e.g. STS, HCI / HRI
• Ethnomethodology
• Process philosophy

My research object is situations (what happens) approached from a social, practice and interaction analytical approach. 

My research question is always: how does this happen?

Over several years, I have had projects dealing with how the blind and partially sighted can get help from new technology. 

My fundamental interest is how people and things are connected and disconnected through activities.