Eric Laurier

Eric Laurier is Professor and Personal Chair of Geography & Interaction at the University of Edinburgh's School of Geosciences, actively supervising PhD students and leading internationally recognized research in social interaction studies.

Education

• PhD, University of Wales (awarded 1996)

Research Focus: Grounded in ethnomethodology and conversation analysis, Laurier investigates the micro-organization of everyday social practices across public spaces, mobility contexts, and technological interfaces. His work examines how people collaboratively accomplish tasks in settings ranging from traffic intersections to film editing suites, with emphasis on video-based documentation of overlooked social details. Core themes include assistive technologies, wayfinding, cross-cultural driving practices, small talk in service work, and human-animal interaction.

Recent Scholarship: Current publications (2022-2024) demonstrate methodological innovation in video analysis while exploring canine-human pedagogy, political encounters in public space, and institutional uses of small talk. His research bridges geographical inquiry with conversation analytic rigor, revealing how social order emerges through embodied practices.

Research Leadership

• Principal Investigator: Blue Futures project (2025-2030) on sea-swimming experiences and seaside place-making
• Principal Investigator: ESRC-funded Digital Geographies of Assistance-Dog-Human Partnerships (2022-2023)
• Co-Investigator: Comic Book Praxis project and Children and Internet of Things research

Teaching & Networks: Laurier teaches advanced ethnography courses including Key Methods in Geography and The Art of Listening. He co-founded the Scottish Ethnomethodology, Discourse, Interaction and Talk group (SEDIT) and coordinates the Mobility Studies of Interaction (Mobsin) European Network, connecting 14 institutions across Europe.