Situated Organization of Video Mediated Interaction: A Review of Ethnomethodological and Conversation Analytic Studies

Video-based communication has become a common way of interacting with remote interlocutors, whether through complex videoconferencing systems or webcams integrated into consumer technologies. Ethnomethodology and conversation analysis (EM/CA) are sociological approaches that have been influential in Human Computer Interaction for nearly three decades due to their focus on the situated organization of practical activities. In this article, we present a state-of-the-art review of empirical research on video-mediated social interaction studied from the perspective of EM/CA. We put forward an original organization of the findings on the interplay of talk, bodily behavior and spatial and material resources. The review underscores the ways in which technology enables and constrains interaction, shaping familiar and novel social activities. We also propose directions for future research and systems design.