Ian Hutchby is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Leicester. His main areas of research include the social processes involved in language use, and how these relate to the structures of human relations, social institutions, and other mediating environmental factors such as technology. He has conducted studies on a range of topics including language in broadcasting, the role of new technologies in mediating interaction, children's language and interaction skills, and psychotherapeutic and other counselling discourses. His writings include Media Talk: Conversation Analysis and the Stud...