dr. Lotte van Burgsteden, MA

Assistant Professor, Faculty of Humanities, Communication

Assistant Professor, Network Institute

Personal information

I am an Assistant Professor of Language and Communication in the department of Language, Literature, and Communication at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. I teach within the program of Communication and Information Studies in the Faculty of Humanities, and do research in the area of language and communication.

Research

My research primarily focuses on how people in their everyday conversations move from conflict or polarization to ‘dialogue’ in conversations on controversial topics such as livestock farming and environmental change, using the methods of Conversation Analysis, Discursive Psychology and Ethnomethodology. My PhD thesis entitled From debate to dialogue: A conversation analysis of public meetings on the health effects of livestock farming in the Netherlands received a cum laude degree.

My research focuses on the communicative techniques individuals use to generate conflict, as well as the methods they employ to productively transcend their differences. Moreover, I focus on how people manage talking about sensitive topics, such as the care of prematurely born children, in conversations between healthcare providers and parents in neonatal care.

My work has appeared in several peer-reviewed international journals, edited volumes and trade journals. Drawing from my research, I provide regular training to individuals in various fields, including environmental problems, climate change, and the medical sector. I am frequently invited to give lectures at various universities, as well as at societal organizations such as public health institutes, farmers’ organizations, and environmental institutions. In 2024, I received the Distinguished Women Scientists Fund for a research visit to the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Teaching

I teach the following courses in the BA program in Communication and Information Studies (CIS):