Storytelling is an element of all cultures. It shapes the identity of individuals, communities and whole nations. In her lecture "Telling network stories: Migrants’ relationality, identity and belonging in place over time" , Professor Louise Ryan, from University of Sheffield and a Visiting Professor at SWPS University will focus on interactive processes through which networks are co-constructed through stories and pictures in migrant communities.
The lecture, organized by SWPS University's Interdisciplinary Doctoral School is a part of the series The Challenges of the Humanities of the 21st Century.
The lecture will be delivered in English. Free admission.
The lecture engages with and develops upon three areas of discussion in the field of migration and social networks research. Firstly, Professor Ryan contributes to work on qualitative social network research by responding to calls to critically engage with the concept of ‘networks’. In so doing, she draws on the pioneering work of Mische and White (1998) to examine networks as ‘discursive devices’. Adopting a critically reflexive approach, she analyses the dynamic, interactive processes through which networks are co-constructed through stories and pictures in interview encounters.
Secondly, following Dahinden (2017), Professor Ryan examines how using social networks as a method can enable researchers to go beyond an a priori ethnic lens in researching migration. Using selected case studies from her own corpus of qualitative research, she analyses how the complexities of ethnic composition may gradually become apparent as social ties are researched using oral and visual methods.
Thirdly, by using a longitudinal approach through repeat interviews with migrants to ‘tell network stories’, Professor Ryan explores changing relational ties and attachments in place over time. Finally, she makes a case for combining qualitative longitudinal analysis with network research to provide insights into dynamic and differentiated ‘embedding’.
Speaker
Louise Ryan – Professor of Sociology at the University of Sheffield, UK and Visiting Professor at SWPS University in 2018/2019. Prior to joining the University of Sheffield she worked at the University of Middlesex University, London, for 12 years. Her research expertise is in the area of migration, social networks, gender and religion. She was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in 2015, and she is currently chair of the editorial board of the journal Sociology. Additionally, she is a member of the editorial board of International Migration and a member of the advisory board of the Irish Journal of Sociology. She is also a trustee and currently treasurer of the British Sociological Association. Professor Ryan is a series editor of the book series – Sociological Futures published by Routledge in association with the BSA. In 2018, two of her books have been re-issued to celebrate the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage, namely: Winning the Vote for Women: the Irish Citizen Newspaper and The Suffrage Movement in Ireland and Irish Women and the Vote: becoming citizens (co-edited with Margaret Ward).
“The Challenges of Humanities of the 21st Century” is a series of lectures by distinguished specialists, who represent various disciplines from the field of humanities. The events are aimed at students of SWPS University's Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program, however all interested parties are welcome. The format includes post-lecture informal discussions on topics presented by the invited experts. The friendly atmosphere of the events is conducive to networking, which lends itself to opportunities of future internships at universities or research centers around the world.
Doctoral Studies at SWPS University are directed to people interested in an academic career and also to those, who would like to continue their education and personal development in support of their career advancement. The interdisciplinary character of our programs allows students to participate in projects from various disciplines. Our doctoral students collaborate with scholars from the best research centers in Poland and around the world. The master-apprentice approach guarantees that each student receives individual attention and professional support.