DEVELOPMENT OF QUALITATIVE METHODS
The Russian Field: a View from Abroad
(St. Petersburg, 28-31 May 2009)
Organizers: CISR, the journal "Laboratorium: the Journal of Social Research" and the European University of St. Petersburg.
A great number of social scientists from around the world study Russia, but are unfortunately limited in their ability to discuss the results of their work with their Russian colleagues. A majority of relevant internationally-published material, equivalently, remains unavailable to Russian social scientists. As such, priceless intellectual and methodological resources - containing, in part, new and original interpretations of social processes occurring in Russian society - remain unknown to Russian researchers. This international conference was intended as a forum for an intercultural and interdisciplinary exchange of experience and ideas about the 'Russian field' and practices to be used in understanding this experience.
Over the course of the conference, plenary reports and break-out sessions were organized on a variety of themes, including: "Comprehending the Experience of Field Research", "Symbolical Production and Use", "Research of Memory, Social Changes of Identity", "The culture of Association", "The Russian Rural Community: Transformation and Everyday Life", "Nationalism and the Practices of Exclusion of the 'Other'", "Ethnographic Experiences" and "Problematizing the Public and the Private". In addition, roundtables were brought together covering themes including "The Public Meaning of the Social Sciences" and "'Russia Can't be Understood with the Mind:'? Your Own Foreign Field". Researchers from more than 18 countries took part in the conference, including those from the USA, Great Britain, Poland, Germany, Rumania, Kazakhstan, Norway, Switzerland, Israel and elsewhere. A thematic issue of the journal "Laboratorium" will be published in accordance with the conference's results, and an analogous conference is currently planned to be held in 2011 (more information is available at Russianfield.info.
The conference was supported by the MacArthur Foundation and CISR.
Social Production of Space: Field Experiences in the Russian European North
Research training course (St. Petersburg - Petrozavodsk, Murmansk region, 31 July - 17 August 2007)
The course was designed as a two-and-a-half week journey in North-Western Russia: from St. Petersburg through Karelia to the Murmansk region with lectures, seminars, and excursions to several important sites along the way. Twenty-six scholars from Russia, Austria, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, USA, Great Britain, and Australia at different stages of their professional careers and from different disciplines participated. One of the main tasks of this training course was to actualize the discussion on space. It focused on current tendencies in social sciences in conceptualizing space, nature, power, and identity, and was supplemented by the field experiences of the Russian researchers. "The North" and actors of its construction was the main research agenda engaged during the entire course. Based on field experience, the participants discussed the intersecting relationships among the categories of local, national, and global; nature, technology, and culture; liberal capitalism and development. They also considered mechanisms of power and techniques of construction of the North in the context of nature and national heritage, repressive and sacral space, and natural resources.
Participants from CISR: Elena Nikiforova, Alla Bolotova, Dmitry Vorobyev.
Partners: Paul Freier (University of Joensuu, Finland), Rasmus Ole Rasmussen (University of Roskilde, Denmark), with assistance of Paul Josephson (Colby College, USA).
Supported by Nordforsk at the Nordic Council of Ministers and CISR.
Biographical Research on Post-Socialist Space: Ten Years after
International conference (St.šPetersburg, 15-17šDecember 2006)
Organisers: European Sociological Association (ESA, Biographical Perspectives on European Societies Research Network) and CISR.
Ten years ago in Saint Petersburg, thešESA Research Network on Biographical Perspectives on European Societies and thešCISR jointly organised a conference under theštitle "Biographical Perspectives on Post-Socialist Societies" (1996). This conference will focus on thešresults of biographical research into post-socialist space carried out during thešlast decade, and will also touch on methodological questions.
Thešconference sought to follow up and update thešoriginal conference by exploring thešfollowing broad themes:
- from transformation to relative stability: "new" and "old" biographies;
- social migration;
- methodological developments in thešbiographical approach.
Supported by thešJohnšD. and CatherinešT. MacArthur Foundation and thešBiographical Perspectives on European Societies Research Network (ESA).
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Seminar for thešConvention Participants of thešIndependent Sociological Centres
(Moscow, 18-19šNovember 2005)
Organisers: CISR, Centre for Independent Social Research and Education (Irkutsk), Moscow School of Social and Economic Sciences.
In thešframework of thešproject entitled "ThešConvention of thešIndependent Sociological Centres" at thešIntercentre (Moscow) ašregularly scheduled meeting was held for participants in thešproject. At thešmeeting thešfollowing issues were on theštable: 1)šthešindependent sociological centres of Russia - perspectives of work, thešpositioning of thešcentres in thešview of society and thešgovernment; 2)štheštendencies of centralisation and decentralisation in thešreform of society and thešreorganisation of thešsciences; 3)šthešissue of social research methods. On thešbasis of thešresults of thešmeeting it was decided to expand thešwork of thešConvention into several directions, including: thešpreparation, with thešstrength of thešCentre-participants of thešConvention, of aštextbook on qualitative methods in thešsocial sciences; thešpublication of anšAlmanac of thešworks of thešConvention participants; thešpreparation and realisation of regular jointly held events, including conferences, seminars, summer schools, etc. Thešorganisation of thešnext meeting of thešConvention participants was entrusted to thešCentre for Independent Social Research and Education (Irkutsk).
Supported by thešRosa Luxemburg Foundation.
Workshop - Meeting of Independent Centres of Social Research
(St.šPetersburg, 14-15šMay 2004)
Organisers: CISR, Intercentre (Moscow).
During thešworkshop, thešCentres had thešopportunity to meet and discuss problems related to their founding, development, financing, etc. for thešfirst time. Thešidea of establishing ašRussian "qualitative methodologist" network was proposed during thešworkshop "Qualitative Methods in Research and Teaching" (Samara, 2003). Thešmeeting aimed to create ašnetwork of independent social centres and to establish ašdiscussion and communication space within thešnetwork. Researchers from more then 10šcentres from different regions of Russia took part in thešworkshop. As ašresult of thešworkshop ašconvention of independent social research centres was created and ašweb site was designed for thešconvention.
Supported by the CISR (with support of thešJohnšD. and CatherinešT. MacArthur Foundation).
Qualitative Methods in Research and Teaching
(Samara, 26-27šMay 2003)
Organisers: CISR, Sociology Faculty of thešSamara State University.
Thešseminar aimed to share experiences and discuss "problem zones" in qualitative methodology from thešpoint of view of its use in concrete sociological research and thešteaching of future sociologists interested in learning about thešexisting experience of qualitative methods teaching. Sociologists from St.šPetersburg, Samara, Saratov, Ulyanovsk and Kazan took part in thešseminar.
Supported by thešJohnšD. and CatherinešT. MacArthur Foundation and thešCISR.
Readings in Honour of V.V.šIofe "ThešRight to Have ašName: Biography in theš20th Century. ThešBiographical Method in thešSocial and Historical Sciences"
(St.šPetersburg, 18-19šApril 2003)
Organisers: CISR, European University at St.šPetersburg, and St.šPetersburg Charitable, Historical, Educational and Human Rights Society "Memorial".
This seminar in memory of Veniamin Iofe united historians, sociologists, anthropologists and cultural theorists working in thešfield of biography. Thešfollowing issues were discussed: biographical models (biographical reference, autobiography, life description); fact and event (thešprivate and public in biography, act, access to information); thešlanguage of biography and thešrecording format; biographical databases; sources for biography composition (sources and mythologisation, distortion and falsification, types of neglect, right to sources); post-biography (death in biography, posthumous biography, thešimmortalisation of memory); state influence on thešlife course in biographies of thešSoviet people (suppression and opposition, thešredaction of life).
Supported by thešHeinrich Boell Foundation.
Biographical Method in Post-Socialist Societies
International workshop (St.šPetersburg, 13-17šNovember 1996)
Organisers: CISR, European Sociological Association (ESA).
Sociologists from Great Britain, Germany, Israel, Ireland, Latvia, Russia (St.šPetersburg, Moscow, Irkutsk), as well as from France and Finland participated in thešworkshop. Thešparticipants discussed problems of thešbiographical method and possibilities of its application in concrete empirical researches: gender and sexuality, ethnicity and migration, social networks and strategies of life, comparative cultural researches, education and upbringing, etc. Thešmaterials of thešworkshop were published in Working Papers of thešCISR (Vol.š5).
Supported by thešJohnšD. and CatherinešT. MacArthur Foundation.