Euroacademia Conferences
Europe Inside-Out: Europe and Europeanness Exposed to Plural Observers (9th Edition)April 24 - 25, 2020
Identities and Identifications: Politicized Uses of Collective Identities (9th Edition)June 12 - 13, 2020
8th Forum of Critical Studies: Asking Big Questions AgainJanuary 24 - 25, 2020
Re-Inventing Eastern Europe (7th Edition)December 13 - 14, 2019
The European Union and the Politicization of Europe (8th Edition)October 25 - 26, 2019
Identities and Identifications: Politicized Uses of Collective Identities (8th Edition)June 28 - 29, 2019
The European Union and the Politicization of Europe (7th Edition)January 25 - 26, 2019- 7th Forum of Critical Studies: Asking Big Questions AgainNovember 23 - 24, 2018
Europe Inside-Out: Europe and Europeanness Exposed to Plural Observers (8th Edition)September 28 - 30, 2018- Identities and Identifications: Politicized Uses of Collective Identities (7th Edition)June 14 - 15, 2018
Experiences in Researching Collective Identities by Photo Elicited Narratives in Times of a Turbulent Europe
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Presentation speakers
- Elisabeth Donat, Danube University Krems, Austria
- Ulrike Guerot, Danube University Krems, Austria
Abstract:
Researching collective identities raises more questions than ever in times of an on-going globalization, individualization and a historically turbulent situation in Europe and the European Union. Social sciences are still lacking answers among central questions of (collective) identities: Is it possible to identify with a collective without refusing out-groups (e.g. constructive patriotism)? Can collective identities at various geographical and political levels – regional, national, supranational – coexist, or have all of them become subject to a more fluid, globalized identity? Is identity formation part of a rational process in weighting pros and cons of belonging to a certain group, or is it primarily guided by emotions? And if so, which consequences arise from this kind of commitment on political and societal engagement? Using photo elicited interviews to reconstruct collective identities we go one step back in research before using standardized questionnaires as the most common – and by now quite unsatisfying – way in researching collective identities. Recognizing the “visual turn” in social sciences, we investigate narrative identities constructed around the pictures in use and therefore getting a deeper understanding – especially of the emotional components – of identities of our respondents. Experiences with this technique are in the center of our contribution, as well as conclusions about possible components of modern collective identities. Therefore we are firstly analyzing our material along the question which characteristics could be relevant in forming a constructive collective identity, and secondly providing some preliminary, methodological guidelines for using this technique in similar research projects.
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