Theory and Methods Seminar Regensburg

The seminar focuses on contemporary local and global processes that have implications for urban and area-based and spatial research from an interdisciplinary perspective, yet with a focus on sociological theory and social science methods training.

Block 1: International Perspectives – Your Perspectives

The last two decades showed a global power shift more globally connected and more urban spaces (such as in Asia or the global South, but also to new geographical contexts within Europe) that experience a rapid increase in international money, goods, and migration flows in this ever more connected world. More people than ever are on the move, just as new global economic relations give rise to new socio-spatial structures, including new infrastructures and spaces, new governance forms, and new forms of global (planning) projects. Based on the participants’ research proposals or selected thesis chapters, the seminar discusses the implications and changing rationales of this endeavor. We will work through your exposes/single chapters and link them to global debates and discussions and the respective theoretical concepts, methods, and methodological approaches, in urban sociology, social theory, and urban research. A reading list will be provided in advance.

Block 2: Research Methods and Data Analysis

Based on the participants needs and methodological approaches, this block discusses different social and spatial methods and related forms of data/information analysis, their interpretation and potential visualization forms. Participants will learn about different research processes and designs, the formulation of (more refined) research questions and hypotheses, about concrete forms of interviews and interview content analyses, (non-) participant observation forms, mappings, and analytical drawings. Different role games and exercises will help the participants to refine and elaborate and systematically underpin their own research projects.

Block 3: Dissertations and Next steps

This final block provides a forum to discuss the participants’ reworked individual research. Participants are asked to present their updated research in different formats. Discussants provide feedback. The final session gives also an overview of funding opportunities, application processes, and the successful transition to a postdoc. Depending on the participants’ individual needs, participants are also invited to draft a research idea to discuss as potential application.

Seminar faciliator
Prof. Dr. Anna Steigemann is an urban researcher and internationally and interdisciplinary trained scholar in and across the fields of urban studies, urban planning, sociology, architecture, anthropology, and migration research.
Her current main research interests are critical urban research, planning and social theories, and ethnographic research methods. These include particularly neighborhood and community studies, urban informality, governance, post-colonial theory, international comparative research and the development of new and more collaborative socio-spatial research methods.

Cooperation:
Leibniz ScienceCampus

We kindly ask for registration at graduiertenschule@ur.de till November 16th, 2020. After registration you will receive the ZOOM-Link as well as an access to the reading list.