Methods Workshop: Researching Social Relations in Urban Environments
Date: Thursday 8 May 2008, 3-5pm
Location: University of Manchester (directions)
Workshop Content
This workshop is part of a series on the practice and experience of social science research.
Our methods workshops are two hour sessions where three speakers each introduce the different methodological approach they have taken to researching the same broad topic. This is followed by discussion from participants exploring how different ways of seeing and conceptualising research questions lead to different methodological possibilities and challenges.
Mags Adams (University of Salford)
'Sensory Urbanism: sensewalking as a methodological device' > View PDF [new window]
Sensewalking provides unique and exceptional opportunities for gaining insight into experiences of urban environments. Using case studies undertaken in Manchester, Sheffield, London, and Coventry Mags will discuss the way in which sensewalks and soundwalks have been utilised to immerse participants and researchers in the research environment and to gain an understanding of people's relationship with the built environment.
More about Mags' research [opens in new window]
Roger Burrows (University of York)
'Life in Coded Spaces?' > View PDF [new window]
Neighbourhoods in the UK are subject to myriad systems of classification by a range of academic, commercial and policy actors. Increasingly these classifications are migrating into software and are being used in a number of hitherto unexamined ways. How might we examine the construction and functioning of these systems? Is it the case that urban and community sociologists now have to delve into the complexities of code in order to understand the contemporary constitution of everyday local practices? If participants would like to read about this beforehand they may care to have a look at the following 2 papers:
- Burrows, R. and Gane, N. (2006) ‘Geodemographics, Software and Class’, Sociology, 40, 5, 793-812.
- Parker, S., Uprichard, E. and Burrows, R. (2007) 'Class Places and Places Classes: Geodemographics and the Spatialisation of Class', Information, Communication and Society, 10, 6: 902 – 921.
More about Roger's research > (opens in new window)
Andrew Clark (Real Life Methods, University of Leeds)
'Understanding community through mobile interviews and participatory mapping' >View as PDF [new window]
I will reflect on the challenges and possibilities of two techniques we are using in on-going research to understand the everyday experiences of individuals’ social networks, neighbourhoods, and communities in a socially, economically and culturally diverse inner-city neighbourhood in a large British city. Alongside conventional ethnographic methods, we have completed participatory maps and walking interview with a diverse group of residents aged 18 to 30. I will comment on the insights we are gaining from these techniques and consider how different methods might be synthesised to better understand how individuals engage in and articulate their connected lives.
More about Andrew's research [opens in new window].
Andrew is currently working on our Connected Lives project.
Registration
Academics, researchers working outside academia, and postgraduate students are all welcome. There is no charge for attending.
This workshop is now full, however if you would like to be added to the waiting list, you can still complete the registration form and will be contacted should a place become available.
Venue
2nd floor boardroom, Arthur Lewis Building, University of Manchester. The Arthur Lewis Building is number 36 on the campus map.
Directions to the University of Manchester (link opens in new window) are available on the university website.
