INTER: Interaction, Interviewing, Interpretation
No 9, 2015
http://www.isras.ru/inter_2015_9html
 
Table of Contents:
 
Alexandrina Vanke, Elena Rozhdestvenskaya, Victoria Semenova . Editors’ note, pp. 5-6.
 
Theoretical discourses and discussions
 
Natalia Savelyeva . Between subjection and freedom: «techniques of the self» in Michel Foucault writings, pp. 7-15.
 
 Based on the M. Foucault texts and verbal presentations, this article focuses on two «techniques of the self»: subjectification and «care of the self». «Techniques of the self» differs from the techniques of domination or discipline. They are a series of techniques, which individuals use to work on themselves and to transform themselves by regulating their bodies, their thoughts and their conduct. The difference between subjectification and «care of the self» is as follows. First, practices of subjectification aim to unveil the inner world and thoughts of the individual; practices of «care of the self» set out to regulate the conduct. Secondly, practices of subjectification assume that the source of the truth about the individual is located beyond him, practices of «care of the self» assume that the individual can arrive at the truth which is not predefined. Finally, «care of the self» does not need renunciation. Therefore, Foucault associated practices of subjectification with subjection of the individual and practices of «care of the self» with possibility attain freedom.
Key words : Michel Foucault, subjectification, techniques of the self, practices, care of the self
 
Ekaterina Kovaleva, Marina Spirina . Representation of the female body in modern yoga: theoretical and methodological approach, pp. 16-29.
 
This article sets out to construct an integrative methodological approach to the visual representation of the female body as a social and cultural phenomenon in modern yoga through the theoretical perspectives of symbolic interactionism and structuralism. An enhanced methodological tool came out of the framework of commercial realism developed by E. Goffman in combination with the concepts of constructed body and technologies of the self by M. Foucault. The critical approach to visual socio-semiotics by G. Kress and T. van Leeuwen made their contribution to the development of the integrative methodological scheme. The tool was tested on the visual representations of the female body from the websites of the popular yoga schools in Moscow. The authors conclude that the designed methodological approach could be successfully applied to visual analysis of different areas of female physical activities such as yoga, fitness practices and strength training.
Key words: female body, gender representation, visual analysis, gender display, technologies of the self, modern yoga
 
Olga Savinskaya . «The educational space of kindergarten»: construction of the concept and tools for measurement, pp. 30- 42.
The paper conceptualizes a specific «educational space» that is created in a kindergarten. The research problem emanates from the significance of a comprehensive evaluation of the preschool education structural reforms that have been taking place in recent years. The opinion of parents as the vital stakeholders plays a crucial role in the educational program evaluation. The constitutive role of specific environment in the early childhood education stress its importance. Previous research overview reveals that the dimensions of this complex concept are are still in the process of development. The empirical part of the paper is based on 30 in-depth interviews with mothers of pre-school children living in Moscow. On the basis of narrative interviews the main characteristics of the parents’ understanding the kindergarten educational space are developed. The way to develop a multi-dimensional scale from qualitative data is presented as another methodological outcome of the project.
Key words : educational space, preschool education, social program evaluation, parents as subjects of education reform, construct validity, qualitative methods, scale development
 
Field Research
 
Alissa Tostokorova . Enemy, enigma or amigo?: the role of the attitudinal factor in the experience of foreign employment of Ukrainian labour migrants, pp. 43-58.
 
The paper sets out to analyze the migratory experience of Ukrainian guest workers abroad through the lens of attitudinal and gender parameters, which are being scrutinized in the context of both micro-practices and micro-dynamics of daily social interaction of Ukrainian «gastarbaiters» with the local population. The paper pursues a specific objective to identify ethnically stereotyped and gender biased attitudinal models, faced by Ukrainian labour migrants during their employment abroad, and to trace their impact on the quality of daily interaction with the population of hosting communities.
Key words : Ukrainian labour migration, attitude factor, ethnic stereotypes, gender stereotypes
 
Anastasia Poylova . The role of the entrepreneur’s family in choosing a career path, pp. 59-69.
 
The article is focused on the role of family as one of the main institutions of socialisation in the selection and implementation of the entrepreneurs’ life trajectories. The analysis is presented using data from 16 biographical interviews with young entrepreneurs (18 to 30 years old). The paper emphasizes the role of family in choosing and realizing the informants’ life strategies. The theoretical framework of the study is based on the results of the project «The Social Mobility Age in Russia». Research strategies proposed by V. Semenova, form the basis of the analysis of the life trajectories of young entrepreneurs. The study concludes that parents’ Abstracts and key words support promotes the adoption of the mobility strategy, characterized by frequent work changes and orientation towards work-related enjoyment. By contrast, informants choosing stability defend their own views in spite of weak family support.
Key words : family, entrepreneurship, life trajectories, the adaptation process, changing values, biographical choice, biographical interviews, the qualitative methodology
 
Elena Onegina, Polina Ostroukhova . «Becoming beautiful» in women narratives, pp. 70-78.
 
The ideal of youth is propagated in the modern post-industrial society. In this context, the signs of aging are to stigma and criticism. This is largely a problem for women, since beauty is viewed as their core capital, and loss of it can result in serious social consequences. The paper examines changes in the meaning of beauty in the context of chronological age. The paper singles out the period of 30–35 years, as the age of transition between youth and early aging period. The paper focuses on the way women talk about themselves in this age period and the way they assess their attractiveness
Key words : middle age, youth, idea of beauty, ageing, body
 
Visual Sociology
 
Anna Sanina . Visual political irony in the Runet: case study of the «Potsreotizm» community, pp. 79-95.
 
The article is devoted to the visual political irony, exemplified by the Russian Internet blogs. The subject of the research is the context, content and emotional background of political communication visual tools used in the «Potsreotizm» LiveJournal community which has been in existence for more than 10 years. Visual political irony is regarded as an outcome of the emotional evaluation of various events, expressed in «visual allegory». These specific metaphorical messages have the hidden meaning, easily interpreted by members of the Internet community. The research is based on the theory of irony and theory of visual analysis. We use qualitative methods to analyze the perception of power and public relations in the discursively active audience. Using an interpretative analysis of visual data, scenario analysis, a methodology for analyzing the situational irony, we assume that the visual political irony demonstrates the need for the social and political changes. The widespread visual forms of political irony are viewed as an emerging method of information transfer, designation of a social position and the formation of social boundaries.
Keywords: Russian political discourse, visual irony, new media, Internet community, Internet communication, visual analysis
 
Conferences Overview:
 
Alexandrina Vanke. New agenda in body studies. International symposium “ Body Discourses/Body Politics and Agency”,Vienna, Vienna University, February 5-7, 2015, pp. 96-99.
 
Victoria Semenova. International conference “Biographies of Belonging”, Amsterdam, Free University Amsterdam, March 10-11, 2015, pp. 100-101.
 
Irina Tartakovskaya . “The Political is Personal: The regimes of gender, health a care”, St. Petersburg, European University in St. Petersburg, Aril 16-17, 2015, pp. 102-104.

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