Call for Papers

Visualizing imaginaries of (im)mobilities

 

Panel at the 3rd Transmobilities-Development Conference “Life phases matter: new imaginaries of transnational mobilities”

29-30 November 2018

Utrecht University, The Netherlands

 

Panel convenors: Ajay Bailey, Kei Otsuki and Ilse van Liempt (Utrecht University)

Our lives are increasingly visual and dominated by images that we make ourselves and those that we consume from others. However, in most of our research we rely on words and numbers to make sense of the phenomenon. The visuals are added as an extra illustration and often relegated to the background. We hardly reflect upon the production, framing and ideas of its representations. Yet, there is an emerging visual turn in social sciences, which brings to question the politics of visibility/invisibility. Who are we visualizing for whom, and in whose frame are we standing? In addition, the use of visual methods often enriches the dialogue, encounter or rapport with the participant. How can we more effectively use and present visual images both as a method and output in our research? In this panel we welcome researchers on mobilities and development to bring out their visual materials and talk about them, in order to unpack the meanings these visual convey and push the boundaries of interpretations. We are interested in different visualization methods – e.g. digital media, including photos, videos and documentaries, drones, and GIS – used in combination with historical, geographical and ethnographic descriptions of specific places and people. Watching the images, we would discuss what the (co-)production of the image means to, and how it contributes to our scientific work.

We encourage mobility researchers working in different geographical contexts and with different disciplinary backgrounds (geography, anthropology, gender studies, media studies) to submit abstracts to this panel. 

Please submit abstracts (250 words maximum) to Ajay Bailey <[log in to unmask]>, Kei Otsuki  <[log in to unmask]> or Ilse van Liempt <[log in to unmask]> by Wednesday, 10th October 2018.

The conference will take place at Utrecht University. Registration for the conference is free-of-charge. Participants are expected to cover their own travel and accommodation costs.