Dear all, Nobody on this list is likely to need either the one-day taster or the 5-day intensive, but you may know of people in Australia who might. If you do, or can think of an email list circulating in that area, it would be great if you could forward the flyer, copying me in, if possible. Best summer wishes to all in the northern hemisphere, and conversely..... Tom and Prue _____ Five-day Intensive Short Course (and One-day 'Taster') in Biographic-Narrative Interpretive Method (BNIM) – Narrative interviewing, interpretation and uses SYDNEY, SEPTEMBER (5-day) 10th – 14th, or (one-day) Sept 17th, 2007 (Please note these changed dates) Prue Chamberlayne (Open University, UK) Tom Wengraf (London East Research Institute, UK) Summary The value of open-narrative interviewing and insightful interpretation is widely recognised, but rather than having to invent the wheel for themselves, many people welcome a systematic immersion into principles and procedures that have been shown to generate high-quality work. An excerpt from an email we received may be suggestive: “… a number of the trainees who graduated this year got top awards in their doctorate projects... BNIM and narrative projects were considered to be of a particularly high standard by both internal and external examiners, and were very well received. The course director was very impressed and has told me that the standard of the research of those undertaking these projects (using BNIM) has improved the standard of the whole cohort.” For over eight years in the UK, and more recently in New York, Auckland (NZ), Ljubljana (Slovenia) and Kigale (Rwanda), we have been running BNIM intensive trainings designed for PhD students and postdoctoral researchers in various fields. Comments include: Elvin – A richness beyond what I could imagine. Sian – Well-balanced, with just enough of each step. It was nice to have a number of little thresholds. I like the emphasis on own research, and having lots of time for reflection. Mark – I could go away and practice now. I liked the balance of how and why. I really got my head round that and could explain it to someone else. Recently completed PhDs and clinical doctorates by researchers using BNIM range over topics such as: reintegration of Guatemalan refugees; identity in informal care; men coping with sexual abuse; psychosomatic study of breast cancer; love and intimacy; motivation in occupational therapy; South African migrants to NZ; transitions in hearing voices’ life stories; nurses’ and health visitors’ learning and professional practice; relationship experiences in psychosis and hospitalisation. We know of 18 more PhDs and clinical doctorates in process. Universities include Auckland, Dublin, Central Lancashire, East London, Exeter, Leicester, Kings College London, Oxford Brookes, Plymouth. BNIM assumes that “narrative” expresses both conscious concerns and unconscious cultural, societal and individual presuppositions and processes. It supports research into the lived experience of individuals and collectives, facilitating understanding both the ‘inner’ and the ‘outer’ worlds of ‘historically-evolving persons-in-historically-evolving situations’, and particularly the interactivity of inner and outer world dynamics. It especially serves researchers who need a tool that supports understanding spanning sociological and psychological dynamics and structures, and these treated not statically but as situated historically and biographically. Such research provides an innovative base for policy. The course provides practical training in doing biographic narrative interviews, together with 'hands-on experience' of interpretation procedures. ‘Interpretation’ includes presentation, comparing, theorising from and policy uses of cases. You develop a sense of how your own research projects might use such aspects and components. The relatively small number of students (max of 12 for the five-day intensive; 20 for the one-day course) ensures close coaching. Theoretical and methodological developments from recent research practice are raised for discussion. When you do the course, you automatically become a member of the <Biographic-narrative-BNIM> email list where news, questions and discussion circulate. Methodology can be lonely without a secure base and like-minded people working in the same way as you. The course, the textbook, the Short Guide and the email list offer you support in when in your own research you want to use part or all of the BNIM tool-kit. For examples of BNIM case studies we recommend the European Union seven-country SOSTRIS project (edited) Biography and social exclusion in Europe: experiences and life-journeys (2002: Bristol, Policy Press). Other books, articles and reports are listed in the constantly updated Short Guide to BNIM available from HYPERLINK "mailto:[log in to unmask]"[log in to unmask] Programme Outline Days 1 and 2 (Monday 10th and Tuesday 11th September 2007) We start with a resumé of the principles behind BNIM practice, assuming familiarity with the Short Guide (sent to all those registering on the course). The contrast between open-ended biographic-narrative interviewing and more conventional semi-structured and/or attitude-and-argument focused ones is clarified. The bulk of the first two days is devoted to learning the craft of BNIM interviewing practice. This involves learning to ask narrative-pointed questions (both topic-focused and open) and not inadvertently interrupting or deflecting the interviewee. Apparently simple, this requires repeated and careful practice. Pencil-and-paper and practical exercises ensure success is achieved by the middle of the 2nd day, which ends with a panel interpretation of a interview transcript segment. Days 3, 4 and 5 (Wednesday 12th to Friday 14th September 2007) Here you engage in the key practices of BNIM interpretive work. We explain the ‘separate tracks’ of 'lived life' and 'told story' analysis, and convert raw transcript into working material for each track. You learn the significance of the panel-based future-blind chunk-by-chunk approach peculiar to BNIM by doing parts of both a narrative text analysis and biographical data analysis, and producing emergent structural hypotheses towards a ‘whole case’ interpretation. Our case-presentations give examples of ‘finished’ case analysis, and allow you to practice comparing cases and to consider the theoretical and policy purposes towards which BNIM work is typically oriented. You discuss the use of all or part of the BNIM approach for your individual research purposes, and how to advocate small sample in-depth studies to research and policy audiences. DETAILS: SYDNEY SEPTEMBER 2007 Courses will be hosted at the Social Policy Research Centre at the University of New South Wales (Western Campus), Acting Director, Ilan Katz. The local course organisers are Ilan KATZ HYPERLINK "mailto:[log in to unmask]"[log in to unmask] and George MORGAN [log in to unmask] The administrator for the courses is Duncan Aldridge, d.aldridgeHYPERLINK "mailto:[log in to unmask]"@unsw.edu.au, Phone: 9385-7802, Events and Publications Officer, Social Policy Research Centre Western Wing, G2 Western Campus, University of New South Wales, NSW 2052. Five day Intensive Training: Monday Sept 10th to Friday 14th September 2007 Cost: $1200 ($1000 incl GST if paid in full by July 23rd ; lunches, coffees and teas included) This is the full training. There are 12 places on this course on a “first come, first served” basis. Provided a place is still available, your place is secured once you have sent the deposit of $200. One day Introductory Workshop: Monday 17th SEPTEMBER 2007. Cost: $250 ($200 incl GST if paid in full by July 23rd; coffees and teas included.) This is a 'taster' for those who want to get some sense of the methodology of BNIM interviewing and interpretation. It will cover background to the method, its core components and processes, with some hands-on experiential activities. There are 20 places on a “first come, first served” basis. Provided a place is still available, your place is secured once you have sent a deposit of $50. We would really appreciate your indication as to whether you are interested in either of these courses. Full payment by July 23rd will be essential. Please edit the text below and send your reply to HYPERLINK "mailto:[log in to unmask]"[log in to unmask], and copy to HYPERLINK "mailto:[log in to unmask]"[log in to unmask] PLEASE INDICATE WHETHER YOU ARE INTERESTED IN A) THE FIVE DAY INTENSIVE - Sept 10th-14th or B) THE ONE DAY ‘TASTER’ - Sept 17th Please choose one option from the following: 1) I have contacted you already and confirm I can manage the new date(s) 2) Count me in: I’ve filled in the REGISTRATION FORM on the next page and ATTACH the cheque to guarantee my place on the 5-day / 1-day course 3) I'm interested in coming on the 5-day / 1-day course, , but cannot make a firm commitment at this stage and will let you know by [PLEASE INSERT DATE - within around 4 weeks of receiving this email]. We are excited at the prospect of running the intensive training and the taster in Sydney and meeting people in Australia interested in using and developing biographical methods. Perhaps you and/or a colleague might be one of them! Do circulate this flyer to anybody else (or any list) for whom you think BNIM might be relevant. Do contact Tom if you have any questions or want a free electronic copy of the current version of the Short Guide to BNIM. Many thanks and best wishes Tom HYPERLINK "mailto:[log in to unmask]"[log in to unmask] Prue HYPERLINK "mailto:[log in to unmask]"[log in to unmask] PTO Registration Form for a BNIM course: Sydney 2007 Title Name Organisation Address Suburb State Post code Phone Email Dietary requirements PAYMENT DETAILS Please indicate which course you would like to attend (Five Day or One-Day Taster) Payment is by cheque only. Please make out the cheque to the Social Policy Research Centre and send with this registration form to: BNIM Workshop Social Policy Research Centre Building G2, Western Grounds UNSW NSW 2052 Payment in FULL should be made by July 24th. The cancellation policy below is provisional. We need to ensure that fees are sufficient to ensure that airfares and accommodation are paid. Deposit amounts of $200 for the 5 days or $50 for the one-day taster are not refundable. The policy as regards the balance of $800 for the 5 days or $150 for the one-day taster is as follows. Cancellations before 10th August will automatically lead to a 50% refund; cancellations after that date will also lead to a 50% refund if we can find somebody to take your place. No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.10.0/886 - Release Date: 04/07/2007 13:40