Call for Participants
Participation and Participatory Methods in Migration Research. Fine-tuning concepts, linking with art approaches and analyzing cross-cutting topics
IMISCOE Research Group: Migrants and Social Organizations
IMISCOE, Annual conference 2018, 2-4 July, Barcelona
Organizers:
Diana Mata-Codesal, Pompeu Fabra University.
Concha Maiztegui, University of Deusto.
Sónia Pereira, IGOT – University of Lisbon.

The aim of the workshop is to bring together scholars with expertise on participatory methods and research experiences carried out in liaison with institutions and groups beyond Academia, to discuss the possibilities, limits and challenges of participation.
Increasingly so, different institutions are currently promoting participation and societal involvement in research. There has been however little discussion on how participation is actually understood and the limits and challenges or participatory research projects. This workshop wants to redress such lack of reflexivity by providing a space for interdisciplinary discussion around the value of participatory mechanisms in research projects. Particularly with research on migration related topics, being migration a highly political and societal sensitive issue, the participation of different agents and the engagements beyond Academia are of particular relevance.

The first meeting of experts on Participation and Participatory Methods in Migration Research took place in IMISCOE 2017 Conference in Rotterdam. That workshop provided space for six short presentations of different participatory projects, leading to an infomred discussion on topics which were summarized and socialized among the panel organizers, participants and attendees. Based on the discussions held in Rotterdam, in IMISCOE 2018 Conference in Barcelona, we plan to further the discussion by fine-tuning central concepts, linking with broader theoretical strands and delving on identified common cross-cutting topics in participatory projects in migration research.

We are issuing this CfP with the aim to provide visibility to the growing network of scholars interested in or working with participatory approaches in migration research, so to foster meaningful exchange by sharing information. For the IMISCOE 2018 Conference we are particularly interested in scholars, artists, practitioners and other social agents with expertise or willing to reflect critically on the following topics:
• The need to clarify central concepts by pondering the core features of participatory
methodologies, including action-research projects
• Expanding audiences by considering other actors to engage with beyond policy-makers and migrant associations
• Issues with analysis and dissemination regarding non-conventionally formatted data particularly in the context of artistic and other non-textual interactions
• Socio-economic variables and its links with participation biases (e.g. how the gender, generation and socio-economic class of researchers and research groups affect participation?)
• Feminist and/or decolonial criticisms and approaches to knowledge production and
academic structures and inertias
• The ‘research burden’ and other unforeseen negative effects of participation, as well as ways to redress or minimize them

If you have experience in participatory methods and wish to take part on the workshop in the IMISCOE 2018 conference, please send an email to the workshop organizers with a short summary of expertise and ideas related to the proposed topics by 1st December:
⋅ Concha Maiztegi, University of Deusto, Spain. cmaizte@deusto.es
⋅ Sónia Pereira, IGOT-University of Lisbon, Portugal. sonia.pereira@campus.ul.pt
⋅ Diana Mata-Codesal, Pompeu Fabra University, Spain. diana.mata@upf.edu

We will get back to you by 10th December.