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One of the most exciting and challenging intellectual developments in recent years has been the biographical turn in social-science and humanities research. The Centre for Life History Research is organising a research day on 2 June that aims to explore issues posed by this 'biographical turn'.
The event will showcase life-history research in progress by members of the University, as well as the work of current community-based life-history projects in the Sussex region. The keynote speaker will be Joanna Bornat from the Open University, a long-standing editor of the journal Oral History, one of the founders of the British Reminiscence movement, and co-author of The Turn to Biographical Methods in Social Sciences.
Faculty and postgraduates - from any section of the University - are invited to offer a presentation about research that has involved working with people's life stories. Presenters are encouraged to use their own recent or current research to highlight and explore an issue of general concern in life-history research, such as:
how life-history research can contribute unique social or historical insights;
the challenges of cross-cultural life-history research;
how new theoretical understandings are generated by interdisciplinary life-history research;
the significance of narrative form - for example in the distinction between written, spoken or visual life stories;
the methodological challenges of working with people's life stories;
ethical concerns and the potential for participatory and empowering life-history research;
how life-history research might inform professional practice.
If you would like to present a paper, contact Dr Alistair Thomson in CCE via a.s.thomson@sussex.ac.uk.