Summer School Diversity in Arts, Culture and Media Studies

In this two-day summer school early career researchers and senior researchers from the field of arts, culture and media studies will be working together on questions of language, positionality, conceptualisation and operationalisation of diversity. The aim is to promote a more sensible, empathetic and honest research practice.

Topics will include:

• Positionality: How to approach varying types of diversity (including but not limited to gender and sexuality, race-ethnicity, social class, ability) from your own position as a researcher? How to deal with your own bias?
• Language: How to talk, present and participate in the field while remaining empathetic to your research participants? How to use language in your own descriptions and approaches to the field? What should we avoid? How do we ask difficult questions?
• Conceptualisation: What are some of the most useful concepts in diversity research? Can we as researchers rely on such conceptualisations of the field? How to acknowledge the bias of conceptualisation of research while aiming to get something out of it?
• Operationalisation: How much can the diversity of the field be reduced to simplified socio-demographic categories? How do we work with variables and categories? How to communicate variables and categories with research participants?

The summer school will:

• Provide a safe space for the discussion of issues encountered during the research process;
• Promote the exchange of experiences and best practices;
• Promote intercultural and interdisciplinary dialogue between early-career and senior researchers;
• And discuss different strategies and methodologies for approaching diversity in arts, culture and media studies.

After the course you will have:

• A more thorough understanding of the practicalities of doing research on diversity in arts, culture and media studies;
• A basic understanding of the conceptualisations of diversity from the perspective of different fields related to arts, culture and media studies;
• An understanding of the methodological challenges in doing research on diversity in arts, culture and media studies;
• A (raised) awareness of potential ethical issues;
• And an understanding of how you can engage with the topic of diversity in (public) talks and presentations.

The summer school is relevant for early-career researchers who focus on diversity in their research in the field of arts, culture or media studies.

• Participants are asked to submit a 300-word description of their research, how they deal with the topic of diversity, and which issues they would like to discuss during this summer school.
• On the first day of the summer school participants are expected to present their research in a 10-minute presentation.
• Workshop-specific readings and preparation will be made available in April.

Day 1: Session descriptions

Session 1 (by Dr. Julian Schaap): Making sense of race/ethnicity in research

• Roots of the concepts ‘race’ and ‘ethnicity’ (and related terms)
• Constraints and possibilities of race/ethnicity as conceptual tools
• Empirically grasping race/ethnicity in research

Session 2 (by Prof. Dr. Raphaela Henze): Participation and the role I play within it

• Role of cultural managers in participation and creative justice processes
• Participation myths and how to measure impact
• Discussion of examples and reassurance of the transformative power of the arts

Session 3 (by Dr. Lieke Hettinga): Trans-crip perspectives on minoritarian ‘difference’

• How do we make sense of minoritarian differences, both through knowledge and sensation?
• Trans-crip approaches to ‘diversity’ and ‘inclusion’ and the problem of visibility
• Role of minoritarian artistic and activist practices in reimagining ‘difference’

Session 4

Presenting your research

• Three smaller sessions, moderated by one of the workshop leaders present this day
• Sharing main issues you have come across in your research with regard to diversity
• Individual feedback by a small group of fellow participants and one senior researcher

Day 2: Symposium

This day will include several panels with leading researchers in the field of arts, culture and media studies who will discuss questions of diversity and inclusion. More specifically we will engage with topics such as:

• Diversity and inclusion at university
• Perspectives on and conceptualization of diversity
• Contextualization of diversity
• Diversity and inclusion: future perspectives