Mixing: Exploring Psycho-social Approaches

This seminar is designed for researchers who are interested in exploring, through their empirical work, psycho-social approaches to mixing (or mixedness, mixity) in contexts of ‘intimacy’.

The idea of mixing depends, conceptually speaking, on the idea of differences: what differences are being mixed? To what extent are the salient categories of difference that come to mind in this context – ethnicity, ‘race’ and class and then nationality, religion, language – imposed as the dominant constructions of social science and to what extent are they used by research participants spontaneously because they affect their relationships and practices? By using them as analytic categories are researchers problematising something that is not problematic? Perhaps differences help to make good matches? Where do we draw the line in using conceptual categories of difference (where do differences available through language categories cease to signify)? Do similarities signify in important ways? At a conceptual level, these issues are addressed through debates concerning intersectionality and hybridity. The link to empirical work should help us to focus on how differences are located in specific situations and contexts, how they might be ‘produced’ by researchers’ categories rather than emerge from participants’ lives and thus feed in to a static, fixed version of social identities. What methods are most receptive to mixity and what conceptual insights might emerge from data that were not directly framed by concepts of mixing, difference and identity?

Do you have an interest in this area? Do you have relevant data on which you could base your contribution to the discussion? Places are limited to a maximum 25-30 qualitative interdisciplinary researchers with an interest in psycho-social approaches to mixing, mixedness, differences in families and relationships and intimate publics. PhD students and junior researchers will be given precedence. Your travel costs will be covered and refreshments and midday meal provided. 

The plenary sessions will elaborate conceptual and methodological issues, drawing on examples, and the small groups will afford the opportunity to address participants’ data in the light of these.