Making Methodologies – Art in Social Science Research
A sociological workshop.
What does art have to do with methodology in social science?
The sociology of art is well-established in focusing on art as a social phenomenon. Less attention has been devoted to art as a source of sociological knowledge generation, uncovering human experience and alternative futures.
Rather than describing and interpreting artistic expressions, what happens when artistic expression becomes an integral part of the research methodology? How and to whom does creativity in sociological research matter? Those are points of departure for this dialogue-based workshop, where participants will share their research and experiences with creative forms of knowledge generation and dissemination, including auto-fiction, filmmaking, design, and theatrical performance.
Croissants/tea/coffee will be served from 8:30.
Hope to see you for creative conversations!
Presenters
- Dr. Blandine Emillien, Bristol University
- Chief Operating Officer, Nikolaj Lubanski, Copenhagen Capacity
- Actor, architect and activist, Laura Allen Müller
- Associate Professor Søren Kaj Andersen, FAOS, Sociology, UCPH
- Associate Professor Ghita Dragsdahl Lauritzen, Sociology, UCPH
Bios
Blandine Emilien
Blandine Emilien has a lectureship in Human Resource Management and the future of Work at the university of Bristol business school. Throughout her academic career, Blandine has endeavoured to embark onto methodological exploration to find better ways of doing research in favour of decent work. Blandine’s projects has led her to research in an array of countries, industries and work environments. From call centre operations, aerospace, non-profit organisations to academia, Blandine has studied sustainable approaches in staffing, training, and diversity and inclusion. While trained as a conventional qualitative researcher, she has experimented with qualitative and quantitative approaches, action-, and applied research, and later art-based activities (films, screen and novella writing). Hereby, Blandine has developed interest in the unsaid, the invisible and the less researched.
Nikolaj Lubanski
Nikolaj Lubanski holds a PhD in Sociology, was part of FAOS, the employment relations research centre at the Department of Sociology at UCPH for more than eight years. In 2021, Nikolaj wrote the book: “De valg du ikke selv træffer”. At the workshop he will reflect on his decision to write auto-fiction rather than a conventional factual or sociological account. Starting from a deeply personal narrative, Nikolaj explores how literary forms—voice, perspective, and narrative experimentation—can open alternative ways of understanding lived experience. The talk considers what autobiographical fiction can reveal that traditional sociological writing sometimes cannot, and how personal storytelling may speak to broader social dynamics and shared conditions.
Laura Allen Müler
Laura Allen Müler has a versatile artistic practice, rooted in her education within both acting and architecture. In addition to her own performing career, she works as a film consultant and is involved in talent development and the training of dramatists, theatre- and film directors. Laura is one of the initiators of A Bigger Picture/Et Større Billede (2023) that works to create real diversity and fair access in the Danish film- and media industry. In Laura Müller LAB she experiments with mixed media, ceramics and sculpture, and her works have been exhibited both in Denmark and abroad.
Søren Kaj Andersen
Søren Kaj Andersen researches industrial relations focusing on the relations between employers, unions and the state as well as the regulatory outcomes and consequences of these relations. Specifically, it is about negotiating collective agreements as well as other forms of national and EU regulations that affect this field. In addition, Søren has a keen interest for visual sociology. At the workshop he will talk about the ‘gaze’ and specifically photography as a prism through which we can discuss how we experience and make sense of the world.
Ghita Dragsdahl Lauritzen
Ghita Dragsdahl Lauritzen’s research centers on new and collective forms of social, scientific, and technological innovation. She is passionate about how sociology can strengthen its transformative societal potential by developing a new perspective on the social and by allowing itself to be informed by insights beyond sociology; in her work this includes from fields of innovation and design. This research interest has led her to research positions at diverse disciplinary environments, including at University of Cambridge (UK), MIT (USA), the Danish Technical University (DTU), Copenhagen Business School, and the UCPH Faculty of Science. Prior to joining academia, Ghita worked as a game designer specializing in co-creation, gamification, and change simulations.
