Re-thinking Narrative Methods of Intersectional Research. Gender, Migration, and Age(ing) in the Context of Care Practices

Evening Keynotes
Wednesday, 14 June 2023, 18:00-19:30, HS 01.15 (Universitätsplatz 3, 1. OG)
Moderation: Helen Kohlen (Vallendar, Germany)

Vera Caine (Victoria, Canada): ”Recollecting my father’s life: Reconsidering the taken-for-granted in my work as a narrative inquirer”

My interest in identity making and relationships has been long standing and has been shaped by my work as a narrative inquirer. I have come to recognize that imagination and a pull towards possibilities is inextricably intertwined with my life. As my father has developed dementia over these last few years, our ways of staying in relation have changed; they have been impacted by the cultural, social, familial, and institutional stories we live within. In this keynote, I lay out more clearly the ontological and epistemological commitments that underlay the methodological promises of narrative inquiry; commitments that also shape who I am in relation to my father and the experiences that bring us together. I describe how I have come to learn of my father’s life and how this in turn has helped me to reconsider the taken-for-granted.

Mark Schweda (Oldenburg, Germany): “Narratives of ‘otherness’ in the context of eldercare: Empirical findings and ethical implications”

Discussions of care are often framed by an “ethics of proximity” highlighting the moral value of aspects like empathy, intimacy, and (familial) relationality. Especially in the field of eldercare, however, trends towards migrant care work, animal companionship, and technological assistance increasingly promote narratives of cultural, biological, or even ontological “otherness.“ The talk offers empirically informed ethical considerations on the dialectic of proximity and otherness in the context of care for older people. In doing so, it draws connections to postcolonial perspectives on the “othering“ of advanced old age and associated experiences like frailty or dementia.

Concept and Organization
- Mag. Anna-Christina Kainradl MA (Graz)
- Prof. Dr. Helen Kohlen (Vallendar, Germany and Graz)
- Prof. Dr. Ulla Kriebernegg (Graz)
- Dr. Patrick Schuchter (Graz)
- Stefan Schweigler BA MA (Graz)
- Dr. Merle Weßel (Oldenburg, Germany)

Registration: cirac(at)uni-graz.at

The  keynotes are part of the Elisabeth List Fellowship Project “Gender Matters: Aging, Care, and Migration.”

You can find a pdf of the program here.