Symposium and Call for Papers: Where can imagination take us? Possibilities of imagination in research practice

Which kinds of possibilities does imagination offer as a research method? How can imagination be utilized to transgress disciplinary boundaries and to inspire the creation of new solutions in our current time? Join the Symposium "Where can imagination take us? Possibilities of imagination in research practice", on the 8th of April to learn about and discuss these fascinating questions. In the morning, there will be three keynote speeches on these topics. For the afternoon session, we welcome research papers on how imagination can be used and developed in research.

Researchers from several fields are increasingly fascinated by the concept of imagination, including political, sociological, ethnographic, and subcultural imagination, and many more. Imagination is essential for situating and making sense of one’s environments and life-projects, thereby contributing to the understanding of human behavior and social change. It helps us to explore possibilities, understand different perspectives and explore abstract, complex, embodied, and emotional phenomena that traditional methods may not capture.

Imagination has been increasingly recognized as a valuable tool in research, offering a rich, multifaceted approach to complex social phenomena extending epistemological and methodological possibilities. It encourages creativity, reflexivity, and ethical engagement creating an important shared space for researchers and research participants. Imagination allows us to understand diverse meaning-making processes and to visualize alternative futures, hope and utopias at a time when current sociopolitical structures face serious challenges.  

The symposium starts with three keynotes:

Prof. Shane Blackman (Cultural Studies, Canterbury Christ Church University, UK) discusses the possibility of youth research imagination focusing on the historical development of ethnographic methods and discussions around researcher positionality, Dr. Sanna Ryynänen (Social Pedagogy, University of Eastern Finland) examines theatre as a research tool to harness the capacity to imagine what lies beyond personal experience, Prof. Päivi Honkatukia, Dr. Jenni Kallio and Dr. Susanna Ågren (Youth Research, Tampere University, Finland) present their understanding and experiences of using youth research imagination while studying “the youth mental health crisis” from a youth-centred perspective. Together, the keynote talks highlight and reflect the power of imagination in deepening our understanding of youth experiences.

Program

Morning session: Keynotes  

Venue: LINNA 5026, Kalevantie 5, 5th floor

Please fill out the registration form

9:45 Coffee

10:15–10:45 Shane Blackman: Re-imagined sociology: can there be a creative youth research imagination?  

10:45–11:15: Sanna Ryynänen: Interweaving Theatre and Research: The Power and Limits of Imagination

11:15–11:45 Päivi Honkatukia, Jenni Kallio & Susanna Ågren: Harnessing Youth Research Imagination: Field Work Reflections on Studying Mental Health

11.45–12.00 Discussion

12:00–13:15 Lunch (at one’s own cost)

Afternoon session: Call for research papers

Time: 13:15–16:00 Venues (Linna K110 and Linna K112)

Please fill out the registration form

Does your research discuss imagination? Do you use imagination as a research method in some way? We welcome presentations (15-20 min) on empirical, theoretical, and/or methodological reflections on research involving aspects of imagination-based methodology. Presentations can be linked to a variety of research fields including, e.g., social sciences, philosophy, history, education, youth research, urban studies, and performing arts.

Proposals may respond to, but are not limited by, the following themes and questions:  

• imagination as a theoretical concept
• imagination as a methodological tool; intersections of imagination and research methods
• how can inclusive research approaches open possibilities in knowledge production on e.g. sensitive topics or alternative futures?
• challenges in using imagination in research

Please send a title and an abstract (max 200 words) to Barış Yüksel (baris.yuksel [at] tuni.fi) by 24 March. Notifications of acceptance will be sent by 28 March.

For more information, please visit In Under Pressure website