News
June 27, 2024 14:00-19:00 / June 28, 2024 9:00-13:00
In advance: individual telephone conversation to discuss reference to your own project and materials.
The aim of this master class is to experience the experimental approach of camera ethnography and to try out arranging research (with reference to Wittgenstein) together by referring to the diversity of research fields which will be represented in the workshop. Participants are encouraged to bring some of their own research material to this workshop.
Filming as an epistemic practice
In our everyday use of media, we simply believe that we can capture something with a camera and share it with each other. However, if we assume that the goal of research is to get beyond the state of what is known and seen so far, then we are dealing with epistemic things that are not yet visible at first and therefore cannot just be recorded with a camera. With this consideration, Bina E. Mohn, the founder of camera ethnography, refers to the sociological laboratory studies of the 1980s and 1990s. Starting from a premise of the not (yet) visible marks the departure from strategies of camera use that assume visibility exists a priori. Camera ethnography offers a manageable representation-critical approach based on a situated methodology and can be understood as a continuous reflexive process of working on visibility and seeing. Camera ethnography lends itself particularly well to the study of nonverbal practices and socio-material constellations. Furthermore, camera ethnography is particularly suitable for an adoption of the format “übersichtliche Darstellung” (Wittgenstein): In this context, filmic arrangements serve as an attempt to answer the question of how social practices can be lived, named, and understood here and now, and there and then. For viewers of camera-ethnographic publications, this offers an opportunity to discover unexpected things about the diversity and possibility of social phenomena and practices.
The basic book by Bina E. Mohn „Kamera-Ethnographie. Ethnographische Forschung im Modus des Zeigens. Programmatik und Praxis“ has been published in 2023, is open access and underpins this master class. Important references of the camera-ethnographic approach include Bruno Latour (science-in-the-making), Karin Knorr-Cetina (epistemic cultures), Hans-Jörg Rheinberger (experimental systems), Clifford Geertz (“thick description”), Ludwig Wittgenstein (language games and “übersichtliche Darstellung”), and Karen Barad (agential realism and intra-action).
Requirements for participation
- Experience in ethnographic fieldwork, regardless of the medium
- Readiness to change perspectives and media and to experiment.
Registration for the master class
Contact and registration: wiesemann@erz-wiss.uni-siegen.de
Registration deadline: May 15, 2024. Participation will be bindingly confirmed by the organizers by May 20, 2024. Please briefly answer these questions when registering:
- Which research project am I currently working on and which practices in this field am I particularly interested in?
- What questions do I have about media ethnographic theory and practice?
- Which materials would I like to bring to the master class on camera ethnography?
Bina will be available to make more detailed arrangements with each of you via telephone.
Venue
Campus Lower Castle
US-S 001 / 002
Obergraben 25
Siegen
Jutta Wiesemann, Principal Investigator of project B05 “Early childhood and smartphones”, was a studio guest on the ‘Lokalzeit’ programme on 14 March 2024. The regional WDR programme presented the Krümelkiste, a tablet using daycare centre in Arnsberg, among other things. In the subsequent discussion with the presenter, Wiesemann emphasised the importance of digital education and the associated need to develop media education concepts for daycare centres.
Jutta Wiesemann is a professor of educational science specialising in primary and pre-school education and researches sensory practices in digital childhoods at the CRC.
The WDR programme is available in the ARD-Mediathek. It is only available in German.
Job advertisement:
SHK/WHB position in SFB subproject A04
For the subproject A04 “Normal Interruptions of Service. Structure and Change of Public Infrastructures” in the Collaborative Research Center 1187 “Media of Cooperation” we are looking for a student assistant (SHK) (m/f/d) or a research assistant with a bachelor’s degree (WHB) (m/f/d) as of April 1st under the following conditions:
- 9 hours per week
- Temporary for 16 month
- Employment on the basis of the Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz
Your tasks:
- Performing scientific support activities
- Support with preparatory work for research
Your profile:
- Matriculation in the BA or MA Social Sciences program
- Interest in working in an academic environment
- Confident handling/independent work with MS Office
- Structured work, enjoy teamwork, initiative and a sense of responsibility
We look forward to receiving your application by 05.03.2024.
You can find more information about the project here: https://www.mediacoop.uni-siegen.de/en/projects/a04
Job advertisement in the job portal of the University of Siegen: https://jobs.uni-siegen.de/content/HK/?locale=de_DE
Your contact person:
Damaris Lehmann, M.A.
damaris.lehmann[æt]uni-siegen.de
Job advertisement:
SHK position in SFB subproject B06
In the sub-project B06 “Un-/desired Observation in Interaction: Smart Environments, Language, Body, and Senses in Private Households” of the DFG Collaborative Research Center 1187 “Media of Cooperation” we are looking for a student assistant (SHK) (m/f/d) as of August 1st, 2024 under the following conditions:
- Up to 5 hours per week, with the possibility of an increase from 2025
- Initially limited to one year, with the possibility of extension
- Employment on the basis of the German Academic Fixed-Term Contract Act
Your tasks:
- Preparation and transcription of audiovisual data material
- Assistance with research and investigation (including literature research and management, planning field visits)
- Support in the organization of events (including the planning and practical implementation of conferences and workshops)
- Assistance in the preparation of scientific publications (e.g. proofreading, formatting work)
Your profile:
- Ideally, knowledge in the field of conversation-analytical transcription according to GAT2 and corresponding software (Folker, Exmaralda Audacity or similar) or willingness to familiarize yourself with it
- Enrollment in a (preferably linguistic) Bachelor’s degree program at a German university
- Interest in working in an academic environment
- Confident scope/independent work with MS Office
- Very good knowledge of English
- Structured work, enjoy teamwork, initiative and a sense of responsibility
We look forward to receiving your application by 31.05.2024.
You can find more information about the project here https://www.mediacoop.uni-siegen.de/en/projekte/b06/
Please send your application documents (cover letter, curriculum vitae in tabular form, certificates) in a single pdf file to Mr. Hector.
Your contact person:
Tim Moritz Hector, M.A.
tim.hector[æt]uni-siegen.de
Der SFB und die Universität Siegen nimmt Abschied von Prof. Dr. Volkmar Pipek.
Am 6. Januar 2024 verstarb nach langer, schwerer Krankheit im Alter von 56 Jahren Prof. Dr. Volkmar Pipek. Prof. Pipek war von 2006 bis 2013 zunächst als Juniorprofessor im Fach Wirtschaftsinformatik der Fakultät III an der Universität Siegen tätig bevor er zum 1. Februar 2013 zum Universitätsprofessor für „Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Media” berufen wurde. Mit ihm verliert der SFB und die Universität einen international renommierten Forscher und guten Freund.
Einen ausführlichen Nachruf und eine Gedenkseite für Prof. Pipek finden Sie hier
Unser tief empfundenes Mitgefühl gilt seiner Familie und Freund*innen.
We are looking for a scientific coordinator at our CRC as soon as possible under the following conditions: 100% = 39,83 hours, Pay grade 13 TV-L, limited until 31.12.2027.
Your tasks include, among others, designing and organising the curricular programme, jointly developing the scientific programme and organisational structure of a Critical Data School, moderating and realizing central CRC events, organising and planning of the event programme for the internal graduate school, coordinating the work of the CRC’s Executive Board and working on your own scientific contribution to area of digital media research, for example in the field of data studies, sensor media, AI, data-intensive media or similar.
If you have completed an academic degree with a doctorate (preferably in the field of cultural and/or social media research) and proven academic expertise in the CRC’s field of research, are interested in the organisation and implementation of large-scale scientific projects and are keen to contribute to an interdisciplinary team, we warmly invite you to submit your applications. The application deadline is 19 February.
Further information and application details can be found here.
We offer a PhD research position in media studies (TVL 13, 65%, limited until 31 December 2027) as part of our new sub-project “Bicycle Media:”, led by Julia Bee.
You will be working on the project, conducting cooperative field research on bicycle collectives, organising scientific events and participating in cooperative PR works with researchers and civil actors.
If you have completed an academic degree (e.g. media studies, social sciences or anthropology/ethnology), are interested in mobility in the context of climate justice and are keen to contribute to an interdisciplinary team, we warmly invite you to submit your applications. The application deadline is 7 February.
Further information and application details can be found here.
We offer a PhD research position in human-computer interaction (TVL 13, 100%, 4 years with potential extension) within our new sub-project, “Social Interaction in Semi-Automated Road Traffic”, led by Shadan Sadeghian and Kristof van Laerhoven.
You will be working on topics related to the design and evaluation of concepts for social interaction with automated vehicles. If you have experience in interaction design, human-computer interaction, Automotive User Interfaces, or other relevant fields and are keen to contribute to an interdisciplinary team, we warmly invite you to submit your applications. Deadline for applications is February 10.
For further information and details on how to apply, see here.
CRC granted funding for another four years
We are happy to announce the official start of the 3rd phase of our Collaborative Research Center Media of Cooperation. We warmly welcome all members!
→ Read more about the new research programme
About new projects
A special welcome goes out to our new projects and new project members! We are very pleased to have the following project join our team:
A07 – Industry of Personal Data, led by Max Becker (together with Marcus Burkhardt)
B09 – Bicycle Media: Analyses of a Cooperatively Moving Medium, led by Julia Bee
P04 – Precision Farming: Co-operative Practices of Virtual Fencing, led by Kathrin Friedrich (together with Tristan Thielmann)
P05 – Social Interaction in Semi-Automated Road Traffic, led by Shadan Sadeghian and Kristof van Laerhoven
P06 – War Sensing, led by Migle Bareikyte
Ö – Public Relations: Researching and Designing Cooperatively, led by Julia Bee (together with Jutta Wiesemann and Martin Zillinger)
We look forward to our final four years of collaborative research, intensive fieldwork, methods development, interdisciplinary cooperation, and final publications. In the coming years, we will once again advance our agenda to explore the relation between sensing & sense-making and the cooperative accomplishment of sensory media and develop our take on sensory praxeology. At the same we can draw on eight years of experience of working on cooperation and working cooperatively.
As the DFG puts it in their acceptance letter:
“The third funding period promises a rich harvest phase and at the same time marks a new beginning and perspectives for further research beyond the Collaborative Research Center.” (translation).
In der neusten Publikation “Kontrapunkte setzen – Digitale Politische Bildung mit ContraPoints” in unserer Working Paper Series (No. 35, Dez) setzt sich Julia Bee mit den Potenzialen kreativer Format Politischer Bildung in digitalen Kontexten auseinander. Im Zentrum stehen videoessayistische Gegenformaten von Stiftungen, Institutionen und Vlogger:innen, die darauf abzielen, rechte Metapolitiken zu entlarven und zu erkennen. Sie produzieren Bildungsformate, die nicht nur inhaltlich und informativ, sondern auch ästhetisch und affektiv anknüpfen.
Stiftungen, Institutionen und Vlogger:innen haben in den letzten Jahren angesichts des Rechtsrucks auf Plattformen neue Formate der Politischen Bildung geschaffen. Diese wollen präventiv und intervenierend in rechte Diskurse, Trolling, Fake News und Co. eingreifen. Am Beispiel des Youtube-Kanals ContraPoints untersucht Bee die Formatspezifik der politischen Bildung, die im Anschluss an Donna Haraway als situiertes Wissen verstanden wird.
Julia Bee ist Professorin für Medienästhetik an der Universität Siegen. In ihrer Forschung kombiniert sie ästhetische Phänomene mit Medienphilosophie und Praxistheorie. Dekoloniale und Gender Medien Theorie sind dabei zentral. Derzeitige Forschungsgegenstände bilden dokumentarische Filme, TV-Serien, Vlogs, Installationen, Literatur sowie mobile Medienpraktiken wie Fahrradfahren. Sie ist Teilprojektleiterin des ab Januar 2024 neu geförderten Projekts B09 Fahrradmedien: Kooperative Medien der Mobilität.
Die Publikation „Kontrapunkte setzen – Digitale Politische Bildung mit ContraPoints” wird im Rahmen der Working Paper Series des SFB 1187 „Medien der Kooperation“ veröffentlicht. Die Working Paper Serie versammelt aktuelle Beiträge aus dem Umfeld der inter- und transdisziplinären Medienforschung und bietet die Möglichkeit einer schnellen Veröffentlichung und ersten Verbreitung von am SFB laufenden oder ihm nahestehenden Forschungsarbeiten. Ziel der Reihe ist es, die SFB-Forschung einer breiteren Forschungsgemeinschaft zugänglich zu machen. Alle Working Papers sind über die Website zugänglich oder können in gedruckter Form bei info[æt]sfb1187.uni-siegen.de bestellt werden.
The University of Siegen is an interdisciplinary and cosmopolitan university with currently about 18,000 students and a range of subjects from the humanities, social sciences and economics to natural, engineering and life sciences. With over 2,000 employees, we are one of the largest employers in the region and offer a unique environment for teaching, research and further education.
At the University of Siegen, as of 1st of February 2024 (starting date negotiable) the DFG-funded Collaborative Research Center (CRC) 1187 „Media of Cooperation“ offers
Three Short-Term Scholarships for PhD-Candidates
to promote the work of early-carrier researchers. The duration of the scholarships is 9 to 12 months. A longer-term collaboration with the goal of a doctorate within the CRC is envisaged. The basic amount of the scholarship is based on the maximum rate of the DFG (1.365,- EUR). In addition, an allowance for material expenses and, if applicable, a child allowance will be paid.
CRC 1187 “Media of Cooperation“
The CRC is an interdisciplinary research network consisting of 15 projects and more than 60 scientists from the fields of media studies, science and technology studies, ethnology, sociology, linguistics and literature studies, computer science as well as history, education and engineering. It has been funded by the DFG since 2016. The CRC investigates the emergence and dissemination of digitally networked, data-intensive media and understands these as cooperatively accomplished conditions for cooperation. The research of the participating subprojects focuses on data practices and sensory practices that are explored in the situated interplay of media practices, infrastructures and public spheres.
The short-term fellowship program of the CRC provides national and international doctoral students the opportunity to further develop their research project in the CRC, to get to know participating researchers and to exchange ideas with them. The research projects of the scholarship holders should be thematically related to the subprojects of the CRC, so that their work can be supported by the principal investigators and their teams. Scholarship holders are assigned to the Integrated Research Training Group (MGK) of the CRC and benefit from its structured training program. The CRC offers scholarship holders an international environment for interdisciplinary media research as well as an extensive program of events and training in ethnographic, digital, sensor-based and linguistic methods.
Further information on the CRC’s research agenda and subprojects can be found at https://www.mediacoop.uni-siegen.de/en.
Your Profile
- Relevant, above-average degree in one of the disciplines participating in or related to the CRC, preferably in media and cultural studies, sociology or in the field of socio- or business informatics, human-computer interaction or information systems (equivalent to a Master’s degree, Magister, Diplom or Lehramt/Staatsexamen Sek. II)
- Individual research project in one of the above-mentioned disciplines within the subject area of the CRC. Ideally, you can assign the project to one of the subareas of the CRC –
infrastructures, publics or praxeology - Interest in methods of media research, the analysis of data practices and an affinity for working in an interdisciplinary research environment
- Willingness to participate in the international event program of the CRC and the MGK
- Very good written and spoken English language skills
Your Tasks
Expectations of successful candidates:
- Regular participation and involvement in the events and the training program of the MGK (colloquia, workshops, summer schools, methodology workshops, interdisciplinary groups)
- Presentation of preliminary results of the individual research project within the MGK colloquium
Equal opportunities and diversity are promoted and actively practiced at the University of Siegen. Applications from women are highly welcome and will be given special consideration in accordance with the federal state equality law. We also welcome applications from people with different personal, social and cultural backgrounds, people with disabilities and those of equal status.
For further information contact Dr. Johannes Schick
E-Mail: johannes.schick[æt]uni-siegen.de
Please send your application documents (letter of motivation, curriculum vitae, copies of certificates, 5-page outline of a project idea) by 31st of December 2023 to Johannes Schick, Herrengarten 3, 57072 Siegen, Germany. Alternatively, you can also send your application in a single PDF file by e-mail (max. 5 MB) to johannes.schick[æt]uni-siegen.de. Please note that risks to confidentiality and unauthorized access by third parties cannot be ruled out when communicating by unencrypted e-mail.
Information about the University of Siegen can be found on our homepage: www.uni-siegen.de.
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