CAS SEE Seminars with Guests: José Dias

This presentation will explore how dialogic ethnography and participatory research can assist in investigating established narratives, both at the official and grassroots levels. It will draw on a few examples of projects that I have led, including an ethnography on European jazz networks, the representation of women in the music industry of Europe and Brazil, and the collective cultural memory of the people of Coventry as depicted in film archives. Through these examples, I aim to demonstrate the potential of dialogic ethnography in gaining a deeper understanding of the coexisting and often contradictory narratives about and from communities, the creative cultures, and policymakers. The presentation will try to show how participatory research can help bridge the traditional divide between the researcher and the participant, who is often viewed as a passive subject. I argue that challenging established narratives is a vital methodological approach, as it can assist in juxtaposing qualitative and quantitative research, allow a more in-depth understanding of communities and industries, and in effectively questioning the field of study.