Nikita Bolshakov took part in two European research conferences
In early July, two conferences were held in which leading research fellow of the ILSIR Nikita Bolshakov took part: the 13th Conference of the European Association of Disability Researchers, dedicated this year to social transformations (13th ALTER Conference: Transformations, July 8-10, Innsbruck, Austria) and the 10th International Conference on Ethnography and Qualitative Research (10th Ethnography and Qualitative Research International Conference, July 10-12, Trento, Italy).
Both conferences were fully or partially devoted to the discussion of disability issues and social problems of accessibility and inclusion. If the entire discussion in Innsbruck was built around this topic, then the second conference had a section on "Ethnography of Expertise in Mental Health, Neurodiversity and Disability", the work of which stretched over all three days of the conference. At both conferences, much attention was paid to the issues of the ethics of disability research, the methodological specifics of such projects, and the social significance of the results obtained. Nikita Bolshakov presented reports at the conferences based on research from the deaf community, which aroused particular interest among the deaf and hard of hearing researchers present at the ALTER conference.
Although there were many similarities in content, the two conferences were very different in appearance. The Innsbruck conference was held, as always, with Austrian precision and organization. It was pouring rain all day, but the University building was always cozy and comfortable for everyone: all the speeches were transcribed on the screen in real time, there was a translation into international hand signs, induction systems, and special quiet dining areas. The Trento conference was held with the spontaneity and scope typical of Italians - so the opening reception was held in one of the leading museums of the country - the Science Museum MUSE, and the participants not only got a chance to visit the museum after hours, but also a unique opportunity - to eat among the stuffed animals and drink a glass of wine while sitting on some installation (they say that the curators are used to this - also a kind of inclusion!).
Although there were no other representatives of Russian institutions at either conference this year, it was nice to see colleagues directly connected to HSE. In Innsbruck, one of the organizers is Michael Russell, who has been familiar with the ILSIR for many years and has visited Moscow many times, and in Trento, Irina Krylova, who graduated from HSE with a Bachelor's degree in Sociology last year and is now studying at the local Master's program in Sociology, was found among the volunteers.
Nikita Bolshakov
Leading Research Fellow