Mixed Relationships - Racialised Boundaries: Histories, experiences, identities and representations of black/white mixed-heritage families in Europe
Lead Research Organisation:
Loughborough University
Department Name: Criminology, Sociology and Social Policy
Abstract
Our new European Research Network will develop research collaboration to explore the complex histories, shifting lived experiences, identities and representations of mixed-heritage couples of different generations and the historical legacy of racialised discourses and discrimination against interracial relationships in European societies (1920-present). These issues will be analysed from critical, inclusive, interdisciplinary, postcolonial, and intersectional perspectives and address 3 key objectives:
1) To strengthen and enhance collaboration in our new international research network to generate substantial knowledge on the complex histories, identities, lived experiences and representations of black and white mixed-heritage families in Europe;
2) To develop an interactive and communicative research agenda to enable the network to actively engage with people in mixed-heritage relationships/of mixed-heritage, drive knowledge transfer, to create wider public impact/engagement activities of benefit to this group and to raise awareness amongst a broader public;
3) To work in partnership with the Runnymede Trust and other NGOs/cultural institutions (eg Mixed Museum London, Joliba, Afro-German Women's association) to generating wider public and cultural impact from this research.
Our research design combines two main innovative research strands:
a) An empirical study combining interviews with digital methods to examine the complex and changing lived experiences, identities and concepts of belonging across multiple generations in mixed-heritage families in European societies. These will be examined via narrative life history interviews with the descendants of first-generation interracial couples, children/grandchildren (where possible), and an analysis of their self-representations on social media platforms which, we hypothesise, act as a space to counter stereotypical narratives of 'mixed race' and 'mixedness', to voice alternative narratives and construct 'digital diasporas' (Ponzanesi 2020);
b) A historiographic, rhetorical analysis of the historical legacy of racialised media/wider public discourses and racially structured discriminations associated with mixed-heritage couples/families in European history and their contemporary repercussions. Combining these two research strands will enable us to (1) interrogate the legacy of mixed relationships in the earlier period for subsequent generations, (2) gather data from a wider range of sources than is customary to enable diachronic analysis of the representation of interracial relations within mixed-heritage families, (3) gather data on and generate new critical insights into counter-narratives to dominant presentations of mixed-heritage relations.
Our network combines interdisciplinary academic perspectives (from historical, social and media sciences) with stakeholder participation from NGOs, user groups and independent research, justice and cultural organisations (e.g. Runnymede Trust, The Mixed Museum, London) and will reach out to a wider public and key stakeholder groups using innovative user-engagement events including a creative ideas workshop for NGOs/community groups co-lead by the Runnymede Trust at LU in London, an Mixed-Heritage Arts, showcase and digital methods event in collaboration with mixed-heritage artists and doctoral researchers and an early career researcher-led public seminar/workshop on mixed-heritage relationships-racialised boundaries in Bergen.
1) To strengthen and enhance collaboration in our new international research network to generate substantial knowledge on the complex histories, identities, lived experiences and representations of black and white mixed-heritage families in Europe;
2) To develop an interactive and communicative research agenda to enable the network to actively engage with people in mixed-heritage relationships/of mixed-heritage, drive knowledge transfer, to create wider public impact/engagement activities of benefit to this group and to raise awareness amongst a broader public;
3) To work in partnership with the Runnymede Trust and other NGOs/cultural institutions (eg Mixed Museum London, Joliba, Afro-German Women's association) to generating wider public and cultural impact from this research.
Our research design combines two main innovative research strands:
a) An empirical study combining interviews with digital methods to examine the complex and changing lived experiences, identities and concepts of belonging across multiple generations in mixed-heritage families in European societies. These will be examined via narrative life history interviews with the descendants of first-generation interracial couples, children/grandchildren (where possible), and an analysis of their self-representations on social media platforms which, we hypothesise, act as a space to counter stereotypical narratives of 'mixed race' and 'mixedness', to voice alternative narratives and construct 'digital diasporas' (Ponzanesi 2020);
b) A historiographic, rhetorical analysis of the historical legacy of racialised media/wider public discourses and racially structured discriminations associated with mixed-heritage couples/families in European history and their contemporary repercussions. Combining these two research strands will enable us to (1) interrogate the legacy of mixed relationships in the earlier period for subsequent generations, (2) gather data from a wider range of sources than is customary to enable diachronic analysis of the representation of interracial relations within mixed-heritage families, (3) gather data on and generate new critical insights into counter-narratives to dominant presentations of mixed-heritage relations.
Our network combines interdisciplinary academic perspectives (from historical, social and media sciences) with stakeholder participation from NGOs, user groups and independent research, justice and cultural organisations (e.g. Runnymede Trust, The Mixed Museum, London) and will reach out to a wider public and key stakeholder groups using innovative user-engagement events including a creative ideas workshop for NGOs/community groups co-lead by the Runnymede Trust at LU in London, an Mixed-Heritage Arts, showcase and digital methods event in collaboration with mixed-heritage artists and doctoral researchers and an early career researcher-led public seminar/workshop on mixed-heritage relationships-racialised boundaries in Bergen.
| Description | We have started to discuss key objectives, insights and expected findings from our planned Pilot research and planned large grant application and will be working further on these. |
| Exploitation Route | We are planning to generate a project website in Part 2. |
| Sectors | Culture Heritage Museums and Collections Other |
| Description | We have been planning a research impact event with NGOs and public stakeholders as part of our AHRC Networking grant and will continue to plan this in phase 2 of the project. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2025 |
| Sector | Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections,Other |
| Impact Types | Cultural Societal |
| Description | International research network team workshop, University of Bergen |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Note: Our project team has achieved two key objectives in the 6 months between October 2023 project start and April 2024. The first objective we achieved and completed is our International Research Networking Workshop in Bergen with core research team members. Titled: 'Mixed Relationships - Racialised Boundaries: Histories, experiences, identities and representations of black/white mixed- heritage families in Europe (1920s-present)'. The research network workshop took place 20 - 22 November 2023 at the University of Bergen, Norway with several members of our key research team. It facilitated an in-depth discussion of our Network's research programme and helped us to further develop our conceptual ideas for a planned large collaborative future grant application and work on a draft schedule for planned work packages and roles in the large grant. The workshop was attended by international members of our research network and helped us to enhance our collaboration and plan our work ahead. Issues we discussed and planned within our research team at this workshop include: - our Research design for the current Networking grant Pilot and for the planned large AHRC grant application - key objectives and deliveries for our current AHRC Networking grant, Pilot research planning, and main aims for our planned large grant incl collaborations, impact and outreach activities. Other main questions we discussed included: Why do we need a network like this and why should our research programme be prioritised now? • Why is our planned research important and how does it stand out and differ from other work? • How can we enhance our work further, what can you contribute? • Who benefits from our Network and planned research? • We are aiming to work with an interactive, participatory research design involving NGOS and Community groups - whom should we involve in addition to our existing project partner Runnymede Trust and NGOs with whom we are planning to work together (eg Mixed-Museum). How can we make this work? |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | International research seminar with 3 early-career researcher contributions (University of Bergen) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This research seminar gave 3 early career researchers within our research team the opportunity to showcase and promote their own work at our Mixed relationships-racialised boundaries research workshop. The Seminar title was 'Examining Mixed-heritage relationships and racialised boundaries in Europe' and it was part of our research network's team workshop at the University of Bergen. ( 20 - 22 November 2023). It took place on Tuesday, 21.11.2023, 11.10am-12.30pm (Norwegian time) Concept: This seminar showcases current research on Mixed-heritage relationships in a European context by some early/mid-career researchers within our Mixed-relationships-racialised boundaries network team. Each presenter presented their relevant work for 15 min followed by a discussion with all participants. Following our first successful seminar at Loughborough University in July 2022 with presentations by Dr Karis Campion, Prof Lucy Bland and Prof Tracey Owens-Patton, our Bergen seminar focused on the research of three early career researchers: Dr Tony Sandset (University of Oslo), Dr Elena Zambelli (Manooth University, Ireland) and Dr Bolaji Balogun (SOAS University of London). Contributions: Dr Tony Sandset, topic: Mixed Race Identity in a Nordic context. Dr Elena Zambelli, topic: Researching Interracial Couples in Western Europe Dr Bolaji Balogun (online) Topic: Mixed-heritage relations in Eastern Europe Dr Bolaji Balogun, topic: Mixed-heritage relations in Eastern Europe Organised by: Iris Wigger, David Herbert, Afra Padmore and Liz Mavroudi |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |