Events

Many of our events are video-recorded. You can see a list of available videos on our website. If you subscribe to the ISSI YouTube channel, you will be notified when new videos are available.

Fall 2020

Tuesday, October 27th | 12:30pm - 2:00pm PT

Divided By the Wall: Progressive and Conservative Immigration Politics at the U.S.-Mexico Border 

Zoom Webinar | Register here (free)

Emine Fidan Elcioglu, Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Toronto 

Divided By the Wall: Progressive and Conservative Immigration Politics at the U.S.-Mexico Border (University of California Press 2020) ethnographically mines the meanings of this contentious topic for people on opposite sides of the political spectrum. Set in Arizona, one of the most important points of entry for migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, the book combines the insights of political sociology and race studies to shed light on why and how ordinary Americans collectively mobilize to change immigration and border policy, even when they don't necessarily believe that their actions will make a difference. 

The introduction of the book is available to read here.

Sponsored by Center for Ethnographic Research

Co-sponsored by Berkeley Interdisciplinary Migration Initiative

Friday, December 4 | 12:00 - 3:00pm PT

Beyond the Case: Comparative Ethnography During COVID-19 and Beyond

Zoom Webinar | Register here (free) 

Corey M. Abramson, University of Arizona

Lynn Chancer, City University of New York

Aaron Cicourel, UC San Diego

Claire Laurier Decoteau, University of Illinois at Chicago

Thomas DeGloma, Hunter College

Daniel Dohan, UC San Francisco

Neil Gong, UC San Diego; University of Michigan

Annette Lareau, University of Pennsylvania

Max Papadantonakis, City University of New York

Martín Sánchez-Jankowski, UC Berkeley

Iddo Tavory, New York University

Stefan Timmermans, UC Los Angeles

Diane Vaughan, Columbia University

Alford Young, Jr., University of Michigan

How do ethnographers engage in comparison? Do their comparative logics align with or diverge from the methodological foundations of other forms of social scientific research? And how do the current historical ruptures in the era of COVID-19 shape the present and future of ethnographic comparison?  Drawing on central themes from Beyond the Case: The Logics and Practices of Comparative Ethnography (Oxford University Press 2020), this event will provide a venue for researchers from various ethnographic approaches to share their thoughts on these topics. The speakers, including many of the book’s contributors, represent a host of ethnographic traditions ranging from phenomenology, to interpretivism, to the extended case method, to various “post-positivist” forms of scientific realism. It is our hope that this discussion will reveal not only points of divergence, but also synergies with other empirical methods, and between competing approaches to ethnography. This parallels the book’s call to leverage the field’s epistemic variation in order to expand opportunities for meaningful comparisons and conversations on a broad range of substantive topics - including the convergent crises of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For speaker bios and more information, visit the event webpage.

Sponsored by Center for Ethnographic Research

Co-sponsored by Department of Sociology, UC Berkeley; School of Sociology, University of Arizona