FIELD TRAINING SCHOOL AND RESEARCH SEMINAR 2027
URBAN RESEARCH: THEORY AND METHODS
Montecatini Terme, Tuscany, Italy, 19-25 July 2027
Coordinators: Italo Pardo and Giuliana B. Prato, University of Kent, UK
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
This annual Training School is organised and hosted by the International Urban Symposium-IUS in collaboration with an international interdisciplinary group of senior scholars from leading universities.
More than half of the world’s population now lives in cities, and this proportion is expected to increase to two-thirds by 2050. Urbanisation proceeding at such a pace has meant increases in the number and size of cities, but also continues to alter the social fabric of urban centres. The socio-economic, political and cultural ramifications of these multifaceted contemporary urban changes highlight the need to understand what is going on in our cities; hence the importance of ethnographic research, and the attendant methodological and theoretical questions.
This 7-day Field Training School is an intensive exercise aimed at postgraduate students, postdoctoral scholars and practitioners who are interested in research in urban settings and empirically grounded analysis. The primary aim is to train participants in the “art” of conducting ethnographic fieldwork and develop the link between ethnographically based analysis and social theory with specific attention to legitimacy and legitimation; governance, urban diversity; stereotype and stigma; informality; application and challenges of digital technologies; health; public space; vernacular landscape and visual approaches to city change; heritage, memory and contested urban spaces; disaster and conflict.
The School offers an interactive learning environment and opportunities to discuss the rationale and practices of traditional and new research methods and mainstream debates.
PROGRAMME
The School will include:
- Teaching Seminars led by senior scholars, who will use a wide range of ethnographic, methodological and theoretical expertise to address topical issues.
- Targeted Observational Field Excursions will supplement the in-class work. During structured city walks and observational field excursions, participants will be asked to take notes in view of producing brief reports on their observations, to be discussed by the group.
- Research Seminars. With a view to honing and developing junior scholars’ skills as future professionals, the research seminar will give participants the opportunity to present their work, engage in academic debate and benefit from expert feedback from the teaching staff. Feedback on how to revise oral presentations for publication will be provided to seminar papers at an advanced stage. It is anticipated that expanded and revised versions of select Seminar papers will be published in the open-access, peer-reviewed journal Urbanities-Journal of Urban Ethnography.
The intensive interactive training will provide the opportunity to become part of an international network, establishing long-lasting connections with both other participants and the teaching staff.
Teaching and seminar discussions will be in English. Participants are expected to complete the selected readings provided before the start of the School and actively engage in discussion.
Social events will take place benefiting from the centrality of the location within easy reach of Tuscany’s world-renowned iconic places.
Work starts in the morning of Monday, 19th July and ends in the evening of Sunday 25th July. Participants are expected to arrive in the afternoon of Sunday 18th July and leave in the morning of Monday 26th July.
APPLICATION
To apply, please download the Application Form here and return the completed Form to the School Convenors: Prof. Italo Pardo at: i.pardo@kent.ac.uk and Prof. Giuliana B. Prato at: g.b.prato@kent.ac.uk
In the Application Form please provide:(*)
• A brief description of research interests;
• For applicants who wish to present a paper during the Research Seminar, a 200-word abstract of the proposed paper.
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION: Applications will be accepted until Monday, 15th March 2027.
REGISTRATION FEES
- The standard fee for the event is €990. This fee will cover single room Hotel Accommodation (B&B) for 8 nights (Arr. 19th July, Dep. 26th July), light lunch, tuition, teaching materials, facilities, internet access, coffee breaks and certificate of attendance.
- Alternative accommodation: By arrangement with the organizers, participants may be able to share a twin room accommodation. If this option is chosen, the total fee will be €830 per person.
All hotel rooms are en-suite. Travel and other living expenses are not included.
(*) PLEASE NOTE
On 27-29 July, an International Conference on Ethnography Today: The Importance of Being There will take place in the same venue as the School. Participants in the School would be welcome to apply to attend the Conference and, where applicable, present a paper related to the Conference themes during a dedicated session. Their Conference fee will be waived. They will only need to cover the cost of accommodation for the additional 4 nights. They need to indicate in the Application Form if they wish to attend the Conference.
IMPORTANT DATES and DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION
- Applications will be accepted until Monday, 15th March 2027.
- The outcome of the selection process will be communicated to all applicants by Friday, 26th March 2027.
- The Registration Fee should be paid by Monday 17th May 2027.
TRAVEL and VISA INFORMATION