Tabea Scharrer

Situated at the interface of several fields of study, including linguistics, literature, film, anthropology and sociology, this project unites interdisciplinary expertise to extend dialogue and enhance understanding of the study of migration in the European setting. More specifically, it will cultivate new approaches to understanding the ways in which narratives of outward migration affect public attitudes to immigration.

 

Based on the assumption that these narratives are central to understanding ourselves as national, European and global citizens, the proposed project examines how mainstream news media and cultural forms, including contemporary literature and film, can inform public understandings of mobility and cultural identities. While much research has focussed on political and economic developments affecting the organisation of the European Union, far less attention has been paid to how experiences of immigration intersect with cultural imaginaries of specific spaces. Cultural imaginaries contribute to individual and communal constructions of place by offering representations that filter into public consciousness, with consequences for ideas of national belonging and the shared experience of mobility.

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During a two-day workshop at Sussex University, Brighton (16-17 January, 2023) participants addressed key questions on how experiences of outward migration (as lived, familial and mediated experiences) inform and transform perceptions of, and attitudes towards immigration. The approach taken was comparative, exploring the different contexts in the UK and Germany. The workshop included round-table discussions, screenings and thematic sessions where participants shared their research with the group in terms of three interrelated strands:

1. Presentation and discussion of research examining how outward migration experiences are represented in mainstream news media, film, literature and within families in the two countries.

2. Discussion of attempts to shape and contest dominant migration narratives. In addition to our own work, we will invite colleagues from third-sector organisations who are shaping public imaginaries through their work (e.g. Migration Museum in London, 1000 Dreams Project, London Migration Film Festival, Bi’Bak in Berlin).

3. Exploration of how we can better understand the impact of these different representations of emigration on citizens. For this phase of the workshop we will invite colleagues with experience in measuring the impact of diverse stimuli on in- and out-group identification and attitudes.​