New Perspectives on Segregation Research
Professor Maria Krysan giving a lecture at the symposium “Beyond the Registry, Beyond Academia: Building Collaboration in Research on Segregation in Sweden”. Photo: Camilla Scheinert
On 17–18 September, researchers, municipal representatives and civil society actors gathered for the symposium “Beyond the Registry, Beyond Academia: Building Collaboration in Research on Segregation in Sweden”. Over two days, participants discussed new ways of collaborating on segregation research in Sweden and how mixed-methods approaches can provide deeper insights for both research and practice.
Professor Kyle Crowder.
The aim of the symposium was to create opportunities for cross-sector dialogue and to develop ideas on how segregation research can have greater impact both within and beyond academia.
The symposium, funded by Riksbankens Jubileumsfond, brought together around 20 participants. The first day, under the theme “Beyond Academia”, focused on building bridges between research and practice. Following an introduction by the organisers Andreas Alm Fjellborg, researcher in Human Geography at IBF, and Sara Forsberg, Department of Human Geography, Maria Krysan, Professor of Sociology at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Kyle Crowder, Professor of Sociology at the University of Washington, delivered a joint keynote lecture on collaboration between academic and non-academic actors.
The day continued with examples of partnerships between researchers, municipalities and civil society organisations in Sweden, group discussions on key issues of segregation and social fragmentation, and a panel debate on opportunities, challenges and ways forward in collaboration between academia, municipalities and other stakeholders.
The second day, under the theme “Beyond the Registry”, shifted focus to research methods. New projects on segregation in Sweden employing mixed-method approaches were presented, followed by a keynote lecture by Professors Krysan and Crowder on American experiences of integrated research methods and collaboration. Swedish examples of mixed-methods research followed, as well as workshops where participants discussed the insights that different methods can provide for policymakers.
The symposium concluded with collective reflections and a session on building a roadmap for future research and collaboration – addressing questions such as the need for networks or new joint research applications as the next step.