All 1 entries tagged Biograph

Academic biography: Introduction

We were asked in one of our courses to write down our biography so as to give an explanation of why we study what we study. I thought I´d post my draft text in few installments here on the blog.

Why do I want to study multiculturalism and religion in Norway? Obviously, the sum of events that have happened in my life are what has brought me to where I am now. Right now, I am starting a PhD which will look at connections between religion and nationalism with Norway as a case. How did this, and not something else happen? In what way will the book I hope to hand in towards the end of the first decade of the 21st century be influenced by my biography?

First of all, let me me make a distinction. My biography is a different thing than the total sum of events in my life. My biography is my articulations of a selection of factors and events that I think are important in explaining why I am doing the PhD I´m at Warwick.

My selection of events will certainly be incomplete, maybe even wrong. I am asked to story forth a plausible explanation of why I am doing what I doing, in terms of what lies behind me rather than the incentives before me. In Gambetta´s (1987) phrasing I´m asked to tell you how I was pushed, rather than why I jumped.

I´ll do this in three sections, answering the three disparate questions I feel were asked.

1) Social position – Discussing my family background
2) Personal experiences – Some telling snapshots
3) How do the values presented in 1) and 2) affect my research?

1) Social position.
I will describe my ”social position” in terms of placement in terms of my family´s class, nationality and religion, and in terms of my own gender. My father is a norwegian lutheran pastor, my mother is a teacher born in a scottish community in New Zealand, and brought up in London.

Lars Eriksen : 15 Oct 2006 19:38 |  Tags: Biograph |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem