Call for Expression of Interest
4th International Workshop on Visual Research for PhD Students and Young Researchers
Dates: 10-14th November, 2025, Macau, China
Venue: University of St. Joseph, Macau, PRC
COST: FREE
This is the fourth edition of the ISA RC57 Visual Sociology Workshop for PhD students and young researchers. This time it will be co-organized by the ISA Research Committee 57 in Visual Sociology, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of St. Joseph, Macau and Center for Research and Studies in Sociology (CIES-ISCTE, Portugal). PhD students and young researchers who are interested in adopting and advancing their skills in using image-based research are welcome to send their expression of interest.
The format of the workshop supposes three full days’ intense academic exchanges between participants and attending academics (including three keynote speakers, who will also be the mentors).
The work will be centered around small projects (fieldwork) done in Macau.
The overarching theme of the workshop is Visual Research Methods for Comparative Asian Social and Cultural Studies
Possible subthemes for the workshop fieldwork projects are:
• Sociotechnical Transitions and Environmental Complexity
• (Un)Sustainablity and practices of co-living
• (In)visibility of social inequalities and frictions
• Space making practices, borders
• Coping with space, vernacular heritage, ecologies of spacemaking
• The water as an elemental force in shaping of Macau
• Food practices and Street Life
• Materiality and Cultural Complexity in Macau
• Social practices related to contemporary image production
• Global-local changes and transculturality
• New media and ecology
• Ambience and Diversity of affective fields in Macau
• Tourism, tourist spaces and Vernacular in Macau
The best essays produced by the participants will be submitted for publication in Taylor&Francis journal Visual Studies (two of the organizers (keynotes) are co-editors of the journal).
The workshop is free of charge. Three travel grants of 300 euros each will be given to selected applicants (non-residing in Macau SAR) (covered by ISA RC57).
Please note that the workshop is strictly in-person (no online attendance will be possible). The working language will be English. Participants (residents) from Asian countries are highly encouraged to apply. We welcome participants whose work is grounded both empirically and historically/geographically. Prior experience of using visual methods in research is desirable but not mandatory.
If you are interested in participation, please send your application to Dr. Denis Zuev, using the following email addresses: denis.zuev@usj.edu.mo and tungus66@gmail.com.
Application consists of a) short abstract of your current project, b) short abstract of what you wish to explore in Macau (using visual methods) and c) a short (one page) CV.
The deadline for sending the application is the 25th of July.
The setting:
Macau Special Administrative Region of PRC is a fascinating territory in the south of China. Macau is one of the key gaming hubs in the world. Gaming industry since 2000s has facilitated rapid and sometimes distorted urban development of the territory. As the world’s most densely populated city it is a living laboratory for the study of cultural hybridity, consumerscapes, vertical urbanism, spectacular infrastructure-led urbanism and social inequalities. The city is a tourist hub and has developed transportation, accommodation infrastructure as well as a vibrant university population.
