Forskningskommunikation genom utställningar och program - att gestalta flyktingskapets konsekvenser, politik och möjligheter

Abstract

Flyktingsituationen i Europa och Sverige dominerar den politiska diskussionen. På kommunal nivå innebär den stora mängd
flyktingar som kommit till Sverige en stor utmaning, som nu tillsammans
med forskningen om integration måste formulera nya frågor och söka nya svar för ett
hållbart flyktingmottagande.

Vid sidan om forskarsamhället har även kommunala tjänstemän, handläggare vid myndigheter, organisationer i
civilsamhället, asylrättsjurister och flyktingar själva, viktig kunskap om flyktingsituationen. Till detta
kommer att allmänhetens frågor måste tas på allvar i värnandet om ett öppet samhälle
och i arbetet mot främlingsfientlighet och rädsla. Därför behövs plattformar för kunskapsutbyte, inte bara kanaler för
kunskapsspridning.

Detta kommunikationsprojekt kommer genom utställningar och samtal i utställningsrummet förmedla och kommunicera
forskning och kunskap om flyktingpolitikens konsekvenser i Europa och Sverige i dag, med särskilt fokus på kommuners
flyktingmottagande. Centralt är insikten om behovet att samverka med omgivande samhälle.

Keywords:

Description

The current refugee situation in Europe and Sweden dominate the political debate, it also is a challenge to municipalities
and their organisation of a human refugee reception. Research on integration and refugees today face novel questions and
need to seek new answers in order to develop and implement sustainable refugee reception policies. But at present,
alongside the scientific community, local government officials, civil servants, social workers, civil society organizations,
asylum lawyers and refugees themselves, have important knowledge, perhaps the most important, which ought to be
shared and put into circulation.
Hence, practicians and researchers can benefit from the creation of a space for a mutual exchange of knowledge and best
practices. In addition, it is vital to take seriously the need and worries of the public in regard to what the refugee situation
means for Europe, Sweden and local communities. All these parties are thus target groups of the project, yet also potential
contributors, as exchange is key.
This communication project will produce exhibitions and arrange lectures and conversations in the exhibition space to
communicate research and knowledge about the refugee situation in Europe and Sweden today. A particular focus is on the
problems and possibilities of municipal refugee reception. The project is thus not only about knowledge dissemination, but
also dialogue and communication between professional groups, the general public and researchers.
The overall aim of the project is to combat xenophobia by increasing knowledge and to contribute to a pro active
discussion about a sustainable refugee reception system which corresponds to the humans rights we as citizens and as a
political community have committed to.
The project will engage two different exhibition traditions, which need separate “framing” to work communicatively with
audiences. Collaborations with contemporary artists, nationally and internationally, will be initiated to raise relevant issues
of migration and refuge, with or against the grain of the dominant currents in public debate. The work with contemporary art
allows for, and demands, a more free interpretative approach to what is communicated. More direct research disseminating
exhibitions will also be created. They thus thus require a somewhat different framing, with a more stringet approach to
scientific facts, corroborated claims, and a clear sender.
Production of the exhibitions will be led by the project manager, Erik Berggren, who has extensive experience as research
communicator at REMESO and of exhibitions focusing on current social issues, among them migration and refugees.
A scientific council will be established with researchers and teachers from the Institute for Research on Migration, Ethnicity
and Society (REMESO) and the Centre for Municipality Studies (CKS), the Bachelor program Culture, Society and Media
(KSM) and Advanced Cultural Studies Institute of Sweden (ACSIS), all at Linköping University. For individual projects, the
group will be expanded with participants from the Municipality of Norrköping. The council shall initiate issues and ensure
that the knowledge presented is in tune with the current state of research.
For exhibition production, Campus Norrköping is also fortunate to have among its neighbours several apt cultural
institutions and museums as well as student groups from relevant educations, that will be engaged in the project.
An exhibition, a workshop or a seminar, naturally have a limited geographical range, but with digital communication
technologies, web and podcast, both exhibitions and programme activities can be made available to a larger audience.
Furthermore, efforts will be made to make one exhibition mobile so it can be moved to another location, university,
organisation, library, etcetera. Also of importance is a planned collaboration between REMESO and Norrköping
Municipality in the form of a major conference in January 2017 to which representatives of municipalities from all over
Europe will be invited to share experiences, best practice and innovatiove ideas for reception of refugees and integration.
One of the exhibitions will then be open to conference participators and the project at large will be presented.

Other Academic Output

Spring 2017, Lectures within the course "Race, Ethnicity and Migration in Culture and the Arts", 7,5 credits, in the International MA programme Ethnic and Migration Studies, REMESO, LiU.