GRAMNet Oral Histories of Immigration Detention

Immigration detention is a controversial subject, and in recent months it has frequently been in the news. For anyone interested in it, whether as an academic researcher or a campaigner, listening to the testimony of detainees is essential - while many present and former detainees want to speak out about their experiences. But detainees themselves, researchers, and activists, all have different purposes in recording and re-telling these stories.

Between giving testimony, recording it, and using it in research and activism, those different purposes are sometimes in tension or even conflict. A researcher might be interested in something a detainee prefers not to talk about; a detainee might want to tell a story that complicates the message of an activist organisation’s campaign. It’s important for researchers, activists, and detainees speaking out to be aware of these tensions, and think about how to deal with them.

As part of #unlocked17, this workshop explores the ethics of doing oral histories of immigration detention for research and activism.

With participants from Behind The Wire (Australia), Scottish Detainee Visitors, Detention Forum, Freed Voices, Detention Action, and the Open Museum.

This event is funded by the University of Glasgow’s Knowledge Exchange Fund.