Biographical Perspectives in the Research Field of Political Participation

In this session we would like to discuss and reflect on biographical perspectives in the research field of political participation and how this might contribute to the epistemological and methodological debate in political participation research. We are especially interested in the particular role of transnational migration experience contexts and the social conditions and constellations under which forms of political participation develop in (post)migration societies. With a broad concept of participation, we are inviting papers for this session based on biographical case studies in diverse fields of political participation (including classical forms of political participation in political parties and trade unions as well as civic participation and transnational activism, etc.). Above all, the following questions should be discussed: What is the impact of a biographical-theoretical perspective in the research field of political participation? How can we take theoretically into account the local, (trans)national and global dynamics of political participation in (post)migration societies? What are the methodological challenges of using biographical methods in the research field of political participation?