BGHS.NEWS

Making of BGHS film project "On People and Things - Science in Conversation" #2

Two empirical poles of sociology met at the second workshop for the film project "On People and Things - Science in Conversation", which took place in May: Quali and Quanti. Paul Goerigk reported on his ethnographic research on in-company vocational training and showed how to handle a file. We planned to film outside, but the weather put a spanner in the works. Instead, we went upstairs to the second gallery at Hassan's coffee stand in the university hall. A great place with a view of the 'roof garden'! And accompanied by the hissing of Hassan's coffee machine.

Paul Goerigk, Sabine Schäfer and Magnus Krenz on the second gallery of the hall in the UHG with a view of the 'roof garden' (Photo: Jörg Erber)

The conversation with Yixuan Liu in the afternoon was completely different, as the coffee machine was actually scheduled - but the Café Ins Grüne was closed. It turned green anyway, because Yixuan had brought a green lily with her to explain how she analyses the relationship between health and education and the role played by genetic and environmental factors. With her anchoring in the quantitative long-term study of the TwinLife project, she occupies the opposite pole of social science empirical research, so to speak.

Magnus Krenz, Sabine Schäfer and Yixuan Liu at Café Ins Grüne in the building X; on observation post on the right: Ruyan Luo (Photo: Jörg Erber)

Qualitative and quantitative research are often perceived as antipodes. The film workshop was quite different, as the two perspectives of empirical research enriched each other. And yet they understand each other ...