Children’s, Youth and Families Geographies
Interest in the diversity and difference of the geographies of children from the gender perspective. Analysis of spatial, social and everyday practices in consideration of the diversity of identities by gender, social class, culture, ethnicity and age, as well as physical abilities of children in rural and urban areas. Analysis of the use and appropriation of public spaces, the construction of a sense of belonging to a place, autonomy to go out to play or hang out in the neighbourhood with friends. Also, study of the impact of the crisis, associative network and awareness of one’s surroundings, the intersection between identities and place, young people and the geographies of sexuality and the political geographies of children and youth.
Gender and rurality
Analysis of the diversity of functions and meanings of modern-day rural spaces from a gender perspective. In the global context of the networks and flows that cross rural and urban spaces, the hybrid forms of the resulting spaces are considered, with the urbanisation of the rural and the ruralisation of the urban space. There is an interest in understanding the modern-day rural world and analysing the power of the idea of what is rural to transform places. Study of the everyday lives of women and of rural society with an emphasis on such aspects as employment, mobility, welfare, rural innovation, development and education. A rural society is a plural one in terms of gender, class, age, ethnicity, ability, sexuality and, like in other places, there are diverse actions, oppressions and resistances. Gender is a social process that is relational, dynamic and spatially and temporally specific therefore the intersection with other categories (differentiation and ways of reflecting on the specificities of contexts) are explored.
Qualitative methodology
Research is carried out though a qualitative methodology that studies social phenomena from the viewpoint of people’s subjective experience in order to find out how they define and interpret their everyday environment. Evaluation of subjectivity, contextual knowledge, individual perspective and the opportunity to create an exchange of perspectives between the researcher and the subject of the research. Considerations of the reflexivity and ethics in our research. Use and development of qualitative techniques. In our research, we use very different techniques as individual and group interviews, direct and participant observations, mental maps, and photographs and videos.
Qualified migrations
In a context of increasing globalisation and economic crisis in Europe, many university graduates migrate to other regions of the world. Analysis is carried out on the role played by Latin American cities as poles for the attraction of highly qualified capital and workers in the new global space. In particular we study qualified migrations to Mexico of men and women of different ages.
Analysis of the experiences, motivations and expectations regarding the mobility of young European and Latin American people to do graduate studies at Catalan universities as well as their personal and labour-related transitions, and in particular the role of the city of Barcelona as a place that attracts such migrations.
History of geography, academia and gender
Study of the academic situation and scientific production of geography professors at universities. The inequalities for access, promotion and scientific productivity between men and women at the university. This is one of the institutions that carry the greatest social weight and, therefore, an example and source of considerations of the phenomena that take place in many areas of our society. Different disciplines, including geography, have approached this subject in search of explanations and have generated a certain debate around it. Socio-demographic, cultural and historical factors persist despite the recent measures to encourage gender equality and equity in the academic world. Mass access of women as university students has not been followed by a similar increase in teaching or research staff, and women have faced major obstacles for consolidating their position at the universities; in order to achieve promotion they must assume clearly masculine models that have differential costs with respect to men.