Group Research Project: Domus MTA

Description

Care/self-care, as a recurring theme in contemporary visual culture, is increasingly becoming part of a broader social discourse in post-screening discussions, film clubs, workshops, and professional conferences. Drawing on the conceptual and theoretical framework of this discourse, the theoretical section of this project undertakes to analyze contemporary cinematic representations of care/self-care through the lens of institutional contexts (clinical, educational, familial, and other support institutions) and individual agency (workplace, family, gender). This focus already points toward the possibility of directly integrating these films into education, instruction, and training, with particular emphasis on school-based development and professional sensitization in the helping professions. In addition to a theoretical and conceptual approach to thematically related films and conducting sessions focused on reception and impact, part of the research team is also undertaking to lay the groundwork for a larger study that will enable the integration of stop-motion animation into school development through empirical research (by conducting workshops and conducting and analyzing interviews) . The hypothesis of this research, based on existing practice, is that creating stop-motion animations in groups provides children with a communal experience that fosters a sense of flow through immersion, delayed gratification, and a sense of accomplishment, and can thus serve as an effective tool for reducing anxiety.

Objectives

the goal of this project is to coordinate the work of the members in the Department of Media who are involved in both theoretical and practical training, and to organize their efforts around a broader, multi-layered theme that focuses on social engagement. Given the short duration of the project, we envision it as preliminary research for a larger-scale study, within the framework of which we undertake to conduct preliminary empirical surveys, analyze the data, and publish studies summarizing the related theoretical research of the department's faculty members in both Hungarian and English.

Project participants

Dr. Réka Kassay, Assistant Professor;

Dr. Julianna Hajnal Király, associate professor with habilitation;

Dr. Melinda Blos-Jáni, assistant professor;

and, as an international team member, Dr. Eszter Ureczky, associate professor with habilitation, a faculty member of the Department of English Studies at the University of Debrecen and an expert in medical humanities.

Expected Outcomes

• Mapping and researching the theoretical and related film literature on (self-)care; watching relevant films; writing and having at least one relevant study per person accepted for publication in a recognized academic journal
• Editing the special issue of Acta Universitatis Sapientiae. Film and Media Studies on the theme of "(Self)Care in Contemporary Cinema"
• Organizing a workshop featuring a presentation by Eszter Ureczky and individual presentations of preliminary results
• Examining the skill-building effects of the filmmaking process: conducting stop-motion animation workshops for children, analyzing participants' reflections using an exploratory, empirical method (interviews), data analysis, and publication of the outcomes