RESEARCH PHOTOMAPPING: DISCUSSING THE METHOD

Photography is often used in socio-humanitarian research, but is not always subject to consistent discussion. The purpose of this article is to contribute to the methodological reflection of research photography. Research photomapping (RPM) is presented as a possibility of method, as well as research and a cultural practice that presupposes a special convention, or pact in the sense of Ph. Lejeune. The properties of RPM are revealed in comparison with neighboring methods, among which an important distinction is made depending on who is photographing — participatory photomapping, visual diary, and more general categories — research photography and observation in the field. The definition of RPM through a set of methodological principles is proposed: photography, which is carried out by the researcher as an active participant in the field, without or together with informants, in the process of the fieldwork. The experience of using RPM is considered from the point of view of the capabilities and limitations of the method. Various formats of interaction between the researcher and the informant in the process of photographing are highlighted. It is shown how an informant can induce a sociologist to capture a particular object, how a place in a photograph becomes overgrown with a whole story or provokes the creation of a new one. There is always a connection between photographing and storytelling, which is not always reflected. In a broader sense, the discussion deals with the practice of fieldwork, the interaction of researchers with informants and with each other. The outlined problems of the RPM show the complexity and promise of both this research practice itself and its methodological reflection. © 2022 Authors. All rights reserved.Russian Science Foundation, RSF, (21-18-00418)article was funded by Russian Science Foundation, project No. 21-18-00418 “Small Town Museum: Multiple Cultures of Memory (Historical and Sociological Analysis)”

Technical and Vocational Education and Training in Monotowns: Production of Mobility

This article looks into the relationship between education, industry and youth mobility in monotown settings. Information collected during a sociological survey in four Ural monotowns—Krasnoturyinsk, Pervouralsk, Revda (Sverdlovsk Oblast) and Dalmatovo (Kurgan Oblast) — was used as empirical data for the study. Education can sometimes work “against” the community, as cultural and symbolic capital that young people acquire at secondary or sometimes vocational schools allows them to migrate from their hometowns to larger cities for education purposes. Therefore, better-educated youths are more likely to leave monotowns. At the same time, availability of educational institutions in a monotown provides its citizens with opportunities for personal growth as well as improvement of urban environment. A way out of this seemingly insoluble dilemma could be the policy of civic engagement, which can be implemented provided there are diverse labor market opportunities and a conducive social infrastructure. Planning the cooperation among businesses, education and municipal authorities should be part of the town development strategy, not only the result of decisions handed down by some ministries. The article also offers an example of a cultural life script: a life story of a respondent whose desire to stay in a small town was only increased by the education she obtained. © 2021. All Rights Reserved

“Go-along” interview: Its structure and genres

Based on three different research projects the article analyzes the use of outdoor and indoor go-along interviewing. A detailed structure of go-along routes is considered (starting point and next point, completed and failed destinations, pass-by places, end point). Four genres of go-along interviews are singled out at the intersection of, firstly, the “city-for-others” and the “city-for-myself” and, secondly, outdoor and indoor movement. These genres are biographical go-along interview, city walking tour, museum tour, and museum anti-tour. © 2019 Russian Public Opinion Research Center, VCIOM. All rights reserved.Russian Foundation for Basic Research, RFBR: 18-011-00456The article is financed by Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project 18-011-00456 А “Scaling generational social memory in the cities of “old” and “new” industrialism”)

Productivity, quality and economics of four spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars as affected by three cultivation technologies

ArticleManaging farming inputs in wheat production technologies is an issue of paramount importance to attain optimum profitable production. To examine how varying the farming inputs affects the nutrients uptake and productivity of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars and to determine the economic efficiency of various cultivation technologies, three-year field experiments were laid out at the Russian Research Institute of Agriculture, during the 2015–2017 growing seasons. Experiments were conducted once a year using randomized complete block arranged in a split plot experimental design with three replications, with the cultivation technology treatments (basic, intensive and high intensive technology) as the main plots, and spring wheat cultivars (Zelata, Lubova, Liza and Ester) as the sub-main plots. The highest grain yield (10.8 t ha-1), harvest index (42.9%), gluten content (39.45%) and gluten index (71.17%) observed for spring wheat cultivar Lubova with the moderate application of farming inputs as an intensive cultivation technology. Highest protein content (18.02%) was attained for both intensive and high intensive cultivation technology with the cultivar Lubova, and the highest 1,000 grains weight (46.32 g) was recorded by cultivar Lubova in basic cultivation technology. Applying moderate amount of inputs as an intensive cultivation technology resulted in highest wheat yield and net income

Sedimentation of bentonite suspensions under the influence of low molecular weight polymers based on amino ester salts

Among the available technologies for treating natural and wastewater from clay materials, coagulation/flocculation is the most common method due to its high efficiency, simplicity, and cost-effectiveness. Inorganic coagulants such as aluminum sulfate and ferric chloride, widely used as destabilizing agents for colloidal particles, have several significant drawbacks: low efficiency and toxicity. Organic reagents of both natural and synthetic origin are a good alternative. This work is devoted to the evaluation of the flocculation action of new reagents, which are low molecular weight polymers based on amino ester salts on clay suspensions, as well as the selection of their optimal concentration, providing the maximum sedimentation rate. Studies have shown that amino ester salts can be effectively used for the treatment of water-clay suspensions. An important factor is the nature of the anion used, which has a significant influence on the oagulation ability of esters. Thus, 40–50 % (wt.) aqueous solutions of amino ester chlorides added to clay suspensions in an amount not exceeding 0.1% (vol.) can be used to thicken clay suspensions. At the same time, aqueous solutions of amino ester bromides regardless of the concentration, introduced into bentonite suspensions of 0.1–0.4 % (vol.), contribute to improved sedimentation, reducing viscosity, and increasing filtration capacity. These results allow us to recommend the use of amino ester chlorides as a thickener in the preparation of drilling muds for strengthening the walls of wells during drilling, and bromides – for flocculation of bentonite suspensions in oil productio

On the main developments in the methodology of interviewing

The interview is recognized as the basic research tool for the social sciences. The article reviews the key developments of the method, mostly in qualitative tradition, in the past two decades. Based on the iconic publications and their own research practice, the authors identify three main vectors: 1) techniques, 2) power relations, and 3) interaction format. The techniques are analyzed in terms of questioning, stimulus material, graphic and the other sorts of elicitation (self-portrait, relationship map, timeline, calendar, stories of life, memory books). The distribution of power between the researcher and the people under research includes the aspects of initiative, control and planning/spontaneity. The interview formats with fast growing popularity are both online and mobile ones. Special emphasis has been given to the latter. An original typology of the guided tour interviews is proposed, depending on the dominant control center (whose a route) and produced practices (which a route): an informant's route, a typical rout, a showing route, and a researcher's route. With respect to the suggesting typology the authors' version of the go-along interview is described. The article concludes with the discussion of the interrelations of the selected dimensions as well as some paradoxes and problem areas of these intersections

On the main developments in the methodology of interviewing

The interview is recognized as the basic research tool for the social sciences. The article reviews the key developments of the method, mostly in qualitative tradition, in the past two decades. Based on the iconic publications and their own research practice, the authors identify three main vectors: 1) techniques, 2) power relations, and 3) interaction format. The techniques are analyzed in terms of questioning, stimulus material, graphic and the other sorts of elicitation (self-portrait, relationship map, timeline, calendar, stories of life, memory books). The distribution of power between the researcher and the people under research includes the aspects of initiative, control and planning/spontaneity. The interview formats with fast growing popularity are both online and mobile ones. Special emphasis has been given to the latter. An original typology of the guided tour interviews is proposed, depending on the dominant control center (whose a route) and produced practices (which a route): an informant's route, a typical rout, a showing route, and a researcher's route. With respect to the suggesting typology the authors' version of the go-along interview is described. The article concludes with the discussion of the interrelations of the selected dimensions as well as some paradoxes and problem areas of these intersections