This summer, you have the opportunity to get to know some of the brilliant postdoctoral researchers at our university. Our portrait series highlights the diversity within this group of University of Graz research talents - and of course showcases the fascinating research that they do.
Here are four questions for....
Zorica-Iva Siročić, Department of Sociology
1) Tell us a little about yourself, and your journey to become a researcher at Uni Graz.
I am a sociologist and political scientist currently working as an assistant professor (non-tenure track) in the Department of Sociology. I was born and raised in Zadar, Croatia, and before coming to Graz to pursue my doctoral studies, I have studied and worked in Zagreb and Budapest.
2) What are you currently researching, and why do you think it is important (or interesting)?
As part of my habilitation project, I am currently researching tactical, affective and framing developments in contemporary contentious (gender) politics, particularly its innovative and atypical aspects. I am looking at the ways in which activists creatively play with, invent, imitate or diffuse strategies, tactics and frames of political action, and how they combine these aspects with the affective charge that is capable of surprising their opponents and audiences. This is important if we are to understand how gender is constituted and contested in contemporary political conditions, which include unprecedented levels of networking, digitalisation and transnationalisation.
3) What gives you joy in your everyday work life & what are some challenges?
I enjoy having the opportunity to delve deeper into the topic of interest, challenging my own knowledge and preconceived assumptions, as well as the general conventional wisdom. I also find the opportunity to work with and learn from international scholars and students enriching. The biggest challenge in my work is the uncertainty of career prospects – which means that some of the creative and productive energy has to be directed towards dealing with existential issues.
4) What's next for you this year/next year?
There are a lot of things planned for next year, apart from working on my habilitation project, I would like to mention the special issue I am editing entitled Creative Protest: Creativity, Social Movements, Politics; I will also be teaching four different courses (Social Problems, Sociology of Gender, Political Sociology, and Methods of Academic Work); organize lectures and networking for the research cluster Media & Social Movements; and I will begin preparations for the fourth edition of the “Creative Bodies – Creative Minds 2026” conference.
Questions: Johanna Stadlbauer, July 2024.
Picture credit: Oliver Wolf
P.S. You can read every portrait in this interview series with Uni Graz postdocs right now!