Welcome to THE NOSTAGAIN NETWORK — the first student-led interdisciplinary research collective in North America critically honed in on the generative potential and uses of nostalgia.
Mission Statement
Our approach to nostalgia is not one of passive study and speculation, but an active use of it within our annually hosted academic forums, public-facing research creation showcases, and ultimately, for social change.
Background
Since 2022, the NOSTAGAIN Network ran two public-facing events combining academic research, creative practices, and research creation related to nostalgia. Our first event was a day-long symposium and workshop feature, collaborating with individuals from 8 universities of 3 countries. The second event was a public research creation feature, hosted by a McGill and Concordia neuroscientist-artist.
Goals
Working with – not just for – the public involvement of knowledge is our primary goal. Academic research, whilst critical, should not contain its objects of study to just scholars and students. With a topic such as nostalgia – which is as personal as it is a public phenomenon – we are hoping to highlight that beyond developing methods to study meaningful things such as nostalgia, just by public participation in the university, this is also a form of a meaningful method, too.
The short-term goal is to bring together established and emerging scholars of nostalgia and put them into conversation with one another. Moreover, we do not only want to introduce, but demonstrate the importance and utility of doing research creation on the topic of nostalgia; something so pervasive in our technoculture, arts, and culture. We firmly believe that the praxis of research creation can engage with and, when needed, be untangled for critical reflection; we must all break to rebuild.
The long-term goal is to establish the Nostagain Network as a local then regional platform for junior scholars in North America who do not only want to present their research on uses of nostalgia, but to actualize them with other equally galvanized researchers. Meanwhile, this path will hopefully instill the Milieux Institute as the annually centralized gathering for all researchers – students to career scholars – on nostalgia and its research creation within and beyond Canada: this is the place to be.
To Nostalgia and Beyond,
Richy Srirachanikorn
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