MAINS, SUSAN P.
Lecturer @ University of Dundee
Bio
Dr Susan P. Mains is a lecturer in Human Geography in the School of Social Sciences, University of Dundee. Her work examines transnational identities and media representations of mobility, borders, and security in the context of Caribbean migration, creativity in Jamaica and Scotland, and heritage tourism. She is editor of Mediated Geographies and Geographies of Media (co-editors J. Cupples and C. Lukinbeal): a book exploring contemporary research on space, media and identities (Springer, 2015). More recently she has been actively involved in collaborating with artists, curating exhibitions and developing walking workshops as part of research and public 35 engagement processes examining connections to place. Her most recent curated collaborative exhibition explored ‘Moving Jamaica: Scottish-Caribbean Connections and Local-Global Journeys,’ which was commended as part of the Annual Stephen Fry Public Engagement Awards.
Geographical location :
Research Area and Interest :
Social Media
Panel
‘New’ Technologies
Presentation
Social Justice and Transnational Caribbean Identities: Convergent Media, Mobility and the Windrush Scandal
This talk examines the role of convergent media in representing and challenging Caribbean Diaspora identities, mobilities and UK government immigration policies. Print and digital news provide important contexts for exploring transatlantic media geographies. This presentation seeks to expand on earlier studies by examining how complementary mediums such as digital news media and film can respond to each other and become part of dynamic transnational conversations around place and identity. Media formats have been pushed to incorporate new settings and styles as Covid-19 restrictions have been implemented and alternative approaches utilised in media production. By adopting innovative techniques for filming in response to pandemic restrictions, artists, geographers and media practitioners can illustrate the ongoing impacts of immigration policies in the Caribbean and the UK. This discussion provides a timely opportunity to tease out the ways in which changes in government immigration policies, media work practices and the production of migration narratives can highlight hidden geographical stories and marginalised voices. In addition, the production and broadcasting of more inclusive and activist media offers an important arena for addressing social justice.