Tuesday, August 20, 2024
Iulia Stătică
Iulia Stătică is a Lecturer/Assistant Professor in Urban Design at the School of Architecture and Landscape at the University of Sheffield (UK).
When did you first develop an interest in Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies?
Although I grew up in Romania, and there was always an inherent curiosity about the region, my interest in Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies deepened while studying for my Bachelor of Architecture in Bucharest. The city is fascinating and exploring its many overlapping layers is a constant process of discovery, uncovering its intricacies. My initial fascination centered around the dilapidated industrial sites that lie at the heart of the city, juxtaposed against the stark socialist housing blocks. It was intriguing to witness these ruins coexisting within a rapidly transforming urban landscape.
How have your interests changed since your initial interest in the field?
I began my PhD at the University of Rome La Sapienza, focusing on the urban history of Bucharest, particularly the interplay between production spaces and domestic environments. This interest was further enriched by nearly a year in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Toronto, where I explored these themes through the lens of Walter Benjamin’s theories. My research evolved over several years, incorporating comparative elements. While at Cornell University’s Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies, I embarked on a comparative analysis of the socialist housing in Bucharest and Havana during the 1970s. It was during this time that, along with colleagues, I began to employ film as a research method. As my research progressed, I found myself increasingly drawn to the notion of domesticity, with a growing focus on gender and women’s lived experiences within these socialist spaces. This focus deepened during my postdoctoral work at University College London, where I developed a project examining the gendered practices within the domestic spaces of Bucharest. This research culminated in the feature-length documentary, My Socialist Home.
What is your current research/work project?
I am currently developing two interrelated research projects. The first examines the impact of feminized migration on the practices and notions of domesticity and care in former socialist countries. The project investigates the significant shifts in population mobility from these regions following the end of the Cold War, focusing on the diasporic cultures that emerge around care and domesticity, with migrant women serving as pivotal agents of change in both their countries of origin and destination. It adopts a cross-disciplinary approach to provide a comparative analysis of transnational migration histories between the Global East and the Global North. The second project explores the ramifications of large-scale migration from Romania to Western countries, foregrounding the fact that this out-migration has been accompanied by an influx of workers, primarily from Asia. Using ethnographic methods, including interviews with South Asian workers employed by Romanian companies, the aim is to gather insights on their experiences of relocating and how these experiences shape their understanding of domesticity.
What do you value about your ASEEES membership?
As a member of ASEEES, I greatly value the community and networking opportunities it provides. The annual conferences are an invaluable platform for sharing research, receiving feedback, and engaging with scholars across disciplines. These conventions have sparked several meaningful collaborations with colleagues from various countries and institutions. I also appreciate the access to a wealth of resources, including journals and newsletters. ASEEES has played a crucial role in fostering a strong sense of connection and collaboration within the Slavic, East European, and Eurasian studies community.