Konstantin Mierau interviews Chilean inmates about their reading practices

ICOG member Dr. Konstantin Mierau just returned from a three-month stay as invited research fellow at the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Center (Núcleo Científico de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades) of the Universidad de la Frontera, Temuco Chile. During his stay, Mierau interviewed inmates about their reading practices in the correctional facility of Temuco. The interviews were part of the extensive empirical research for his 'Empathy behind bars' research project on media consumption in Latin American prisons. Mierau received an Encouraging research talent grant of the Faculty of Arts for this project in 2016.

Besides doing research, Mierau presented the project as well as his previous monograph project on literary representations of marginality in early-modern Spain at several Universities in Chili and Peru (Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Universidad de los Andes, Santiago, Universidad de los Lagos, Ancúd, Universidad de San Marco, Lima). Mierau's journey to Latin America was funded by the MECESUP exchange programme of the Chilean Government and supported by prof.dr. Carlos del Valle of the UFRO and prof dr. Pablo Valdivia of the University of Groningen. This programme aims at inviting excellent senior academics for exchange in research, teaching and organisation.