This essay explores a fact-finding inquiry that generated different and unexpected ways for research dissemination.
The experience has been very generative and produced new answers, awareness and perspectives.
Rebirth is a leit motiv of the interviewees’ life stories about grandparenthood. All steps of the research project have been repeatedly regenerating. We first organized a conference on the educational role of grandparents,
then we projected and realized a field research work; and lastly, we staged a theatrical performance.
This performance used various languages such as body, music and movement, which are more effective than
scientific writing in conveying the emotions of life stories.
The performance has been played in many different places, in different social contexts. This study
increased my idea of reflexivity, also thanks to the audiences’ feedback.
This project involves some key-concepts of the current sociological and anthropological debate, such as
reflexivity, biographical narrative, generational perspective and gender habitus. I suggest that the ‘epistemic
egoism’ of academic dissemination can (and should) be overcome, allowing theoretical knowledge to go back
to being part of the real world.