Kip Jones

KIP JONES, an American by birth, has been studying and working in the UK for more than 20 years.
Under the umbrella term of 'arts-led research', his main efforts have involved developing tools
from the arts and humanities for use by social scientists in research and its impact on a wider
public or a Perfomative Social Science.

Jones was Reader in Performative Social Science and Qualitative Research at
Bournemouth University for 15 years.
He is now a Visiting Scholar and and an independent author and scholar.

Kip has produced films and written many articles for academic journals and authored chapters
for books on topics such as masculinity, ageing and rurality, and older LGBT citizens.
Jones' most recent work involves working with Generation Z youth to tell their stories using
social media.
His ground-breaking use of qualitative methods, including Auto-fiction, biography
and auto-ethnography, and the use of tools from the arts in social science research
and dissemination are well-known.

Jones acted as Author and Executive Producer of
the award-winning short film, RUFUS STONE, funded by Research Councils UK.
The film is now available for free viewing on the Internet
and has been viewed by more than 14,000 people in 150 countries.

Areas of expertise
• Close relationships, culture and ethnicity
• Social psychology, sociology
• Ageing, self and identity
• Interpersonal processes, personality,
individual differences,
social networks, prejudice and stereotyping
• Sexuality and sexual orientation
• Creativity and the use of the
arts in Social Science

Media experience
His work has been reported widely
in the media, including:
BBC Radio 4,BBC TV news,Times
Higher Education, Sunday New
York Times, International
Herald-Tribune
and The Independent.

Saturday 16 October 2010

Performative Social Science: What it is/What it isn't

A Seminar held at Bournemouth University on 13 October, 2010 presented my review of Performative Social Science (PSS) and a re-screening of one of my earlier audio/visual productions, 'The One about Princess Margaret'.


Actor/Director Sharon Muiruri, dressed as a Princess, greeted guests at the door royally with "How do you do?" and "Have you come far?" Bags of popcorn were waiting for audience members on each of their seats. The "Theme from Black Orpheus" played in the background and, at one point, Sharon sat down and pretended to play along to the sax solo on a toy saxophone.

My take on PSS then began as an audio recording. This was followed by the screening of 'The One about Princess Margaret'. The entire 50-minute production was pre-recorded as a Windows Media file, much as a Broadway or West End show is pre-programmed on computer. This amused me. I sat in the corner behind the computer, a bit like the Wizard of Oz.

This was accomplished in order to test some new ideas about presentation and audience, but also to expose, for the first time, my writing for my forthcoming (2011) Chapter, " Princess Margaret in Retrospect: the Story Behind a Short Film ", for a book entitled, Popularizing Research: Engaging New Media, Genres, and Audiences, edited by Phillip Vannini, to be published next year by Peter Lang Publishing.

The room was packed and an enjoyable time was had by all present. Listen to the audio recording, then watch the video below.

Audio Recording of
"PSS: What it is/What it isn't"