My name is Isabelle Nic Craith, and I am a PhD researcher in the Helping Kids! Lab in the University College Dublin School of Psychology. I am a social, cultural and developmental psychologist by training. My research is driven by the firm assertion that children and young people are not passive members of society, but can be agents of social change. For example, they can re-shape social relations between groups, help to build peace in post-conflict societies, and take action towards building a better world. My PhD research focuses on children’s superordinate (i.e., overarching) identities, such as national and European identities, and how they relate to the inclusion of derogated groups such as immigrants. I am interested in whether we can promote more inclusive identities and attitudes among youth.
I was honoured to attend the third annual COORDINATE summer school on life course research and sequence analysis in Barcelona, hosted by the Universitat Pompeu Fabra and organised by the University of Ljubljana. I have a keen interest in longitudinal research methods, which exemplify some of the most rigorous and important designs in a social-developmental psychologist’s toolkit. However, this was my first experience of formal instruction in longitudinal research methods; thus, it was an especially valuable experience as an early career researcher who is keen to expand her capabilities.
The summer school provided an introduction to the theory underpinning longitudinal research methods and the life-course perspective, and a workshop in sequence analysis using the TraMineR package in R. It was a challenging but fascinating week, made all the better by the opportunity to meet researchers from universities across the world who were also participating in the summer school. I am extremely grateful to the instructors who facilitated these seminars and workshops, in particular Alejandro González, whose patience and enthusiasm as we grappled with complicated ideas were invaluable.
This summer school also provided me with an opportunity to explore the beautiful city of Barcelona. While my days were filled with thinking and learning, my evenings were filled with walks along sun-soaked streets, and tapas and sangría shared with new-found friends who I had met through the summer school. Visiting houses designed by Gaudí, participating in a walking tour and exploring Park Güell were among the highlights of the week for me. It was an enriching and inspiring experience, and one I will not forget in a hurry.
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