Hi, I’m Renata Lisowski.
I am an historian, YouTuber, and researcher.
As an historian, I focus on society, technology, and public engagement.
As a researcher, I am interested in the ways that people form communities and share experiences in online spaces.
As a YouTuber, I create videos about music, travel, and life as an American in Finland.
About My Research
My research focuses on international reception of Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu and how foreign made reaction videos to UMK facilitate cross cultural dialogue and shared experiences of Finnish culture.
This doctoral research is being carried out at the Department of Music, Art and Culture Studies at the University of Jyväskylä in Jyväskylä, Finland.
My Publications
My first research article “Reaction Videos, Researcher Positionality, and Falling Back in Love with Vlogging” was published in M/C Journal.
Article Abstract:
In recent years, fans of the Eurovision Song Contest and its many national selections have channeled their creativity and found community through sharing reaction videos on YouTube to songs competing in the contest. In this article, I approach the topic from an autoethnographic perspective as a fan, reactor, and researcher, and I examine the complexities of researching from the positionality of an aca-fan. Through analysis of contemporaneous field notes taken during participant observation as a reactor, I answer the question of how my role as a reactor impacts my research, and how the research process impacts my own experience as a reactor. I show that the confluence of academic and fan identities can act as a force multiplier for stress, and that conflict between these identities can also bring into question authenticity as a reactor doing research.
My Education
University of Jyväskylä
Doctoral Researcher, Contemporary Culture Studies
Current
University of Pennsylvania
Master of Science in Historic Preservation - Public History
2020
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Bachelor of Arts in Humanities
2013