On May 11, 2026, the Faculty of Sociology and Social Work at Babeș-Bolyai University hosted the lecture “Bridging Migration and Ageing: How Ethnography Can Help Us Understand Societal Challenges”, delivered by Ana-Maria Cîrstea, postdoctoral researcher at Newcastle University, as part of the Inspire Research Series @ FSAS.

Bringing together ethnographic fieldwork conducted in London, Northern England, and, more recently, Romania, the presentation explored migration, dementia care, ageing, gender, and transnational care arrangements through deeply nuanced and reflexive accounts. Moving between methodological reflection and vivid fieldwork vignettes, Ana-Maria Cîrstea illustrated how ethnography allows researchers to move beyond rigid binaries such as insider/outsider and to engage more attentively with the ambiguities, tensions, and emotional textures of social life.

The lecture sparked lively and thought-provoking discussions, offering a compelling reminder of how rich and intellectually generous ethnographic methods can be in helping us understand complex social realities. Above all, the meeting highlighted the importance of listening carefully, questioning our assumptions, and remaining open to the unexpected ways in which fieldwork reshapes both knowledge and the researcher themselves.