Pizzolati M. Queerness and collective care within University: insights from memory work with student groups

Authors: Micol Pizzolati

Abstract

Drawing on Memory Work workshops facilitated at three Italian universities, this article explores how queer students create and inhabit spaces of collective care and belonging within academic contexts. By linking scholarship on queer student experiences with those on the politics of care, this work examines participants’ desires and motivations for fostering mutual and circular support. The approach involved engaging participants in writing autobiographical memories, which were then discussed collectively, allowing complex meanings and tensions to surface. By reweaving these narratives, the article highlights how queerness, care, and commitment intersect in university life, offering insights into transformative forms of belonging.

Keywords: Collaborative care practices, Memory Work, Queer student experiences in higher education, Transformative belonging

DOI: 10.13131/unipi/c5sh-sa29

Notes on contributors

MICOL PIZZOLATI is an Associate Professor of Sociology in the Department of Letters, Philosophy, Communication at the University of Bergamo, where she is Co-Chair of the Creative Methods Open Lab research group.
E-mail: micol.pizzolati@unibg.it.