François ROMIJN

Adresse visiteur Laboratoire d'Anthropologie des Mondes Contemporains Avenue Jeanne, 44 Bâtiment S Bureau S12.208 1050 Bruxelles Belgique Adresse courrier Université libre de Bruxelles Avenue Franklin Roosevelt, 50 - CP 124 1050 Bruxelles Belgique francois.romijn@ulb.be

Bio

François Romijn, Ph.D.
Chargé de recherches F.R.S.-FNRS 

Email: francois.romijn@ulb.be

Présentation des enseignements

• [2021-2023] Anthropologie du proche (co-titulaire) avec Sasha Newell (coordonnateur)

Présentation des recherches

Research Interests:

Anthropology of science; Science and Technology Studies (STS); Specialist knowledge & lay-users; Genomics as a cultural object (ancestry genomics, environmental epigenomics, ancient DNA research); social construction of the relationship to the past; Ambiguities and action; Digital humanities

Reasearch projects:

2024-2027 - Upcoming] MSCA Individual Fellowship (Global Fellowship), MPI-EVA (Leipzig, Germany) & Deakin University (Melbourne, Australia). Project title: The social life of ancient DNA. How can scientists and citizens better interpret the past in light of ancient DNA research? A dual ethnographic study in Germany and Vanuatu.

[2021-2024 - Ongoing] As Chargé de recherche (Postdoctoral position) with the National Fund for Scientific Research (F.R.S.-FNRS), Laboratoire d’anthropologie des mondes contemporains (LAMC, ULB). Project title: Genomics and the construction of the past. Ancestry genomics among Wisconsin-based descendants of Belgian Immigrants.

[2020] Belgian American Educational Foundation & University of Wisconsin-Madison Postdoctoral Position.

[2018-2020] Cross-disciplinary Program (IDEX) University of scientific excellence and innovation Postdoctoral Position (full-time), University Grenoble-Alps. Project title: Epigenetics and incorporation of the environment: Which biosocial agendas for sociology and epidemiology?

[2013-2018] Junior Research Fellow (Ph.D. candidate) with the National Fund for Scientific Research (F.R.S.-FNRS), Ecole des hautes études en sciences sociales & Université libre de Bruxelles. 

My current projects / projet en cours :

Thousands of Belgians (primarily from the present territory of Wallonia) immigrated for economic reasons to Northeastern Wisconsin during the 19th century, where, by 1860, they reached a population estimated at around 15,000 individuals. 170 years after the first Belgian settlement, there are still a significant number of descendants of these immigrants actively self-identifying to a Belgian ancestry or present-day ethnicity in Door, Brown & Kewaunee Counties. Many members inside the community demonstrate a profound interest in their ancestry and the history of Belgian settlement in the region. This study focused on these descendants and their current representations and practices related to their Belgian ancestry and current identity. In this larger framework, I explore the practice of genomic ancestry testing: How do Wisconsin-based descendants of Belgian immigrants – living in a mid-western, largely white, and mostly rural community – connect a perceived common Belgian ancestry to a contemporary sense of belonging through genomic ancestry testing (GAT)? 

Travaux sélectionnés

Travaux récents sélectionnés

Romijn F. (à paraître 2023), « Nouveaux savoirs spécialisés sur le biologique et redéfinitions de la responsabilité : génomique de l’ancestralité, épigénomique environnementale et ADN ancien », SociologieS.

Romijn F. (Forthcoming), « Drawing on ancestors’ past qualities to fashion one’s identity today. Ancestry genomics and genealogy in a community of Wisconsin-based descendants of Belgian immigrants ».

Romijn F. (à paraître 2023), « Blanchité et belgianité du chercheur dans une enquête ethnographique au Wisconsin », in: Bénédicte Fontaine, Gabrielle Fenton, Éléonore Haddioui et Julie Hermesse Du terrain (près de) chez soi – Epistémologies du « proche » en anthropologie, Harmattan.

Romijn F. (2023), “Negotiating Belgian identity through ancestry genomics. How ancestry genomics filters into a community of Wisconsin-based descendants of Belgian immigrants?”, Science as Culture, URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/09505431.2023.2178401.

Romijn F. (with Louvel S.) (2021), "Epidemiologists’ ambivalence towards the epigenetics of social adversity", BioSocieties. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41292-021-00248-2.

Romijn F. (2020), « Les louvoiements du patient au sein du cabinet médical. Éléments d’une pragmatique de l’exposition de l'inquiétude de l’inquiétude », SociologieS. 
URL: http://journals.openedition.org/sociologies/12564.

Romijn F. (2020), « Retour au cabinet médical. Pragmatique de l’exposition et du traitement de l’inquiétude », in : José Manuel Resende & Pedro Caetano (dir.) (Ar)riscar em mundos imprevisíveis e incertos: a crise, formas de (des)legitimação e modos de representação e de mobilização, Carviçais: Lema d’Origem – Editora.

Romijn F. (2017). ‘‘Exposer la découverte de ses ‘‘origines’’’’, in: Filiation, imaginaires et sociétés, Líneas, revue interdisciplinaire d’études hispaniques, n° 9. [Online], URL: https://revues.univ-pau.fr/lineas/2057.

Romijn F. (avec M. Berger) (2016), “Participer ou presque. In-actualisation de la participation du quidam aux questions de santé”, Questions de communication, vol. 30, n° 2, p. 91-118. URL: https://www.cairn.info/revue-questions-de-communication-2016-2-page-91.htm.

Romijn F. (2016). ‘‘L’évocation d’Internet dans l’espace du cabinet médical’’, Anthropologie & Santé [Online]. URL: http://anthropologiesante.revues.org/2239.