ZeMKI member Dr. Rieke Böhling presents her project “You Are Your History” at the Research Centre for Media and Journalism Studies in Groningen
10. April 2026
On Friday, April 17, from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m., ZeMKI member Dr. Rieke Böhling will present her current postdoctoral project in the Cultures of Media Production Theme Group at the Research Centre for Media and Journalism Studies as part of her collaboration with Dr. Berber Hagedoorn from the University of Groningen.
Titled “You Are Your History”: Family Memory and Identity on Genealogy Platforms, the presentation explores the growing significance of digital genealogy platforms such as Ancestry, MyHeritage, FamilySearch, and WikiTree. It focuses on how these platforms are transforming the exploration of family history and users’ everyday memory practices through extensive digitized archives, networking opportunities, and DNA analysis.
In particular, the presentation examines how genealogy platforms are transforming the way family memories are handled, analyzing three central dimensions: datafication, networking, and gamification.
You can find more information about Dr. Rieke Böhlings’ postdoctoral project on her project page: https://zemki.uni-bremen.de/en/forschungsprojekt/you-are-your-history/
