A guest lecture by Prof. Barry J. Gibson of the University of Sheffield will be held at the Faculty of Croatian Studies, University of Zagreb, on Thursday, May 7.

The lecture, entitled “Time-Tripping from the Academy to the Icon: Negotiating Methodological Schisms and the Contested Legacy of Kurt Cobain,” will begin at 9:35 a.m. in the Šibenik lecture hall.

In his lecture, Prof. Gibson will introduce the concept of time-tripping as a social process through which past events are reconstructed from the perspective of contemporary social issues and interpretations. Drawing on the history and methodological disputes within Grounded Theory, he will examine how collective memory is shaped through conflicting interpretations of the past, in which questions of authorship, power, and social legitimation play a crucial role.

The second part of the lecture will focus on the reputational legacy of Kurt Cobain, the frontman of Nirvana, through competing narratives about his life and legacy. Through the analysis of memoir and biographical sources, Prof. Gibson will demonstrate how social memory is shaped by competing interpretations that reflect broader social dynamics, including gender politics and cultural conflicts surrounding historical memory.

The lecture will conclude by linking these themes to the broader issue of history and collective memory in conflict-affected societies, particularly through the lens of research into historical narratives and social divisions in post-conflict communities.
Prof. Gibson is based at the School of Clinical Dentistry at the University of Sheffield, where he serves as Professor of Medical Sociology and leads the Person-centred and Population Oral Health Research Group. He has been at the University of Sheffield since 2004, where he established and led the Master’s programme in Dental Public Health. His research spans medical sociology, public health, and social theory, with particular contributions to the development of medical sociology and methodological debates on Grounded Theory.

Prof. Gibson’s visit is organized as part of the institutional research project DIGI-HR, conducted at the Faculty of Croatian Studies. The project explores how conditions of digital inclusion and exclusion are shaped in contemporary Croatian society, with a particular focus on the digital divide, social inequalities, and opportunities for reducing them through lifelong learning.
Students, academic staff, and all interested members of the public are warmly invited to attend this interdisciplinary lecture, which raises important questions about the relationship between history, collective memory, culture, and social power.