February 19, 2022

Dr Rianne G. van Melik

Associate professor
Human geographer
Radbound University
Heyendaalseweg 141 
6525 AJ NIJMEGEN

Dear Rianne,

With this letter of motivation, I am willing to apply for a Ph.D. position in Ethnographic
Research on Public Libraries as Social Infrastructures.

Doing two degrees in sociology made me familiar with qualitative and quantitative research
methods. Since my master’s degree was more practical (Applied Sociology) than my bachelor’s,
I participated in various research projects. One of the subjects about project planning resulted in
a successful project application grant. The proposal aimed at improving the quality of online
teaching during the pandemic in one of the Georgian villages. Moreover, during my master’s
degree, I generated comparative data between two different religious movements – Hare
Krishnas & Catholics, using an ethnographic research method. For my master’s thesis, I
employed Pierre Bourdieu’s concepts – Symbolic Violence and Social Suffering and examined
them in the lives of Internally Displaced Women in Georgia. The study revealed the importance
of applying the same concepts in different social settings and institutions. After coming across
this program, I am willing to research Symbolic Violence in the Netherlands’ libraries and reveal
the changes of the libraries’ sociocultural roles through time.

Apart from academic life, I was actively involved in occupational service jobs that added to my
research skills. Working three full night shifts in a week as a bartender to fund my studies made
me a resilient person, an essential quality for a researcher. Furthermore, being a host at various
big music events trained me to anticipate upcoming problems and solve them beforehand. Since
big music events include many employers, they taught me how to work in a team.

Applying for this position has several reasons. Being locked in in an unfamiliar country with no
social networks, the library was the only salvation for me, resulting in effectively finishing the
degree and keeping a clear mental state. Researching libraries is very interesting because of their
transformation through time. Indeed, the role of it – to be the only source of information has
changed with the help of the internet, but it still remains very popular among different age
categories that interest me as a researcher. Again, since my master’s thesis revealed that
internally displaced women prefer concerts in public spaces, I became invested in the role of
public places of marginalized people.
The main reason why I am willing to acquire a Ph.D. degree is my willingness to become a
professor. Also, doing a Ph.D. means being surrounded by people with similar interests that will
boost my motivation and dedication while working on my research project. Additionally, it
opens up many career perspectives.

I understand that I do not fulfill one of the requirements – being proficient in Dutch, but I studied
German for several years at school, and I believe it will not be hard for me to learn the language
quickly. Also, learning languages is a hobby for me, and because of that, I speak multiple of
them. I hope it will not hinder me from getting accepted since I believe my affinity to the topic
and knowledge of different research methods make me a suitable candidate for the program.

Yours sincerely,
Geno Goletiani