Overview

On 16th April 2012, the University of York will play host to a one day postgraduate conference focusing upon perceptions of the social sciences in a contemporary era of unrest.

The event will bring together academics and postgraduate researchers from across various different disciplines and institutions to reflect upon the conference theme in a supportive and collaborative environment.

The event is being organised by postgraduate researchers from the University of York.

Organisers

The conference is supported by a team of postgraduate organisers. Please contact the relevant person from the list below or Triona Fitton in all other instances;

Primary Organiser
Triona Fitton, University of York: tf516@york.ac.uk

Catering and Accommodation
Triona Fitton, University of York:  mailto:tf516@york.ac.uk

Abstract Submissions
Matt Spokes, University of York: mailto:ms923@york.ac.uk

Marketing & Media
Ken Leach, University of York: ken.leach@york.ac.uk

Delegate Information & Online Registration
Daniel Merriman, University of York: drm500@york.ac.uk

Day Programme

The event will be centred on the theme of the debates around the contemporary era of unrest, and their implications for the future of Social Science disciplines.

In addition, the day will include a keynote address by John Holmwood (University of Nottingham), President Elect of the British Sociological Association and editor of the Manifesto for the Public University, discussing how sociology is produced and disseminated external to the academy. There will also be a keynote Q&A with Les Back from Goldsmiths College, proponent of the EUMARGINS project which studied immigrant social exclusion and inclusion in the European Union.

The day programme below is subject to change.

Call for Papers

Abstracts are invited from Masters and PhD students working across the social sciences for a one day event, hosted by the Sociology department at the University of York.  The theme of the conference is perceptions of social science disciplines in the light of current social and political upheaval and uncertainty. The event will provide an informal and collaborative arena in which to debate and discuss the future of social sciences in relation to your own research interests. There will be an emphasis upon encouraging reflexivity in research and reflection upon what your research contributes to conceptions of public/professional social science in the modern era.

Postgraduate papers must be no more than 10-15 minutes long, and will be organised into the streams listed below. The first and second stream aim to contextualise contemporary debates about unrest, and the third to offer potential solutions from within the social sciences:

1. Political & Social Unrest – Action/Activism/Counter Culture/Riots/Budget Cuts or related topics.
2. Uncertainty – Prospects & risk in the era of unrest.
3. Academia & Beyond – Opening a dialogue which extends beyond academia to notions of a ‘public’ and open social science discipline.
   Abstracts should be between 250-300 words and include the speaker’s name, institution, department and preferred postgraduate stream.

Abstracts should be sent to Matt Spokes electronically at the address below and be received by Friday 24 February 2012. Submissions after this deadline may not be considered for inclusion.