Dear All, 

Please find below details of the SRA Annual Conference being held on
Wednesday 6th December 2006, at the Brunei Gallery, SOAS, University of
London, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H OXG. 

Further details can be found in the attached PDF of the programme. 

Please book as soon as possible as places are going quickly. For a
booking form please email [log in to unmask]

The theme for this year's conference is " Challenging myths, researching
reality  the role of social research". 

BACKGROUND TO THE CONFERENCE: 

Understanding and explaining the society we live in is a key task for
social researchers. This year the SRA's annual conference "Challenging
myths, researching reality  the role of social research" provides an
opportunity to focus on some of the problems faced by social research
when investigating and presenting complex social issues. 

Through key note speakers and eight workshop sessions, the conference
aims to promote discussions about the nature of social research and the
role it plays in informing the research and policy community as well as
the general public. 

In the morning, Ian Diamond will examine the capacity of social research
to challenge misconceptions of social issues, whilst John Curtice and
Greg Philo will address the issue of how social and political attitudes,
perceptions and actions are formed, including examining the role social
research and the media plays in shaping people's understanding of
"reality".


In the afternoon, eight workshops delivered by research experts from
academia, government and the private sector will provide opportunities
to examine robust evidence on headline (and often myth laden) topics
such as community cohesion, user involvement in health services and
attitudes to poverty and rural disadvantage. Other workshops will
identify and discuss some of the methodologies, analytical tools and
technologies that can be used to enhance our understanding of the world.


Finally a panel of expert users of social research including the
Director of the European Parliament's UK Office, the Head of UK and
International Policy at the Refugee Council and the Chair of the
Treasury Select Committee will discuss their use of social research to
combat some of the common myths and misperceptions in their policy
fields. 

OUTLINE OF THE DAY 

Registration: From 9.30am 

10.00am > SRA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (SRA MEMBERS ONLY) 

10.30am > CONFERENCE OPENING 

= Welcome and Introduction from the Chair, Barbara Doig, SRA Chair 

= Plenary speakers: 

Ian Diamond, Chief Executive of the Economic and Social Research Council
(ESRC) Professor Diamond will address the role and capacity of social
research to challenge misconceptions of social issues. 

Greg Philo, Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Applied Social
Sciences, University of Glasgow Professor Philo will address the issue
of the role the media plays in shaping people's understanding of
"reality". 

John Curtice, Department of Government, University of Strathclyde Myths
and Reality in Social Attitudes 

= Panel discussion with comments and questions from the floor. 

12.30pm > LUNCH 

1.30pm > Workshops Session A (workshops 1 to 4) 

* Workshop 1: Housing and Rural Communities 

Private landlords and tenants  their real issues and concerns. 
Afi Adjei and Maggie Davidson, Building Research Establishment 

Challenging the Myth of the Rural Idyll: Using Market Segmentation
Techniques to Understand Rural Attitudes to Disadvantage. 
Ruth Bradshaw, Thematic Studies Manager, Commission for Rural
Communities 

* Workshop 2: Community Cohesion 

Refugees are abusing our system, aren't they? 
Siddig Elzailaee, Researcher, Working Lives Research Institute, London
Metropolitan University 

Whose 'problem' is cohesion anyway? Challenging misconceptions about
social integration and community cohesion. 
Dr Adele Smaill, Community Cohesion Evaluation Officer, Strategy and
Resources, Oldham MBC 

*Workshop 3: Healthy Involvement 

The Patient Advisory and Liaison Service as a catalyst for change: Myths
and realities of the implementation of the NHS user involvement agenda. 
Sarah Booker, Research Fellow, Faculty of Health & Social Care,
University of the West of  England 

Obesity, social control and the tyranny of health. 
Dr Michael Gard, Charles Sturt University, Australia and Carnegie
Research Institute, Leeds Metropolitan University, UK 

*Workshop 4: Understanding Poverty and Managing Money 

Managing money in older age: Are pensioners really as financially
excluded and vulnerable as commentators suggest? 
Annie Irvine and Katharine Nice, Social Policy Research Unit, University
of York and Peter A.  Kemp, Department of Social Policy & Social Work,
University of Oxford 

The Reality or Myth of Poverty  a Method for Applying Objectivity to
Poverty Studies. 
Wendy Olsen and Jamie Morgan, Cathie Marsh Centre for Census & Survey
Research, University of Manchester 

2.50pm > TEA 

3.20pm > Workshops Session B (workshops 5 to 8) 

* Workshop 5: Binge Drinking 

'Binge drinking' in the UK: the recent history of a confused concept. 
Rachel Herring, Research Fellow and Virginia Berridge, Professor, Centre
for History in Public Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical
Medicine, London; Betsy Thom, Reader, School of Health and Social
Sciences, Middlesex University. 

* Workshop 6: Shifting public beliefs about poverty 

Shifting public beliefs in the UK about poverty. 
Julian Thompson and Sarah Castell, Ipsos MORI HotHouse 

* Workshop 7: Approaching Stereotypes 

Approaching stereotypes and myths in social surveys: the example of
British Social Attitudes. 
British Social Attitudes Team, NatCen 

* Workshop 8: Challenging myths and stereotypes 

Using the ONS omnibus survey to challenge myths and stereotypes. 
Chris Dowsett, Research Officer, Social & Vital Statistics, Office for
National Statistics 

4:15pm >  PANEL DISCUSSION "Challenging myths, researching reality - the
role of social research" 

Chaired by Ceridwen Roberts, Vice Chair of the SRA 

With: 

John McFall MP, Chairman of the Treasury Select committee Nancy Kelley,
Head of International and UK Policy, Refugee council Dermot Scott,
Director of the European Parliament's UK Office 

5:20pm > DRINKS RECEPTION
________________________________________________________________
If you are not a member of the Social Research Association but would
like to find out about the benefits of membership, please contact the
administrator noted below Gemma Pikett Administrator Social Research
Association
175 - 185 Gray's Inn Road
London
WC1X 8UP 

E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Tel: 020 7812 0634
www.the-sra.org.uk