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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