ESRC Seminar Series
Interrogating ‘harm’ and ‘abuse’: protection and citizenship across the lifespan
Symposium 2: Vulnerability and risk: ‘the subtle authorisation of harm’
13th May 2009, Iris Murdoch Building, University of Stirling
Department of Applied Social Science
University of Stirling
Stirling FK9 4LA
Convenors: Alison Bowes, Brigid Daniel; Kathryn Mackay
In Symposium 2, The discussion develops to contextualise interpersonal relationships and individual experiences, to explore different types of abuse and their construction (or non-construction) as social problems; and to examine
‘cultural orders’ (Boddy 1998) and cultural contexts pertaining to ‘victims’, their recognition and construction. Concepts of vulnerability and risk will be critically interrogated to identify the extent to which they advance understanding or form part of
the problem.
Key questions:
- How and under what conditions does ‘harm’ to a category of people move from a private concern to a social problem?
- In what ways are ‘victims’ constructed, recognised and ‘authorised’?
- What are the impacts of discourses of vulnerability? Are any social groups intrinsically vulnerable?
- How far does a focus on ‘risk’ impede or advance responses to issues of ‘harm’?
Speakers will include:
Interrogator: Professor Cherry Rowlings
Alison Bowes (University of Stirling): Mistreatment of older people in black and minority ethnic groups: an emerging social problem?
Alys Young (University of Manchester): Deafness as risk or resilience? Created vulnerabilities and ignored strengths
Catherine Donovan (University of Sunderland): “I hate the word ‘victim”: an exploration of recognition of domestic violence in same sex relationships
Khatidja Chantler (University of Manchester): Independence, risk and vulnerability: do notions of ‘independence’ work to protect service users from ‘harm’?
Martin Stevens (Kings College London): Synthesising unsuitable people: exploring approaches to barring people from working in social care services
Invitation to attend
You are invited to attend the seminar. Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis, with a number reserved for participants from policy and practice contexts. Places will be confirmed during
April 2009.
If you would like to attend the Seminar, please register electronically by following this weblink:
http://www.dass.stir.ac.uk/old-site/lifespan/
Please also see below a call for poster presentations at the same event
Vulnerability and Risk: ‘ the subtle authorisation of harm’ *
CALL FOR POSTER PRESENTATIONS
13th May, 2009 Iris Murdoch Building, University of Stirling
This is the second symposium, in the ESRC Seminar Series
Interrogating ‘harm’ and ‘abuse’: protection and citizenship across the lifespan. Posters should complement the symposium’s key questions:
- How and under what circumstances does ‘harm’ to a category of person move from a private concern to a social problem?
- In what ways are ‘victims’ constructed, recognised and ‘authorised’?
- What are the impacts of discourses of vulnerability? Are any social groups intrinsically vulnerable?
- How far does a focus on ‘risk’ impede or advance responses to issues of ‘harm’?
Poster prize
A prize of a £50 book token will be awarded for the best poster.
Application
Please send a 200 word poster abstract to [log in to unmask] by 31st
March at the latest. Ensure that your abstract includes your name and contact details and the title of your poster. Please indicate if you are a PhD student or new researcher (up to 3 years post PhD) and whether you wish to be considered
for a bursary.
Bursaries
Bursaries are available to support attendance by PhD students and new researchers (up to 3 years post PhD). They will be awarded to those in these categories who submit the best poster abstracts and we can not
guarantee to cover full expenses. If you wish to apply please include an estimate of the costs of travel and accommodation along with your abstract. Decisions on abstracts and bursaries will be communicated by 10th April.
* Boddy,1998
Professor Alison Bowes
Professor of Sociology and Chair in Dementia Research
Dementia Services Development Centre
Department of Applied Social Science
University of Stirling
Stirling FK9 4LA
Scotland. UK
Tel: 01786 467696/466424
fax:01786 466299
