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*Wednesday 15th April 2009, Cardiff University* * * *‘Researching Muslims in Britain: * *A Day Conference for Early Career Researchers’* * * *CALL FOR ABSTRACTS* * * This one day conference aims to explore some of the methodological debates on conducting research on, with and for British Muslims in contemporary society, focusing on the practice of reflexivity and situatedness in research. Researcher dynamics and insider/outsider boundaries were first emphasised by feminist researchers and critical race theorists in the 1980s. This scholarship emphasised the relationship between power and knowledge and the importance of situating the researcher into the process of knowledge production. There is now an established literature that explores the interpersonal dynamics in fieldwork, particularly in relation to positions of gender, ethnicity and race. Most of these reflexive works have investigated the relationship between researcher and participants within ethnographic research or within indepth interviews. Since the disturbances in cities in the North of England in the summer of 2001, as well as the atrocities of 11th September 2001 and the 2005 London bombings, Muslims in Britain have been placed at the very centre of media attention and political concern. There is now a burgeoning academic literature focusing on Muslims in Britain, but this has not been matched by an interrogation of methodologies utilised within research. There has been a very limited focus on the importance of the role of researchers in relation to research on, with and for Muslims, or on insider/outsider dynamics as experienced by non/Muslim researchers. This conference seeks to bring together social science researchers and Islamic studies scholars, with the aim of exchanging dialogue about theoretical and practical issues concerning reflexivity and positionality in relation to research on Muslims in Britain. We are particularly keen to attract papers from early career researchers (including PhD students) from the humanities and social science disciplines. Possible topics might include: - research dynamics - insider/outsider statuses in relation to faith - the ways in which faith intersects with other positions such as gender, ethnicity, class, nationality, sexuality, dis/ability and age in fieldwork - reflexivity in qualitative and quantitative research (including innovative methods such as internet-based research, longitudinal research, the re-use of existing qualitative data, visual methods and participatory approaches) - reciprocity in research - ethical issues in relation to research on Muslims in Britain Abstracts (max 300 words) on these or other related topics should be submitted to Jody Mellor and Asma Khan ([log in to unmask] and [log in to unmask]) by *27th March 2009* at the very latest. Confirmed speakers include Peter Hopkins (University of Newcastle) and Serena Hussain (Oxford University). Lunch and refreshments will be provided, and there is no fee for registration. Please note that we are unable to cover the expenses of speakers, but we have limited funds to offer financial assistance towards accommodation for PhD students. Any further enquiries about the event should be directed to Jody Mellor on 02920 876125 or Asma Khan on 02920 875069. Details of this conference are also available in Welsh. Many thanks Dr Jody Mellor Centre for the Study of Islam in the UK School of Religious and Theological Studies Cardiff University Cardiff CF10 3EU SOCREL-PG is the Postgraduate e-mail list of the BSA Sociology of Religion Study Group. To join SOCREL-PG, send the following one-line message: join socrel-pg YOURFIRSTNAME YOURLASTNAME to: <[log in to unmask]> Send contributions to the list by sending messages to: [log in to unmask] To leave SOCREL-PG, send the following one-line message: leave socrel-pg YOURFIRSTNAME YOURLASTNAME to: <[log in to unmask]>