-- Apologies for Cross Posting --

Higher Education in the Liquid Modern Era: Swirling Down the Drain?
CALL FOR PAPERS
University of Leeds
September 9th 2011

The Coalition Government's removal of state funding for the social 
sciences and humanities, and subsequent allocation of state funding to 
STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects only, 
belies an assumption that the value of higher education can and should 
be measured by instrumental, direct, economic 'output'. This is a 
clear attack on the subjects which it believes to be self-indulgent, 
valueless and outdated. We invite postgraduates from the social 
sciences and other related disciplines to respond to this challenge.

This one day, BSA sponsored conference, hosted at the University of 
Leeds in conjunction with the Bauman Institute, will be looking to 
address these concerns. We welcome 15 minute papers exploring (but not 
limited to) any of the questions below:

- How has sociological theory impacted on the ethical, economic, 
social and political landscape?
- Is there space for substantive ethical development within 'the academy'?
- How might proposed drives towards efficiency, impact and 
'value-for-money' lead to irrational outcomes?
- Can postgraduate students assert the value of sociology by opposing 
the changes inside academic institutions?
- Will there still be space for critical sociology or will changes to 
funding limit critical thought?

The conference itself will be divided into a mixture of keynote 
speeches, workshops and postgraduate led papers. Speakers include; Dr 
Mark Davis (University of Leeds) Dr Katherine Smith (University of 
Bath), Dr Paul Taylor (University of Leeds) and Dr David Harvie 
(University of Leicester). From the conference, we intend to produce a 
collaborative resource, detailing the concerns and solutions offered 
by postgraduates in defence of sociology, the humanities and the 
social sciences generally.

Abstracts of no more than 150 words should be submitted to Leon 
Sealey-Huggins at [log in to unmask] by July 1st 2011. The event is 
free to BSA members and £25 to non members. To register for the event, 
please email Sam de Boise at [log in to unmask] Limited travel 
reimbursements are available for attendees. For more details please go 
to http://www.sociology.leeds.ac.uk/bauman.