Call for Papers – Joint East Asian Social Policy Research Network (EASP) and United Kingdom Social Policy Association (SPA) Annual Conference 2012, ‘Social Policy in an Unequal World’, 16th-18th July 2012, University of York, UK. EASP (www.welfareasia.org) and SPA (www.social-policy.org.uk) will be holding a joint annual conference in July 2012, bringing together two of the largest academic social policy conferences within a single event for the first time. The theme for the conference will be ‘Social Policy in an Unequal World’. We particularly wish to invite paper proposals that reflect on this theme, however interpreted, and hope to encourage debate on: inequality globally; inequality within countries; cross-national comparisons of inequality; the impact of international institutions and processes on inequality and on the delivery of welfare; the increased concentration of income and wealth amongst the rich; the ongoing impact of the financial crisis on national social policies and welfare reform processes. However, we invite papers on any aspect of social policy within any country/countries of the world and stress that papers from outside of this theme will be accommodated, as is the usual practice for the EASP and SPA annual conferences. In addition to single papers, we are also strongly encourage proposals for symposia, whereby three or more abstracts linked to a particular theme are submitted together for consideration. Symposia will potentially allow participants to engage more deeply with their special interests and create a space for focused debate on a specific theme. For papers, abstracts of 200 to 400 words should be submitted as a Word or .rtf email attachment to [log in to unmask] Proposals for symposia should consist of a 200 word outline of the aims of the symposium together with contributors’ abstracts. Proposals will be reviewed by a Programme Committee prior to acceptance. The closing date for the submission of abstracts and proposals is Wednesday 29th February 2012. Full papers must be submitted electronically to the same address by 30 June 2012. Postgraduates are also invited to attend the conference. Options for participation include: a presentation in a regular conference stream; a presentation in a session closed to postgraduates only; and show-casing your research in a poster presentation. You can also join forces with your peers and submit a proposal for a symposium, with three or four abstracts linked to a particular theme. Please follow guidelines for submission as outlined above. On your submission, it is essential that you record your status as a postgraduate and mark your chosen option as: ‘Presentation’; ‘Symposium’; ‘Postgraduate presentation’; or ‘Poster’. Further details about the conference can be found online at http://www.social-policy.com -- Organising Team 2012 East Asian Social Policy Research Network/UK Social Policy Association Conference University of York, UK, 16th-18th July 2012 http://www.welfareasia.org/ (EASP) http://www.social-policy.org.uk/ (SPA) http://www.york.ac.uk/spsw/ (University of York Department of Social Policy & Social Work) http://www.social-policy.com/ (Conference Information Site)