BSA Early Career Forum: Ethics, vulnerability and emotion

BSA Early Career Forum: Ethics, vulnerability and emotion in the research process

Thursday 27th July 2017

Joseph Banks Laboratory, JBL3C01, Meeting Room, Brayford Pool Campus, University of Lincoln, 9.30am – 3pm

Event aims

This one-day event, run by the Early Career conveners for the BSA, aims to support early career researchers to identify and reflect upon the ways in which numerous vulnerabilities permeate the research process, not least in fieldwork settings and sites beyond the academy. Hallway conversations with researchers, contextualised by broader intellectual questions of reflexivity, indicate that within the contemporary neoliberal research context, social researchers seldom have the opportunity to consider or even discuss the impacts that their research topics, methodologies and subsequent work have on them. Similarly, while many third sector agencies and organisations working with vulnerable people consider self-care and debriefing by staff to be essential, research institutions and current requirements to be ethical, are falling far short in their capabilities to care effectively for their workforce.

Alongside key-note presentations to stimulate discussion, we also encourage submission of abstracts for short presentations (no more than 5 minutes) and research dilemmas to prompt personal and group reflection on research practice, solutions and strategies. Attendees will be provided with the space for therapeutic, and open dialogue, about the challenges researchers face, including what makes them vulnerable. If you would like to present about any of these issues as they relate to your current research, please send your abstract to Anna Tarrant (atarrant@lincoln.ac.uk ) and Rachel Thwaites (rthwaites@lincoln.ac.uk) no later than Friday 30th June 2017.

Attendance at the event will allow you to join a burgeoning network of researchers interested in these issues. We would also like to propose a research publication written by and for early career researchers.

Keynote speakers

Professor Janice McLaughlin, Newcastle University. Janice’s research considers how childhood disability or illnesses are framed from within the worlds of medicine, community and family.

Sarah Nussbaum is a doctoral researcher at the University of Nottingham. Her research investigates the use of musical participation as part of the rehabilitation provision in prisons.

Registration fee

Lunch is provided on the day of the event. Registration fees are as follows:

  • BSA member: £10
  • Non-BSA member: £25

To attend the event please register here: https://portal.britsoc.co.uk/public/event/eventBooking.aspx?id=EVT10668

For more information please contact the BSA Events Team: events@britsoc.org.uk