Cardiff University | University Graduate College

Spotlight on Social Sciences

A Conference and Poster Competition for Postgraduate Researchers at Cardiff University and Neighbouring Institutions

Thursday 14 March 2013

ABOUT THE EVENT

This conference, which is organised by and for postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers, will showcase current research in the social and economic sciences at Cardiff University. The event is aimed at early stage researchers across all subjects in the social and economic sciences. Researchers from neighbouring Universities will also be invited to take part.

The aim is for researchers to communicate the essence of their research via short presentations to other non-specialists. A primary purpose of the event therefore is to develop communication skills within a mutually supportive environment. The conference will also provide participants with a valuable opportunity to meet other researchers and establish links.

There will be approximately 15 talks throughout the day, with poster presentations on display during the lunch break (lunch will be provided). Prizes will be awarded at the end of the day for the best talk and best poster, with a drinks reception to end the event.

Call For Delegates

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Dr Katie Featherstone, School of Nursing & Midwifery, Cardiff University
Risky relations: what is family in the context of genetic risk?

Kinship is a well-established topic of enquiry within anthropology and sociology. However, biomedical innovations within clinical genetics have given this topic,renewed significance. It also provides us with the opportunity to explore a number of analytic themes and questions within a new context: How do people trace their relationships, and how do they express them? What does ‘family’ mean in everyday terms, and how do people maintain those ties in practical ways? How do people conceptualise the patterns of resemblance and individual difference that are observable among family members? How do people make everyday, practical decisions about sharing information and beliefs with other family members? This paper will explore kinship from both the perspective of individuals and their family members attending the clinic for genetic risk assessment and also the perspective of clinical teams who also construct particular versions of ‘family’ in their everyday work.

Seen from the point of view of the geneticist, the social sciences can help to address some urgent practical and ethical issues they face and I will go on to discuss the ways in which detailed ethnographic work can speak to policy, practice, and publics.

Biography
The recurrent theme of Katie’s work is the production, translation, and wider social consequences of biomedical knowledge.She has produced a body of detailed ethnographic work examining the family context of genetic risk information and the work of the clinicto explore both the personal and wider social implications of these developments; and is the author of Risky Relations: Family and kinship in the era of new genetics and Creating Conditions: The Making and Remaking of a Genetic Condition. In addition, she is an experienced PhD supervisor and is the Director of Postgraduate Studies (Research) within the School of Nursing and Midwifery Studies (http://phdays.cf.ac.uk).

WHO CAN ATTEND?

This conference is open to all MPhils and PhDs across the social sciences at Cardiff University. The event is also open to students from neighbouring institutions.

PRESENTATIONS

Talks should be no longer than 15 minutes long, and posters can be up to A1 size (landscape or portrait). Please be prepared to answer questions from the audience on your research. Remember that the audience will be interdisciplinary therefore your presentation must be understandable to non-specialists.

Posters should address four areas: the context/history of your work, what you are doing, why it matters, and where you are going next. If your poster abstract is approved by the committee, funding will be available from the University Graduate College to help pay for it to be printed in A1 size, colour print, on glossy paper. Please note that posters do not need to be completed until approximately one week before the conference.

If you haven’t done a poster before, the advantages of doing one are:

It’s an easier way of presenting research if you’re still early on in your PhD or not keen on giving oral presentations;
This event gives you chance to try your hand at producing one;
A poster can be re-used at other events.

PRE-EVENT TRAINING

There will be two pre-event workshops to assist you in tailoring your presentation:

Presenting Research Orally: 17th January 2013

Conference Posters: 5th February and 7th March 2013

Please note that these workshops are only open to Cardiff University Students.

PRIZES/JUDGING

Cash prizes will be awarded for the best talks and the best posters which will be judged by a panel of postgraduate researchers. You can also be provided with feedback on your presentation if you feel that this would be valuable to you.

Talks and posters will be judged mainly on content/structure/delivery and how accessible you made your research to a non-specialist audience. Talks and posters that are too technical in their nature will not score as highly as those which have been modified to suit a general scientific audience.