After Paul Atkinson: the future of three research areas

The School of Social Sciences recently hosted a two day event looking forward to developments in three key research areas.

Rounding off a year of celebrations for 40 Years of Ethnography at Cardiff, the event explored the future of three research areas: Biomedicine and Genomics, Enculturation and the Arts, and the Future of Ethnography and Qualitative Methods.

This event also celebrated the contribution that Distinguished Research Professor Paul Atkinson has made to the discipline of sociology. Paul joined Cardiff University in September 1974 and he and Dr Anne Murcott established the Cardiff Ethnography Group.

School of Social Sciences’ staff were joined by sociological colleagues from across the UK and beyond; the event provided the opportunity for the UK and international sociological community to consider future directions and developments in the aforementioned research areas.

Academic alumni from Cardiff also attended - colleagues who over the last 40 years have helped to shape sociology and the social sciences at Cardiff University – and enjoyed hearing from keynote speakers including Professor Stefan Timmermans, UCLA, Professor Andrew Webster, the University of York, Professor Tia De Nora, Exeter University and Professor Martyn Hammersley, Open University, as well as Paul himself. 

Dr Sara Delamont, Reader and academic lead for the event said: “This was a truly excellent occasion. The most important element was that we were looking forward, with a focus on three areas to which Professor Atkinson has made such a substantial contribution.”

An online memory book was put together, enabling delegates to leave comments and thanks to Professor Atkinson for his work over the past 40 plus years. Head of School Professor Amanda Coffey presented this to Professor Atkinson towards the end of the second day.