Music &….Society

From ancient gladiators battling to the death in front of cheering crowds to the modern-day journalistic maxim that ‘if it bleeds, it leads’, violence has occupied a prominent place in the human imagination. It is common to see animals in the wild fighting to establish dominance and eliminate potential predators. But when humans engage in similar behaviour, it raises a host of questions about the nature and implications of violence. Why has our capacity for reason, compassion and empathy been insufficient to circumvent our primal urge to use physical force to cause injury, death or other forms of harm? Why has violence exerted an irresistible hold on the human psyche throughout history? How have cultural practices and language shaped our understanding of violence in terms of either enabling or discouraging violent behaviour? What, if any, circumstances make violence acceptable? What factors cause people to be violent? What can be done by individuals and communities to prevent violence?

For further details and information, please see the conference web page by clicking here.

“Falling in love was not really a choice; it just struck me.”  Many people identify with the sentiment in Helen Fisher’s writing about love; the elusiveness, the enduring, the mystery, the unknown of such a powerful emotion and experience.  Artists, designers, writers, poets, singers, songwriters, musicians – we have all tried with various degrees of failure and success to describe and express the many forms of love.

What does it mean to love? What does it mean to be intimate?   What is the connection between romance, intimacy, and love?  Such broad questions, yet such diverse and personal answers.  This project endeavours to explore romance, intimacy, and love within the context of persons and interpersonal relationships and across a range of critical, contextual, and cultural perspectives. Seeking to encourage innovative dialogues, we warmly welcome papers which struggle to understand what it is to be a person, how romance, intimacy and love impacts our familial, individual, personal, romantic, and social relationships. There is an intention to form a selective publication emerging from the meeting to engender further collaboration and discussion.

For further details and information, please visit the conference web page by clicking here.

We live in an era where stories about bodies – in/visible bodies, glamorous bodies, engineered bodies, trafficked bodies, dismembered bodies, persecuted bodies – are omnipresent. While bodies are literally made of flesh and blood, our understanding of bodies is constructed through fictional and non-fictional stories that shape perceptions of what constitutes the body, how a body should look, how a body should behave, how a body should experience the world and how bodies should interact with each other. By creating these types of norms, stories also shape perceptions of what constitutes deviant, non-normative and otherwise undesirable bodies. Telling stories about the body is therefore an act loaded with ideological, political, sociological, theological, ontological and aesthetic implications.

At the same time, notions of the body have also had a significant impact on the stories cultures have created and passed down through generations. Suffering bodies are central to the foundational narratives of various religious, cultural and political traditions. Genres have emerged with stories about monstrous bodies, sexual and erotic bodies, bodies at war, modified bodies, bodies coming of age and ageing, bodies being tested by nature, bodies enhanced by (bio)technology, politicised bodies and so forth.

At a time when the socio-political landscape is dominated by the construction of barriers among the population based on race, nationality, gender, sexual orientation and class, it is more important than ever to consider how stories about bodies and perceptions of bodies shaped by stories not only foster division and difference, but also inspire cohesion and belonging.

For further details and information click here to visit the conference web page.

The idea of the child as innocent, as pure, the ‘little angel’ in need of protection from the harsh realities of life and the corrupting influences of the world around us has come to dominate our thinking, language, values, social policies and educational philosophies in the past few decades. Children are seen as ‘little people’, ‘blank slates’, works in progress who are loved, nurtured and guided as they grow to become mature, rational and responsible adults.

Yet we are also aware of the mischievous ‘little monsters’, the ‘little devils’ who run exasperated parents ragged. The toddlers who chase pigeons; kick cats; pull the wings off flies and the legs off spiders. Children of whom we become afraid; who abuse other children; who assault each other, strangers, parents, the elderly. Children who ‘roam’ and ‘own’ the streets, individually or ‘in packs’; who are put ‘into care’; who commit crimes; who smoke, drink, and take drugs. Feral children. Children who rape. Children who torture. Children who kill. Children who are ‘possessed’: demonic children, evil children who do evil things.

This research stream will juggle with three competing approaches to children and evil. The first concerns itself with how (certain) children have been presented as evil and considers the nature of evil children as a social and cultural construct. The second  concerns what is meant by ‘innocence’ – in all contexts – and then particularly the ‘innocence of a child’. The third approach considers the question of whether and, if so, in what ways children can be evil.  Are children wicked? Are children malicious? What does it mean to be personally, socially, legally and morally responsible? And, if responsibility exists, at what point does one assume responsibility for one’s acts? What is it about the special status of ‘childhood’ that somehow makes it different?

The inaugural launch of this inclusive interdisciplinary conference will begin to examine, explore and undermine issues surrounding the general idea of the child as innocent and explore all aspects of evil children and the relationship between children and evil with a view to forming a publication to engender further collaboration and discussion.

For further details and information, please visit the conference web page by clicking here.

International migrations are an intricate part of a more interconnected world in terms of trade, communications and cultural exchanges. There is no question that migrations help improve people’s lives in both sending and receiving states, offering new opportunities for millions of people worldwide to better their lives. However, the causes, scope and complexities of international migrations in the XXI Century are also impacting the lives of millions of people worldwide in ways that many states and communities were ill prepared to deal with.  The persistence of extreme poverty in large areas of the world, the impacts of climate change, the continuation of internal conflicts, regional wars and religious or sectarian inspired violence have forcibly displaced a record number of over 68.5 million people worldwide. According to the UNCHR’s 2018 Global Trends, “31 people are newly displaced every minute of the day.” Economic and survival migrants, as well as refugees from the Global South, are desperately looking for new routes and ways to reach a place they can call a safe haven. At the same time receiving and transit states are struggling to balance their immigration and asylum policies between their obligations to uphold the fundamental human rights of migrants and the growing pressures of xenophobic sentiments and nativist attitudes.

The irony of today’s globalization is that goods and services can move with more freedom, yet the cherished right to freedom of movement for people has come to a dramatic halt: Migrants are perceived as a threat to the security of the state or as criminals if they dare not follow the everyday more restrictive immigration laws and policies. For those migrants who cannot meet the increasing legal requirements, restrictions, barriers, and costs to cross borders, their options to migrate legally have become practically impossible. Those looking for a better life or refuge are being pushed to find new and more perilous journeys putting their lives and those of their loved ones at the mercy of inhospitable environments or unscrupulous smugglers or human traffickers. This includes persons being pushed to use false identities, and otherwise misrepresenting their circumstances to get their foot in the door.  According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in 2017 the number of migrants who disappeared or died during such journeys were estimated to be more than 5,000 with most incidents occurring in the Mediterranean.

For further details and information please visit the conference web page by clicking here.

‘Sport’, as Mandela famously observed, ‘has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than government in breaking down racial barriers.’

The power of sport to serve as a force for social good is well-documented. Various types of sports bring people from different generations and backgrounds together for a common purpose, provide a sense of security, belonging and identity, enjoyment and excitement; and for participants a sense of fulfilment, well-being and physical fitness. In short, sport and its associated values can act as a powerful driving force for individual growth, social change and collective engagement.

At the same time, the misuse and abuse of power by the people and institutions that help to entrench the pervasiveness of sport in modern culture casts a dark shadow over practically every sporting activity. In response, there has been a vociferous backlash, including from sports journalists weary of the doping and the match-fixing and the behaviour of elite athletes and sports organisations; from fans disenchanted by the way their sports have become submerged in the world of global commerce; and by scholars and commentators critical of the disproportionate importance given to sport in the modern world. Double standards and tainted values feeding a generation of flawed celebrities and skewed priorities.

The second meeting of the Sport conference provides a platform for participants from all relevant professions, disciplines and practices to explore, assess, and build action around key themes relating to the dynamics of power as it relates to sport with a view to forming a selective publication to engender further collaboration, research and discussion.

For further details and information please visit the conference web page by clicking here

Protest has been part of human societies for millennia. Movements such as Black Lives Matter and Me Too offer a powerful reminder of the continued relevance of activism in the 21st century. While these examples of protest share a common DNA with historical civil rights and gender equality movements, activists today operate in a world where digital technology affords particular advantages and disadvantages that have changed how we engage with protest and dissent. We now have constant access to a steady stream of information about dissatisfaction with the state of our world, who is alleged to be responsible for the situation, and who is calling for change. Consequently, it has never been easier for activists to disseminate messages, educate the public and encourage participation by like-minded people.

Digital technology has also been criticised for facilitating ‘armchair activism’, in which dissent can be expressed in a single click or tweet instead of substantive action to achieve genuine change and. How does digital technology change the way activists operate compared to historical models of protest and activism? What can today’s activists learn from historical instances of protest? What impact does online activism have upon the importance of space and place to protests? How do new and emerging technologies change the way we understand and value online engagement as a form of protest and activism? How can these understandings assist activists in developing more effective strategies for achieving their goals in the future?

The second meeting of the Activism, Protest and Dissent project seeks to explore these questions through inclusive inter-disciplinary dialogues incorporating the perspectives, experience and expertise of participants from all relevant professions, disciplines and practices with a view to forming a selective publication to engender further collaboration and research. Unlike other conferences or gatherings, this event proposes to step outside the traditional conference setting and offer opportunities for participants to engage in interactions that are fruitful and conducive to broadening horizons and sparking future projects, collaborations, and connections.

For further details and information please visit the conference web page by clicking here

The second meeting of the global inclusive interdisciplinary Evil Women: Women and Evil project will explore and examine all aspects of the conjunctions between women, the feminine and evil with a view to forming a selective publication to engender further collaboration, research and discussion.

On the one hand we will scrutinise what happens when women themselves behave in ways that are considered evil – when they rob, murder, manipulate, groom, abuse, beguile, embezzle. Women are not expected to behave in aberrant or illegal ways and we will consider the structural and systemic reasons for the heightened interest, repulsion, condemnation – and even hatred – that feminine transgression generates. Women are condemned not only for what they do but also for what they fail to do; those who harbour, lie for and couple with nefarious men are seen to have failed in their duty as gatekeepers of male morality. Where women themselves are accused of evil they are typically judged more harshly than their male counterparts.

On the other hand we will also consider what happens when women speak out, act up and reject the beliefs, institutions and cultural practices that have traditionally defined and confined them, and explore the deeper meanings behind social, cultural and political responses to women who seize or challenge power. Women are perpetually circumscribed – defined, limited and controlled. Women who transgress the limitations placed upon them have faced discrimination or abuse, with sanctions ranging from minor disagreements to social isolation, physical violence and death. A recent campaign to feature Jane Austin on a UK bank note lead to its organiser receiving rape and death threats in such quantities that, in just one weekend, police collected enough individual threats to fill 300 A4 pages.

What does all of this mean for women, the world they live in and the ways in which ‘evil’ can be understood and applied? We invite participants to explore evil women, women and evil from the full range of disciplinary, professional, practitioner, vocational, voluntary sector, NGO and other contexts and perspectives. The aim is to generate an inclusive dialogue which begin to illuminate the cases of individuals whose lives have been impacted by feminine ‘evil’.

For further details and information, please visit the conference web page by clicking here.

Our second interdisciplinary inclusive Sexual and Gendered Violence conference seeks to understand how sex, gender, and sexual orientation impact those experiencing and perpetrating violence. We aim to isolate, discuss and explore the main issues, pressing matters and recent developments in the field; to identify areas to be subsequently explored in further depth; to better understand how sex, gender, and sexual orientation impacts those experiencing and perpetrating violence; and to generate collaborative action that will lead to real, lasting change in the way sexual and gendered violence is perceived and approached in varied settings, and that will bring a useful contribution to the curbing of this phenomenon on a local and global scale. Discussions and engagements at the meeting will be considered for a possible selective publication with a view to enabling further research and collaboration.

For further details and information please visit the conference web page by clicking here.

This inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary conference seeks to investigate and explore the enduring influence and imagery of monsters and the monstrous on human culture throughout history. In particular, the project will have a dual focus with the intention of examining specific ‘monsters’ as well as assessing the role, function and consequences of persons, actions or events identified as ‘monstrous’. The history and contemporary cultural influences of monsters and monstrous metaphors will also be examined with a view to forming a selective publication to engender further collaboration and discussion.

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The dispersion of communities of people physically displaced from their perceived ‘homeland’ to other parts of the globe has been a defining feature of the human experience. Commonly referred to as diasporas, these groups have travelled to other lands for reasons including to escape persecution, to seek a better life and to exploit economic opportunities. As a critical framework, diaspora directs our attention to the impact of relocation/dislocation on the lives and identities of affected individuals, the homelands they leave and the new places where they make their homes. Diaspora has often been defined in terms of what it is not – not from “here,” not “at home,” not “rooted.” This approach is consistent with the way modern—that is, privileged—subjectivity is primed to understand identity in terms of how it differs from an ‘other’. For this reason, the language of difference is inextricably linked to the concept of identity. Whether they are designated as exiles, expatriates, alien residents, transnationals, dual/multiple-citizens, refugees, or other migrants, diasporans frequently are regarded—by others as well as by themselves—as ‘other’. While diaspora offers convenient terminology for talking about groups living away from an ancestral homeland, it has acquired particular meanings and connotations about the nature of dispersion, the orientation of displaced persons to the homeland and the impact of boundaries on identity. However, influential voices in the field have called for diaspora to be through of as a critical practice that engages in an ongoing discussion with diasporic experience without falling into the temptations to categorize or define too rigidly.

As we approach the end of the first 20 years of the 21^st century, we are well positioned to consider how members of displaced groups relate to identity markers such as race, ethnicity, nationality, language, religion, and other socio-cultural categories, having regard to the impact of globalisation, connectivity and mobility.

For further details visit the conference web page by clicking here