PostGrad Café Conference
27th February 2007
Glamorgan Building
Cardiff University
Provisional Abstract List
Postgraduate Presentations
Session A: 13:00-14:30
Session B: 14:45-16:15
Session C: 17:30-19:00
Buckley, Kelly (C1)
The “Curvy Girls” Vs The “Lollypop Brigade”: The disciplined and undisciplined celebrity female bodies in Heat magazine
This paper explores the complex and contradictory representation of the female body within women’s celebrity gossip magazine, Heat. Using the method of critical discourse analysis, I begin by exploring the significance of Heat’s discursive construction of celebrity for discourses of femininity. Successful femininity is discursively produced as being embodied in the shape and adornment practices of the female body advocated by the magazine, presented as achievable for female readers through Heat’s discursive construction of celebrities as ‘ordinary’. In this context, I argue that Heat’s (mis)representations of the “normal”, curvy body, and its derision of the “abnormal”, über-thin bodies of the “lollypop brigade” (so called because their heads are too big for their ‘stick-thin’ bodies), are based upon the positioning of these body types along a continuum of disciplined and undisciplined bodies. Furthermore, I then demonstrate how Heat’s representation and surveillance of female celebrity bodies reinforce Foucauldian notions of self-discipline. This discourse of the female body closely intersects with discourses of both class and health, in keeping with the current media debate regarding the dangerous impact of size zero models on the psychological and physical health of young women. In essence, I suggest that Heat’s discursive construction of the “normal” female body and femininity is neither ‘new’ nor emancipatory as it is packaged, but a reworking of traditional versions of femininity in celebrity, post-feminist form.
Butler, Catherine (A1)
The Taming Of The Future
This paper is based on data taken from a doctoral study of the issue of flooding in England and Wales. The initial aim of the research project was to understand how the concern of flooding is being constructed through the narratives of those working in the field. Following this, the goal became to examine what the dominant framing of flooding means for approaches to the problem. From the analysis it became clear that flooding has come to be framed as a symptom of anthropogenic climate change. It also became apparent that knowledge for decision-making in relation to flooding is derived – at least in part - from risk assessments. The research subsequently involved a broad analysis of the utility of ‘risk’ for ‘modern’ societies. Barbara Adam (forthcoming), Ulrich Beck (1992) and Niklas Luhmann (1993) identify part of the utility of risk methodologies as being the provision of a secure base for decision-making, in the face of an uncertain future. They assert that the past based probabilities, derived from risk analyses, provide a means for taming an indeterminable future. Here, it is posited that as flooding comes to be conceptualised as a symptom of climate change, the previous security derived from risk analysis begins to falter. That is, as the future becomes increasingly uncertain the tools, which we as modern societies have utilised to cope with uncertainty, are weakened in their capacity to provide security.
Eady, Dennis (A1)
The Llanharry Murder Mystery: Fishing in a shoal of red herrings
The paper reflects on the case of Jonathan Jones convicted in April 1995 of the murder of his girlfriend’s parents at their isolated farmhouse in Llanharry, South Wales on 26 July 1993. Jonathan was cleared by the Court of Appeal in April 1996. The paper draws on documented evidence in the case, including the Court of Appeal Judgement and extensive interview material with Jonathan Jones.
The paper specifically reflects on: -
· The notion of case construction in miscarriages of justice
· The “close relationship” perpetrator assumption.
· The “Agatha Christie Scenario” of unlikely and fictitious plots and motives, and primarily: -
· The re-construction of irrelevant and misleading observations as evidence
Eaton, Vicki (A2)
‘Stonewalling?’: Difficulties encountered in research with disengaged pupils
In recent years governments, policy makers and researchers have expressed a growing interest in listening to the voices of young people. It is becoming increasingly accepted that children and young people can make competent decisions and valuable contributions to discussions regarding issues that affect their daily lives. In the field of education there has been a rapid growth in literature focusing on pupil voice and pupil consultation. In a climate of personalised learning where individually tailored pathways through education and training are being developed it is vital that the young people involved are listened to so that their needs may be met. In order for pupils’ voices to be heard they must be willing to speak, however numerous researchers have described difficult encounters with young people who are sometimes unwilling to cooperate in educational research. Attempts to engage certain groups of pupils (e.g. those with very low self-confidence, pupils who have become disengaged) in conversation about their experiences of education are likely to be challenging. This presentation will touch upon difficulties I encountered during my masters study of teenage girls experiences of extended vocational provision in secondary schools and setbacks I have experienced whilst attempting to get my PhD project off the ground.
Ehrenstein, Amanda (C2)
Precarity And Everyday Politics In The UK: The experience of precarious workers in the visual arts in Cardiff
An increasing proportion of the young, highly-qualified workforce in Europe is engaged in intermittent or irregular labour. Young workers find themselves in an unstable and dynamic labour market where knowledge skills, individual abilities, creativity and personal interests are demanded as standard and highly exploited for marketing purposes and the production of new commodities which have a primarily cultural, emotional, or intellectual content. In recent years these conditions have been the subject of political concern which has found its expression in the rise of protest against ‘precarity’. Social movements attracting many different social actors express their concern about neoliberal policies and new forms of exploitation and exclusion experienced by people working and living outside the ‘normal wage’ system. High levels of flexible and atypical employment are particularly prevalent in the arts industries, a growing sector of production in western societies. Whereas material and judicial aspects of precarity are relatively easy to capture and analyse, the transformation of affectiveness and political engagement seems more difficult to trace. This paper gives insights into first results of a pilot study carried out with young workers in visual arts in Cardiff. It draws attention not only to the subjective experience of exploitation but also to labour autonomy in this sector.
Elderfield, Alison (B2)
Getting A Good Reception: Maintaining social networks and mobile phone use
This paper presents a summary of findings chapter based on data collected for my Ph.D. research. These findings reveal the dynamics of social networks via mobile phone use from interviewing 12 mobile phone users, who were primarily middle-class students and graduates aged between 17 and 27, together with their peer groups. The mobile phone was found to be an important tool through which the group operate co-ordination and social arrangement as well as maintenance of contact and inclusion. The efficiency of the mobile phone is without void of limitations changing social etiquette in ways that loosen arrangements and detract pleasantries; one reason for this is due to the social interaction differences and hindrances (e.g. text messaging compared to talking). Aside from telecommunication, mobile phone is used as a multi-functioning device used in close proximity in sharing files, ring tones, videos and photographs as well as to entertain, therefore reflecting shared group interests. Essentially, the mobile phone allows emotion to be expressed more freely, through text rather than talk in many cases; allowing friends to say exactly what is meant, yet lack of tone and intonation leads to misinterpreted meaning. Power relations are also a significant finding in this study; the communication device can become a source of surveillance and control, through which contact can be filtered or ignored. Expectations and surveillance are prominent, as well as power dynamics in gender relations. I will therefore discuss the most interesting sections of my chapter, which are: inclusion; co-ordination and loose arrangements; power relations and control, talk/text and proximate uses.
Foley, Anne (A1)
Caravandetta: Problems in researching the victimization of Gypsies and Travellers
Within social sciences there is a need to understand the social world of hard to reach groups. Yet many ‘hard to reach groups’ are sceptical of research/researchers and may not want their culture betrayed by an obtrusive researcher. This paper will outline some issues I experienced when researching the victimization of Gypsies and Travellers in south Wales. Gypsies and Travellers are fiercely proud of the culture and as a closed social group are reluctant to participate in research. The problems I will focus on relate to gendered identities, accessibility both physical and personal, risk factors and ethics. I will discuss how I overcame these problems and their potential impact on my research.
Luce, Ann (C1)
The Press As Perpetrators Of Childhood Bullying And Suicide
The conception of children in society is one of a weak, naïve and innocent being. Based on these adult perceptions, oppression of children is common. Social constraints in the day-to-day lives of children are common. But it is the social constraints during the school day that cause the most problems. Oppression in school leads to bullying, which can ultimately lead to suicide. But where do these adultist ideas come from? The press. The way the press reports on children’s issues, frames stories about children, places stories on its pages about children all set a greater agenda for how adults view children. Thus, the role the press plays in the continuation of childhood bullying and suicide is one that must be viewed and studied carefully.
Miteff, Corbett (C1)
Digital Eyes – Digital Television: Who is watching our kids?
Television shows like The Powerpuff Girls, Astro Boy and Atomic Betty feature characters whose eyes are undoubtedly large when compared to those of humans living in the real world. This readily apparent phenomenon made possible by animators is quite interesting when looking at research regarding children and eye gaze cues. Research has shown that children over the age of 4 can detect shifts in eye movements, which signal changes in objects direction and inferences to certain preferences. This leads me to believe that certain animated characters have the possibility of over communicating ideas and expressions. After all, children are watching an overabundance of television, and it’s only fair to think that the large eyes are having influence. Perhaps it’s nothing to worry about, and children are indeed connecting with these characters though eyesight. If the ancient proverb-- the eyes are the windows to the soul, is true, then certainly the viewers are getting a dose full of soul. Let us just hope that the characters are teaching the difference of good from evil, and more importantly, teaching constructive humanitarian ways to deal with life’s problems.
Needs, Jackie (B2)
Insurance Experiences Of People At Risk Of Genetic Illness
Participants from a larger Genetics and Insurance study were invited to take part in a recorded telephone interview to discuss their experiences of obtaining life insurance. Twenty interviews were carried out with people at risk of Huntington’s disease (9), Polycystic Kidney disease (2), Breast/Ovarian cancer (8), and Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (1).
The interview schedule consisted of 14 open questions concerning genetic risk, insurance purchasing, attitudes and beliefs about insurance, the current moratorium on use of genetic test results, and future policy.
Recordings were transcribed and examined for themes, similarities and differences. Results showed that the majority of people had problems in obtaining insurance, the Huntington’s disease group having more problems than the others. Participant’s knowledge about the moratorium was almost non-existent, and some people appear to have been treated incorrectly by insurers. This is in line with previous findings in the UK and US. Additionally, participants expressed fear of disclosure and non-disclosure of test results to insurers, fear of rejection of future claims and avoidance of insurance. Participants expressed a desire for unbiased, impartial advice to be available from a source other than insurance companies.
Robinson, Pam (C2)
Snakes And Ladders: Labour conditions in the banana fields of Costa Rica
During the last five years there has been increasing scrutiny by consumers, non-governmental organisations and union organisations in the North as regards the labour conditions of workers involved in producing bananas in the South. The paper explores the relationship between work and employment in a highly concentrated industry and the dichotomy of increased market demand for cheaper bananas with improved labour conditions. The banana is the biggest selling and most profitable food product for Supermarkets in the UK and at each stage of the banana supply chain, there is a high degree of integration between plantations (producers) and customers (supermarkets). Thus, the influence of Supermarkets is growing stronger and as the self appointed guardian of consumer interest they are demanding that producers align their business practices with the Supermarkets’ own Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and ethical sourcing policies. The theoretical framework used in this analysis draws on global chain studies that emphasise shifting relationships and control within the chain and the dimension of governance. The paper largely draws on the empirical data gathered during a two month fieldwork study conducted on plantations situated in the banana province of Limón in Costa Rica.
Ryan, Jane (B1)
Uncovering The Hidden Voice: The articulation of learning styles by male undergraduate nursing students.
Creation of religious orders projected men as the primary and archival providers of nursing care. Between 1921 and 1938, 97,028 female nurses were recorded on part 1 of the general register in comparison to 435 males on part 2. The imbalance in numbers emulated the concept of the skewed group, where the dominant group featured as a ratio of 85:15. Men in nursing remained the minority group, the figures being 3.1% in Canada and the United States in 1989 whilst figures reached 8.77% in the United Kingdom in 1989. To date and these figures mirror the results of undergraduate nursing programmes, registered male nurses rarely exceed 10% of the total number of qualified nurses in the UK. Their number has contributed to the notion of investigating whether a minority have a voice and they can articulate their learning styles as a group within a dominant female population. The phrase ‘learning style’ was found to be buried within work termed as ‘approaches to learning’ and has acted as common language to describe differences between people. How a male undergraduate nursing student expresses their learning style will be examined in relation to the masculinities framework by Connell.
Smith, Robin (A2)
An Empty Stage?: The strange absence of the social actor in the landscape of regeneration.
Since the 1980s, and certainly more recently, there has been a growing amount of both academic and public discourse surrounding the national and regional regeneration initiatives and policies charged with the task of re-shaping our urban landscapes left derelict and with uncertain futures after the process of de-industrialisation. Much of the research concerned with the understanding and assessment of regeneration projects has been born of a policy analysis perspective and government agencies and academics have relied upon quantitative indices to gauge the impact of the development corporations. This paper will discuss the regeneration of Tiger Bay, re-born as ‘Cardiff Bay’ and ‘Mermaid Quay’ and will propose that through established sociological theories and methods it is possible to understand such regeneration projects as having an impact far beyond the reach of quantitative measures. The radical transformation of an area such as ‘The Bay’ has implications for both urban social organisation and the construction, mediation and, ultimately, control of subjectivity and experience which the methodology discussed in this paper is capable of documenting.
Tholen, Gerbrand (B1)
Skill Acquisition In Knowledge Economies
It is widely believed that the knowledge and skills of the workforce are of crucial importance for Western economies in order to successfully compete in the global economy. Western governments are actively striving to raise the average education level of the workforce. This paper explores how national differences in the organisation of Higher Education can provide different conditions that shape individuals’ understanding of the relationship between education and the labour market.
The majority of the literature on skill formation focuses either solely on the individual or takes a notably structural and/or institutional approach in explaining who obtains which skills. There is a lack of attention towards the way individuals interact with their social environment relating their educational trajectory. A focus on the subjective interpretation of structural features is very much needed. To exemplify this point the paper shall show some organisational differences in higher education between the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. These differences do not just provide different circumstances wherein a (rational) individual will choose the optimal decision in skill acquisition. Differences in educational structure and organisation very much negotiate two different interpretive frameworks in which Dutch and likewise British students see themselves and their educational choices. The paper is an initial approach to these themes and, thus, it will not offer a detailed treatment of the Netherlands and the UK. However some illustrations will be drawn from these countries.
Weinel, Martin (A1)
Primary Source Knowledge And Technical Decision-Making: Thabo Mbeki and the AZT controversy
Demands for public participation in technical decision-making are momentarily high on the agenda of Science & Technology Studies. It is assumed that the democratisation of technical decision-making processes generally leads to more socially desirable and acceptable outcomes. While this may be true in certain cases, this assumption cannot be generalised. Specifically, I will discuss the case of the so-called ‘South African AZT debate’. The controversy started when President Thabo Mbeki, after reading some scientific papers on the toxicity of AZT, decided to bar the use of the drug in the public health sector as a means to reduce the transmission of HIV from mothers to children. While the scientific mainstream accepts the effectiveness of AZT in reducing the risk of vertical HIV transmission, a few maverick scientists reject the clinical evidence and argue that the risks of using AZT by far outweigh its benefits. Based on various textual sources and using the ‘periodic table of expertise’ developed by Collins and Evans (2002, 2007), Mbeki’s expertise at the time of his intervention into the technical question whether AZT is a medicine or a poison can be classified as ‘primary source knowledge’. It is shown that this type of expertise is insufficient for technical decision-making. Mbeki’s primary source knowledge led him to take the claims of maverick scientists too seriously – with tragic consequences for tens of thousands babies.
PostGrad Café Plenary
19:00-20:30
Geesink, Ingrid (PGC)
Two Hundred Thousand Words, One Job, And The Whooshing Sound Of A Deadline Flying By
In this presentation I like to share my experience as a PhD student in SOCSI (2002-2006) through different phases of frustration and euphoria. I discuss my struggles in research design (last-minute invention of research questions and theoretical framework), juggling data collection with a job or two, overzealous attempts at producing manuscripts twice the size of a thesis, followed by providing some retrospect into restructuring and revising, rewriting and eventually relief. I talk about dealing with passing deadlines, multiple supervisors, writer’s block and rewriter’s syndrome, isolation and devastation, the magnum opus myth and other challenges on the way to postdoc life. Finally I provide some practical viva survival tips plus of course my personal top 50 procrastination strategies.
Mellor, David James (PGC) Waiting For The Tap On The Shoulder: The emotional labour of the PhD Employing sociological analysis to discuss the practice of social science PhD students, this presentation will explore some of the emotional experiences of undertaking doctoral research. By drawing loosely on Hochschild (e.g. 1983), I apply the sociological idea of emotional labour to the practices of apprentice social scientists in order to discuss how the feelings that are displayed to others through day-to-day activities and interactions are managed while ‘doing the job’ of a PhD student.
