Graduate Conference 2011
A session inspired by and marking some key anniversaries in the field of new
media technologies:
Rich Davis - "Why would you want to study me? It's not that interesting!"
Early results of a study on the everyday use of the Internet.
Much Internet research has focused on the potential that internet use can
provide, along with the possibility of 'freeing' so called 'users'. My research
is an attempt to address another side of this discussion, of increased
technologies used and relied upon in the daily routine and the continued
adoption of the internet as one of our everyday activities. I will provide a
brief outline of the research, and present a number of attitudes that my
participants have on the subject, and how the everyday is very interesting.
Ben Anderson - 'The Coming Crisis' is here
In 2007 Mike Savage and Roger Burrows's paper 'The Coming Crisis of Empirical
Sociology' responded to "the proliferation of social transactional data which
are now routinely collected, processed and analysed by a wide variety of private
and public institutions" by looking forward to a new Sociology where "both the
sample survey and the in-depth interview are increasingly dated research
methods, which are unlikely to provide a robust base for the jurisdiction of
empirical sociologists in coming decades." Those decades are already here and at
Essex we have some of the best data to play with. This talk will outline some of
the empirical value of these 'social' transactional data through examples using
unique datasets held in the Department.
Berfin Emre - The Valley of Audience
Is it possible to think about a form of `converged audience` thanks to the
convergence of media technologies? The question of how we define the concept of
media audience in a changing media environment is still very crucial for
exploring the ways in which people construct meanings or define their identities
through the media. Focusing on a case study, my talk will try to discuss these
questions and map the audience in different media ecologies with reference to
the everyday uses of TV in Turkey.
2nd SESSION What do we do with data? (Chair: Nick Allum)
Lynley Aldridge - Managing literature: Tips and tricks
This session will offer some practical advice about ways of managing
literature throughout the process of planning, conducting, and writing up
research. It will present a brief overview of techniques -- using Word, Endnote,
and NVivo -- that may be useful for keeping track of what we have read;
reviewing, summarising, and synthesising literature; keeping audit trails
recording the development of our thinking; and integrating literature and
results.
Key themes: introduction to reference management software (cite-as-you-write,
groups, annotated bibliographies); conceptualising literature as data
Bethany Morgan Brett - Managing your research data well
This session will give an overview of some of the data management issues that
should be taken into consideration when conducted any social science research
project. It will consider issues such as consent, anonymisation, documentation,
data formatting and security.
Key themes: Consent, Anonymisation, Copyright, Documentation, Formatting and
Version Control, Security and The Data Life Cycle.
5th SESSION Feeling one's way in the midst of the research process (Chair:
Rob Stones)
This session looks at how it feels to be trying to work out the best way to
approach your research whilst you are in the very midst of doing the research.
There will be an attempt to give a sense of the messiness of the process, and
how one deals with uncertainty and changes of mind - about approach,
interpretation and even what the main issues should be. The three speaker will
talk about these processes, and how they attempted to resolve the difficulties
that arose?
Dan Holman - Social class and pathways into talking treatments: illuminating
abstract
Do working class people underuse talking treatments for mental health
problems because they know little about what they entail, and hold negative
attitudes towards them? This was the original hunch that guided my research, and
so the logical thing to do was to measure whether these concepts varied by
social class via quantitative methods. But the qualitative element of the
project, involving semi-structured interviews, has illuminated the limitations
of thinking of concepts like knowledge and attitudes as abstractions. I present
some of the themes that have emerged from the interviews and reflect on how they
offer a more enriching explanation for social class differences in the use of
talking treatments than my initial hunch.
Goze Orhon - Remembering and Forgetting Turkey's MIlitary Coup of September,
1980
The aim of the operation that is being carried out is to defend the integrity
of the country, provide national unity and cooperation, avoid a probable civil
war and fraternal fight, to re-establish the authority and the presence of the
State and eliminate the motives that interfere the functioning of the democratic
system.
This was one of the main assertions of the military cadres in their very first
announcement promulgating the military coup in the early hours of 12th September
1980. In 2011, Turkey has now come through the thirtieth anniversary of this,
last, coup detat in its history. This was a moment when power shifted from the
civil government to the military, but it was more than this. It was the
beginning of a period of political sanctions which meant imprisonment,
persecution and exile for thousands of people, and the loss of family members,
friends, and companions for many more. For most people, whether from the Left or
the Right, the coup marks a profound rupture in their individual lives. Such an
episode from the past drove me to ask how this period is remembered, coped with,
and forgotten, by the people who experienced it. These questions preoccupied me
throughout the ethnographic research I carried out with approximately thirty men
and women who were members of different Right and Left political organizations
and associations, and of trade unions, before and during the coup period. I also
engaged with people who became involved but who had no political affiliation.
Here I present some rough, unpolished, sketches of the reflections and tentative
answers that my interviewees and I edged towards in facing such a tough set of
questions.
Buke Koyuncu - Modernist Islamism and National Identity in Turkey: a case
study on the identity vision of the AKP
At the beginning of the 21st century, Turkey witnessed the emergence of a new
social group that was labelled the Islamic bourgeoisie by some (Gmş, 2008)
and the contra-elites (Gle, 2000) by others. The new, and to some extent
surprising, appearance of Islamic culture in the lives of Turkish people brought
on by this new social group, challenged the image of both Islam and modernity in
our minds, bringing about discussions of Islamic modernity or modernist
Islam. The departure point of my research was to understand and analyse this
new social group for whom modernist Islamism constituted an identity
reference. However, while working with modernist Islamism, its relationship
with national identity started to appear as a significant issue. So the focus of
my research shifted to the interplay of modernist Islamism with the Turkish
national identity field.
Key conditions of possibility for this interplay were provided by the long
and stable governance of a pro-Islamist Party, the Justice and Development Party
(AKP). As a consequence I began to realign my research to focus on relevant
aspects of their activities. I decided to identify and examine some of the key
issues in the policies of the AKP that have significance for the definition of
national identity. Focusing on the period 2002-2011, I analysed party
programmes, presentations, declarations and related news stories in the media.
Here I will discuss this process of change and adaptation to the new research
focus, and note one or two of the findings that resulted from it. The latter
revealed a process in which there is an interplay between the laicist (secular)
character of the field of Turkish national identity, on the one hand, and
modernist Islam as an identity vision dating back to the Ottoman modernization
project, on the other. I believe that this interaction involves an intriguing
dual process which is Islamizing the overall field of Turkish national identity,
undermining its laicist (secular) structure, at the same time as it is also
secularizing the content of the modernist Islamist discourse.
A number of our former graduate students who have completed their PhDs in the
past 10 years and gone on into academic careers were asked to recount (very
informally!) their post-completion publishing experiences. Please click on the
links below to hear their stories...
Academic content and/or structure of sessions (e.g. balance of panel/key
speaker sessions, staff/student speakers etc]
Good balance. It was interesting to see the research process/questions of PhD
students (MA)
A really good balance (PhD)
It was a really nice balance this year, with more topics that interested
everyone as a whole rather than too many very specific papers (Staff)
The content and structure of the sessions were satisfactory, but I do wish
more students to volunteer for presenting for the next years, since its an
elusive opportunity to not only present your work, but also become familiar with
the works of our PhD peers and hear about their comments on the work youre
doing (PhD).
I thought the balance was very good, both in terms of the types of sessions
and content. The reading groups were good because they offered a more informal
means of academic discussion, which at the same time was an opportunity to
interact with other delegates at a more personal level. The What do we do with
data? had a more hands on, varied approach which further helped the variety of
the programme. In terms of the content, there was a nice mixture of interests.
This was exemplified by the range of research projects in the poster sessions. I
also really liked the way in which the people who had published in the graduate
journal talked about their experiences very well delivered (PhD).
I liked the mix this year, and especially the inclusion of the podcast
material, both as a different/new medium, but also as a way of connecting with
and including our former students (Staff)
Enjoyed the mix of different sessions, obviously some topics interest me more
than others because it strikes a chord with your own interests eg presentation
by Dan... on class and talking therapies (MA)
It was good to see a range of key presenters. However, I would have liked to
see more than one key speaker (unknown)
Best bits / definitely repeat..
New Technology and Communication by Richard Davis, Working Class Narratives
by Daniel Holman, Discussion in Reading Group (MA)
The reading group. The walk (PhD)
Jules Pretty talk was fantastic. Really interesting talk and engaging
speaker.
Fabulous poster session. Some great ideas there. Especially liked the signs one.
Of course the disco too (Staff).
The organisation itself. I found it very useful come together to both
entertain in a more informal environment out of the department and to
academically discuss about our works (PhD).
Reading groups. The lovely location which made it feel like a retreat!
Maintain the variety do not allow too many talks on the same theme, as has
happened before (PhD).
I always enjoy the poster session and really appreciate the involvement of MA
students. As a staff member, I didnt attend the reading groups but have the
impression they were very well-received and it would be great to repeat these.
However they were MA-student-led and the product of a very committed group this
year.. So, the question is, how can we continue this initiative, or is it simply
the case that such successes must be allowed to come and go, dependent on the
cohort? (Staff)
Enjoyed Jules Pretty's talk. Poster session good - almost wish I had done one
(MA)
Not so good / revise or ditch! (NB. you are not obliged to answer all
questions!)
Nothing (Staff)
Actually, I would rather prefer the conference to take place somewhere closer
to Colchester or perhaps even in Colchester. Although the cost is mostly
subsided by the department, students are still expected to pay; a fact that may
be exclusive with regard to the financial matters that the students are fighting
with. 46 may not be so much for most of the people in the department, but its
still much for a person who makes a living with around 300-350 a month (there
are students as such).On the other hand, the hotel costed much more than wed
paid, which means that the department spent a lot on the conference. This
financial source may well be used to financing two conferences a year which is
held in a hotel in Colchester in which the department pays for the meals (if
they intend to) (PhD)
The poster session wasnt run properly. I thought a poster session is
supposed to be each person says literally a couple of sentences then we
individually work our way round to what interests us. Being frog marched around
to all the posters as a group was tiresome and lasted way too long, especially
given that we were all quite hungry by this point. I also disliked the
separation between hotels; meant the parties were not as epic as they might have
been (PhD).
The poster session needed better timing. The really useful part should be the
informal interaction that goes on after presenters have (briefly!) introduced
their work and related questions. There was no real space for this (Staff).
Food and Accommodation
Accommodation: Better than home. Breakfast: Wonderful. Everything one needed
after a long party the night before (MA)
Thorpeness Country Club was an excellent venue more space and natural light
than at the White Lion (PhD)
Accommodation at the Brudenel was fantastic. Dinner was lovely, lunches were
not as good as usual though (Staff).
Accommodation was perfect and the food was all right (PhD)
I didnt think the
food was as good as previous years.
The lunches werent as tasty, and on the second day I got three small new
potatoes on my plate, and when I gestured for more, he looked at me funny.
It made me feel like Oliver Twist.
The food was still nice, but the previous place had the edge.
The breakfast the next day looked good but nerves before a presentation
stop me from eating (PhD).
Hotel excellent - and conf venue fine - lovely to be able to be so close to the
sea. Food at venue - lunches fine, but not so keen on choices for starter and
main courses at dinner (MA)
Food not quite as good as in previous years, but this is not to say it was bad!
I imagine it might have been the result of being prepared off-site this year, as
a result of change of venue (Staff)
Accommodation at the Brudenell and food at Thorpeness C.C. - both very good
(unknown)
Social side entertainment / free time etc
Good balance between panels and breaks. Thanks for the permanent coffee/tee
offer (MA)
All good is there any chance of a social space in the evenings away from
the disco? (PhD)
Very good DJ this year. Was great that so many people danced. The conference
didnt feel as rushed or as intense as some years which was good. It can be a
bit too tiring some years (Staff)
Actually we did not have much spare time to entertain. But I think the night
entertainment and especially the dancing part was great. I believe that such
occasions make people feel more comfortable within the department with their
colleagues (PhD).
The feel of the conference this year was good. I think its apt that that
Lydia summed up the conference as being about interaction. Inevitably, the
atmosphere is down to the people that are there I think very much helped by an
enthusiastic and friendly MA cohort this year. I met some great people, which is
invaluable as PhD students tend to spend a lot of time working alone! In this
respect sometimes I wish the graduate conference would be earlier in the year,
so friendships can be formed earlier (PhD).
We make the social side, and so it was excellent. It always is! (Staff)
Good - enjoyed the chance to mingle with different people in the department
(MA)
Enjoyed the Friday morning walk from Aldeburgh to Thorpeness. Disappointed
that staff did not mix more with students, e.g. at dinner on Thursday evening
(unknown)
The absolute highlight for me goes to...
Daniel Holman's presentation. The gathering for dinner and the party
afterwards (MA)
The student presentations on Friday morning all really hot on their topic
and the discipline of their study (PhD)
Ooh too many to choose- the disco, the dinner, Jules presentation
Actually I thought it was a lovely friendly conference this year and the cohort
was a really enthusiastic and nice group of people (Staff)
Ive not heard a speaker as good as Jules for a long time. Very eloquent,
easy to listen to, and speaking about an enchanting topic. With the sun shining
off the sea into the windows, it was an idyllic talk. It made me want to go and
walk round the coast myself! (PHD)
Jules Pretty's talk - the perfect subject at the perfect time in the perfect
place. Paula on the dance floor! (Staff)
Just being with others with shared interests in a good envirnment (MA)
Jules Pretty's session on Thursday evening (unknown)
Any other comment and/or thoughts for next year?
Unfortunately we have not had enough time/ opportunities to chat with the
stuff in the department. The walking in the morning would have been a good
chance. But obviously shyness prevailed. Maybe it would be a good idea to find a
way where students and lecturers can chat informal beforehand. Maybe mixed
tables at dinner. With a bottle of wine at the end of the day it might be easier
to chat. Or more interactive poster-presentations on the first day. Maybe a
different chair constellation. That is difficult for an academical conference.
But a semicircle might be possible. So, one has eye contact with the other
people in the audience (MA)
This year must have entailed so much more organisation and thought thank
you. The student presentations just get better and better (PhD)
I hate to say it (and I love the White Lion) but the venue for the
presentations was light and airy so it was really a nice location (Staff)
I thought it was funny that the conference venue felt like a church and we
were a meeting of minds for two days. It sort of felt quasi-religious in that
sense. Not that Im saying the conference was a religious experience! Just that
the venue was quite amusing for this reason (PhD).
Perhaps need a mic because it was a bit difficult to hear some speakers who
were more quietly spoken. Please directions to the conference venue and hotels a
bit earlier next year (MA)
Congratulations to Rowena for arranging the travel logistics so efficiently
as well as everything else. Thank you! (unknown)
Last modified on 29 February 2012