UNDERSTANDING BRITAIN 2012 A United Kingdom?

 

Introduction



UNDERSTANDING BRITAIN 2012: The First Annual British Studies Conference, to be held in London on 22-24 June 2012, seeks to explore, celebrate and critique the many varied identities of the United Kingdom - its histories, geographies, and cultures - in the context of Olympic and Jubilee Year 2012. 

 

We intend that the conference will be of interest and value to the broad community of scholars and researchers in the multidisciplinary field of British Studies at home and abroad. We welcome contributors at any stage of the research process, from graduate students to established academics. We anticipate a wide international take-up.

 

We invite Papers and Panels on themes of relevance in this broad and multidiscplinary field. The agenda for the first event will be determined by the research interests of its contributors, but we will be placing special emphasis on the highly topical question A United Kingdom?

 

Likely Emphases

 



 Architecture / Art and Design / ‘Big’ or ‘Small’ Society?

Britain in Europe / Britain and the USA / Britain at War

British Media / British Unities and Disunities /

British-ness and its Others / Broke and Broken Britain? 

Capital Cities / Citizenship / Communicating Britain

Conservation and Innovation / The Cuts /

The Democratic Process / Demographies / Devolution 

Ecologies / Economies / Educating Britain / Empire and After

 Employment and Unemployment / Fashion
Gendered Britain / Global Britain / Heritage and Legacy

Home and Homeland / Human Geographies / An Island Race? 

 Landscapes / The Languages of Britain / Law and Disorder 

Leisure and Sport / Literary Britain / Local and National Identities 

The Monarchy / Multicultural Britain / The Music of Britain / NationalismsA North-South Divide? / Political Governance / Post-Industrial Society Race and Ethnicity / Regionalities 

Religion and Belief / Science and Technology / The Sea / Social Class Subcultures / Tradition and Modernity / Transportation 

Tribes and Nations Urbanisation / Wealth and Poverty