Below are the details of the second BSA MedSoc Yorkshire meeting taking place on October 29th 2014. Registration is now open. For more information contact c.till@leedsbeckett.ac.uk


Rose Bowl 263, City Campus, Leeds Beckett University (formerly Leeds Metropolitan University)

The British Sociological Association Medical Sociology group for Yorkshire was launched in February 2014 with an event that brought together researchers from across the region to discuss stimulating work conducted by well-established and more junior colleagues. To build on this successful first meeting the second event will take place in Leeds where attendees will hear about exciting work from a plenary speaker from outside the region (Professor Maggie Mort) and early career researchers based in Yorkshire. There will also be lots of time for networking with other researchers and to discuss the broad future direction of the group and more specific potential projects. This will be a great opportunity to meet with others with an interest in sociology of health and illness/medical sociology, to share ideas and help to build the local research community.

Who should attend?

The meeting is open to postgraduate students, academics and researchers. But we would also welcome anyone who has an interest in the sociology of health and illness.

Cost of attendance

Lunch and refreshments will be provided on arrival. In order to cover our costs and to help with future meetings the following charges will apply:

£15 for BSA Members, £20 for Non-members, £10 for BSA Concessionary members and £15 for Non-member students.

Registration: http://www.britsoc.co.uk/events/key-bsa-events.aspx



Plenary address by Professor Maggie Mort (Lancaster University)

 

Technocare: keeping it complex

 

How is it that some positions, such as technological determinism, (in spite of years of sociological critique) remain powerful? This talk will explore the recent phenomenon of ‘telecare’ and consider the perplexing potency of the argument that technologising home care saves funds and promotes independence. I review some of the struggles to produce evidence of telecare effectiveness within the evidence based medicine paradigm. Drawing on ethnographic material, the practice of telecare is then examined, in part by considering the role of the technocarers, those whose role is to answer the calls from residents who have home telecare systems installed. Mapping the telecare network and unearthing some of its many complexities then leads to discussion of the contribution of the Science and Technology Studies approach to medical sociology.