BSA-2011:Layout 2 23/03/2011 14:46 Page 1 Executive Management Team Honorary Vice Presidents Events 2011 President’s Report Name Role Name Dr Judith Burnett Vice Chair Mrs Kerry Collins BSA Company Secretary Prof Sue Scott This is my second Report, one when normally Dr Garry Crawford Publications Director Prof Geoff Payne 11 January 13 April Presidents would be reflecting on a tenure that Dr Eric Harrison Treasurer Prof Lynn Jamieson Membership Services Director Prof Joan Busfield The Social Sciences and the London MedSoc Group Meeting: is drawing to a close. I, however, am still in the Prof Robert Mears Chair Prof John Scott Olympic Games Event 1: Beyond The Sword of Damocles: a tale of thick of things, enjoying the benefits of the new Mrs Judith Mudd BSA Chief Executive Dr Malcolm Todd Vice Treasurer Prof Sara Arber the Leisure Dome cancer, symptoms and bodily three-year term of office. This has been a Mr Howard Wollman Membership Services Director Prof David Morgan awareness difficult year of course, dominated by the Mr Chris Yuill Publications Director British Library Conference Centre Prof Michèle Barrett London Kings College London Comprehensive Spending Review and all those Council Members 2010 Prof John Westergaard changes to Higher Education policy that get Name Council Role Prof Rosaline Barbour Conference Leader Prof Robert Burgess subsumed under the label ‘cuts’ but which Prof Gillian Bendelow MedSoc Representative Prof Jennifer Platt 17 January 11 May describe other sorts of processes, such as concentration and Dr Gurminder K Bhambra Study Group Representative Dr Martin Albrow specialisation of resources, increased government regulation in the midst Prof Andrew Blaikie Editor of Cultural Sociology Climate Change Study Group London MedSoc Group Meeting: Mr Mike Bracher PGF Co-Convenor Launch Event Developing a cultural understanding of marketisation, the transfer of funding from the state to students, and the Prof John Brewer BSA President of inpatient risk management ending of the principle of the public university, at least for arts, humanities Dr Judith Burnett Vice Chair External professional and British Library Conference Centre Ms Julie Cappleman-Morgan SOA Representative London Kings College London and the social sciences. Mr Mark Carrigan PGF Co-Convenor specialist advisors include: Prof Amanda Coffey Editor of Sociology Acamedia Media Specialist The BSA has been very active in protesting these changes, defending in the best ways it can as a Mrs Kerry Collins BSA Company Secretary Aegis Peer Review Journal Peer Review Management charity, both the status and role of social sciences and the idea of the public university. We Prof Ross Coomber Co-Editor of 24 January 7 June provided the Academy of Social Science with seed money to help launch its Campaign for Social Sociological Research Online Management Miss Annika Coughlin SOA Representative Presidential Event: Sociology and Sociology of Mental Health Study Science (CfSS) and was the first learned society to be listed as one of its sponsors. The BSA has Charity Business Finance Investment Specialists Dr Garry Crawford Publications Director International Migration Group Event: A Difficult Alliance? committed office staff to CfSS as well as resources. I have linked up with Presidents of other Mr Mark Doidge ECF Co-Convenor Citation Health and Safety Specialists learned societies and separately with the Chair of Heads of Professors of Sociology in writing Mrs Ursula Edgington PGF Co-Convenor Making Connections between Quilter Investments Investment Portfolio Management British Library Conference Centre letters to the press on several damaging aspects of current HE policy. I have given talks in Dublin Prof Eileen Green Shadow Publications Director Domestic Violence Research and and Bristol on the university crisis and am a frequent blogger on the BSA’s new cuts blog site. Dr Thomas Hall Editor of Sociology ESIT IT Software Support London Practice Agendas and Mental Health This website is very popular and the replies that are posted are challenging but always thoughtful Dr Eric Harrison Treasurer Ethical Screening Investment Portfolio Screening Prof Bernadette Hayes Shadow Membership Perspectives and constructive (http://sociologyandthecuts.wordpress.com/). The blog offers a wonderful forum Services Director GH VAT Consultancy VAT Specialists 26 January for dialogue with members. On my suggestion the BSA has established in the last year an Prof John Holmwood HAPS Chair Haines Watts Auditors Edge Hill University External Affairs ad hoc group to better and more quickly respond to speedily changing events and Ms Helen Howard C-SAP Representative Theory Study Group Early Career information demands. This group has worked effectively in preparing responses to consultations. Ms Allison Hui PGF Co-Convenor Pensions Trust Pensions Ormskirk Prof David Inglis Co-Editor of Cultural Sociology Workshop on Global Historical SAGE Publications Journal Publishing Prof Lynn Jamieson Membership Services Director Sociology ‘The cuts’, as we have come to call marketisation, specialisation and the decline of the public Mr Sydney Jeffers Website/IT Sheridan Design Designers 8 June university, have been a prominent feature of my activities in the year but they have not pushed out Prof Richard Jenkins Ethics Advisor TSG IT Hardware Support British Library Conference Centre all the other concerns that I identified last year as the themes of my presidency. For example, my Dr Tiffany Jenkins SOA Representative London MedSoc Group Meeting: interest in ‘impact’ continues, both in the idea of it as relevant to sociology and in its practise as Ward Hadaway Legal Services London Dr Lara Killick ECF Co-Convenor Medical School Culture: uniformity an Association. I have held Presidential Events throughout the year designed to link sociology Prof Gayle Letherby Co-Editor of Waterstons Website Hosting and Support Sociological Research Online and difference with policy makers, the press and NGOs on issues like climate change, religion and violence, and Dr Ruth Lewis ECF Co-Convenor 9 February international migration. Sociology as a discipline and the BSA as an association have to retain Prof Robert Mears Chair Staff Members Kings College London their critical edge and not be co-opted by government to do its job for them on impact, but it is Mrs Judith Mudd BSA Chief Executive London Medical Sociology Group important for sociology to contribute to the policy debate and for the BSA to assist in developing Name Position Prof Karen O'Reilly Shadow Publications Director Meeting: Critical Realism: Can an idea of impact relevant to the discipline; a notion of impact we can feel comfortable with as Dr Kay Peggs Shadow Membership Joan Carr Adminstrator Services Director healthcare research do without it? 15 June sociologists. I continue to use my office also to support the public recognition of sociology and Prof Sally Power Editor of Sociology Kerry Collins Company Secretary sociologists, such as through nominations to learned societies, public bodies, government Kings College London Human Reproduction Study Group Dr Amanda Robinson Editor of Sociology Alison Danforth Publications Officer committees and Queen’s Honours. On my recommendation the BSA is also inaugurating an Prof Karen Rowlingson SPA Representative 9th Annual Conference award for Distinguished Service to British Sociology. Dr Tamara Sanger ECF Co-Convenor Elaine Forester Events Co-ordinator The Open University Prof John Scott BSA Honorary Vice President Liz Jackson Events Officer 18 February I ended my Report last year by saying the President does not work alone. I want to re-emphasise Mr Yiu Tung Suen PGF Co-Convenor Milton Keynes Prof Phil Taylor Editor of Work, Employment Elizabeth Kemp Membership Development Officer Postgraduate Forum Journal this. There is great skill and experience represented on Council, and a very effective office in & Society Margaret Luke PA to the Chief Executive Durham, and the President is only one of many working on members’ behalf. It remains an Dr Malcolm Todd Vice Treasurer Masterclass honour to be President. Prof Chris Warhurst Editor of Work, Employment Gillian Mason Finance Officer 6 September & Society BSA Meeting Room, London Judith Mudd Chief Executive Prof John Brewer Mr Howard Wollman Membership Services Director Ageing Body & Society Study Group President Mr Chris Yuill Publications Director Donna Willis Website/IT Officer Body Works 18 February British Library Conference Centre, Regional Postgraduate Event London University of Plymouth 14-16 September 21 February Medical Sociology Group 43rd Youth Study Group Research Annual Conference Development Workshop for University of Chester Research Students and Early Career The British Sociological Association’s Specialist & Study Group Convenors Researchers Chair’s Report 12 October Primary Charitable Objective The BSA operates a network of over 40 active specialist and study groups. Study groups focus BSA Meeting Room, London London MedSoc Group Meeting: The 2011 60th Anniversary London conference on major fields of research within the discipline, like medical sociology, religion and food. The will be the largest ever meeting of the BSA. We is to Promote Sociology. specialist groups, Early Careers Forum, the Postgraduate Forum and Sociologists Outside Can qualitative research have meet at the London School of Economics, the Academia group, bring together people who share common experiences and challenges in their 8 March impact? Is it even evidence-based?