I try to make posts to this blog substantive, rather than just announcing things, because that’s my main rationale for keeping this blog at all. But three events have come along at once that I’m really interested in. The first two I’m involved in, and the third I’d love to go but am feeling I haven’t much to contribute. So I can’t resist the temptation to use my blog as a pimp for once. (Sorry, blog, will pay you proper attention soon. Perhaps once the first of these events is out of the way).
You are cordially invited to the next talk in the series run by the Biographical Methods Group.
This session will be on Thursday 30th September, 12.30 – 1.30 in Library Seminar Room 1 at The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes. Bring along your lunch if you want to – it’s very informal.
Dr Rebecca Jones
‘When I get older’: Imagining bi futures
Gerontologists have noted for many years that people find it hard to imagine themselves growing old, characterising this failure of imagination as both arising from and contributing toward ageism and the ill-treatment of older people. To the extent that people are able to imagine their own ageing, they often draw on older people they know, especially family members, as role models. They also draw on cultural resources around them, such as films, books and other media. Previous research has shown that, despite the increased variability and diversity of (post)modern lifecourses, people still tend to project normative lifecourses, often centring around marriage, childbearing and grandchildren. Previous work has also demonstrated that the scarcity of representations of older LGBT people, combined with the enduring power of normative lifecourses, creates particular issues for young lesbian and gay people. Research so far has not focused on the experiences of bisexual people.
This paper presents initial findings from an ongoing study of young and middle-aged bi-identified people about how they imagine their own ageing and old age. The data comes from workshops using creative methods where participants were invited to create scenarios for their own old age.
If you know you are coming, please let (c.a.holland@open.ac.uk) or Donna Loftus (d.loftus@open.ac.uk) know – otherwise just come on the day.
The Centre for Ageing and Biographical Studies (CABS) at the Open University is 15 years old this year. Since 1995 members of the research group have used biographical methods to investigate issues relating to ageing and later life including; new family forms, housing and care homes, sexuality, end-of-life issues, age discrimination, and medication in everyday life.
You are warmly invited to our anniversary event ‘Are biographical methods still relevant?’. It will be held on Tuesday 2nd November, from 2-6pm in the Berril Lecture Theatre at The Open University campus in Milton Keynes.
Speakers will include Professor Mim Bernard, the President of the British Society of Gerontology, and founder members of CABS, Professor Malcolm Johnson, Professor Joanna Bornat and Dr Bill Bytheway. There will be an opportunity to view posters about the current research projects of CABS members, as well as to think about the challenges and opportunities of using biographical methods in research.
There will be drinks and nibbles from 5pm onwards. There is no charge for this event. If you would like to attend, please reply to Katherine Perry k.d.perry@open.ac.ukmailto:k.d.perry@open.ac.uk
Feminism and Teaching Symposium
8th — 9th April 2011, University of Nottingham
This is a two-day interdisciplinary postgraduate symposium that will explore the relationships between feminism and teaching.
Keynote workshops/sessions by: Professor Gina Wisker (Brighton), Professor Sara Mills (Sheffield Hallam) and Dr. Louise Mullany(Nottingham), Professor Ruth Holliday (Leeds), Dr. Ben Brabon (Edge Hill), Annette Foster (Performance Artist).
Postgraduates, early career researchers, teachers, artists and activists of all genders are invited to propose sessions engaging with issues relating to feminism and teaching.
This symposium aims to bring together people from a wide variety of disciplines and contexts to explore the ways in which these two fields relate to each other and the ways in which each term strengthens and/or troubles the other.
Proposed topics could include:
* Teaching feminist theory and practice
* Introducing feminism into the school, F.E. and undergraduate classroom
* Overcoming ‘gender-blind’ syllabuses
* Consciousness raising activities outside the classroom
* Ways in which gender intersects with other discourses, like race, age and class in teaching activities
* The impact of context on teaching activities and materials
* Feminist pedagogy and modes of teaching
* Ways in which feminism can inform research and teaching across the disciplines
* Feminisms plural
* Ways in which feminism changes, alters/is altered, and is deployed in the classroom setting
* Gender-Biases in perceptions of feminism
* Men and feminist teaching practices
* Reclamation of women’s language and experiences
* Reclaiming the feminist agenda
* Ways of teaching gender sensitive matierials and associated difficulties e.g.: women’s writing, sociological data, everyday life, media, popular culture, legal and political theory and practice
* Any other issue related to feminism and teaching
Presenters are encouraged to engage with these issues in a way that reflects the material being discussed. We would like to include a diversity of presentation styles, but we are particularly keen to encourage interactive sessions, including short film screenings, musical and dramatic performances, workshops, presentations about ongoing projects or works in progress, demonstrations, discussion sessions, or any other format conducive to exploring the relationships between feminism and teaching.
For more information please visit our website:
Remembering My Hat 
