INAUGURAL CONFERENCE

We are pleased to announce that 'UNDERSTANDING BRITAIN 2012: The First Annual British Studies Conference' will be held from Friday 22 June until Sunday 24 June 2012 at the Institute of Education, University of London, 20 Bedford Way, London WC1.

'UNDERSTANDING BRITAIN 2012' will run in parallel with our annual conferences 'LONDONICITY 2012' and 'FILM AND MEDIA 2012', which launched with great success in 2011.
Conference Focus: A United Kingdom?

UNDERSTANDING BRITAIN: Britain - A United Kingdom?

'UNDERSTANDING BRITAIN 2012: Britain - A United Kingdom?' seeks to explore, celebrate and critique the ‘unity’ of the United Kingdom in all its manifold dimensions in a period of immense international scrutiny.

Two potential forms of unity are likely to focus our attention in 2012. The 2012 London Olympics, for example, will focus attention on its capital, London, in an intense spectacle of global sporting prowess and international competitiveness in a world city transformed for the occasion.

At the same time, the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of the 60th Anniversary of the accession of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth will remind us – and those other several nations in which she is monarch – of the enduring significance of the UK monarchy as an historic point of symbolic continuity across the recent turbulent decades of British social history.

WIDER CONFERENCE AGENDA

UNDERSTANDING BRITAIN will consider many other forms of unity – and of course disunity – over and above the central Conference focus this is once again an 'open agenda' event built around the research interests of the constituency. Likely themes:

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 Countryside / The Cuts / The Democratic Process / Demographics / 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? / The Languages of Britain / Law and Disorder Leisure and Sport / Literary Britain / Local and National Identities / Migration / The Monarchy / Multicultural Britain / The Music of Britain / Nationalisms / A 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 /

CONFERENCE CONSTITUENCY

This pioneering annual conference, launched in 2011, is likely to be of considerable interest and value to established scholars, early career Faculty, young researchers, and to anyone with a commitment to learning about London in a dynamic and friendly academic context.

At our launch events in 2011, the joint Conference Programme for FILM AND MEDIA 2011 and LONDONICITY 2011 involved over 230 presentations, from some 40 nations. For international appreciations of LONDONICITY 2011 and FILM AND MEDIA 2011, please see our websites.

PAPERS, PANELS, PUBLICATIONS

We invite proposals for Papers of 20 minutes’ duration, as well as Panels of three Papers. Please submit your Proposal (strictly 180-200 words per Paper) for Peer Review only via the online form available on the conference website at www.understandingbritain.com.

Proposals are accepted on a rolling basis and a formal response follows within 7-10 days from our Peer Review Team. The final date for submissin is 31 March 2012, but early submission is strongly recommended, especially for those with visa requirements. Final Papers are eligible for consideration for publication in our planned annual E-Book Reader 'Understanding Britain'.

REGISTRATION

You may register as either a Speaker or as a Delegate. Deadline for discounted ‘Early Bird’ registration (obligatory for intending Speakers): 30 April 2012. For full registration details, please see our websites at

UNDERSTANDING BRITAIN 2012
http//www.understandingbritain.com
LONDONICITY 2012
http://www.thelondonconference.com
FILM AND MEDIA 2012
http://www.thelondonfilmandmediaconference.com

For further information, please Email us at
mail@academicconferenceslondon.com