Undisciplining II

The Sociological Review Foundation’s 2024 conference

Dates: Tuesday 10 – Thursday 12 September 2024
Location: The Lowry, Pier, 8 The Quays, Salford, Manchester M50 3AZ

Just who is sociology for? Undisciplining II aims to build on conversations sparked in Undisciplining, our inaugural Sociological Review Foundation conference in 2018.

Five years ago, we asked: What is the sociological for? In the wake of a pandemic, political and economic crises and the climate emergency, that question remains timely – but the issue of who sociology speaks to and serves is also increasingly urgent.

Running from 10 to 12 September 2024 at The Lowry in Salford, Greater Manchester, the Undisciplining II conference will bring together academics and educators, artists and activists, and thinkers and doers across many fields.

Professor Michaela Benson, Chief Executive of the Sociological Review Foundation, says: “We know that sociology (and sociologists) do not have a monopoly on the sociological. Our longstanding commitment to encouraging conversations and interventions across disciplinary boundaries, publics, sites, materials and platforms will be at the heart of Undisciplining II.”

The focus of the conference will be community, solidarity and accessibility – not only via affordable ticket pricing, but also via a broad and innovative range of speakers, perspectives, content and activities.

Find out more about Undisciplining II on the Sociological Review Foundation website 

Conference programme 

Below are initial details of plenaries and other Undisciplining II sessions confirmed thus far. Visit the Undisciplining II section on the Sociological Review Foundation website and subscribe to our newsletter for further announcements.

The Sociological Review Foundation 2024 Public Lecture
Tuesday 10 September. 6.30–8pm
May Day: Sociology and poetry, politics, love and loss with poet Jackie Kay

The Sociological Review Foundation 2024 Annual Lecture
Wednesday 11 September. 6.30–8pm
Deep Time, Intergenerational Knowledge, and Socio-Ecological Futures with Alice Mah, University of Glasgow

Undisciplining II Plenaries

Tuesday 10 September
Opening plenary: Undisciplining II and the Sociological Review Foundation
Speakers: Michaela Benson, Chief Executive of the Sociological Review Foundation; Tannistha Samanta, FLAME University, India; Ash Watson, UNSW, Sydney, Australia, George Kalivis, Goldsmiths, University of London, Carin Runciman, University of Edinburgh and Rosemary Deem, Royal Holloway, University of London

Plenary: Class and Everyday Life: Meet the Author
Speaker: Kirsteen Paton (University of Glasgow)

Wednesday 11 September

Plenary: Subversive (Re)Collections: Inventing, Inverting and Inheriting Visual Archives
Speakers: Arbër Qerka-Gashi, Balkanism: Jo Krishnakumar Almaarii; Maria Georgouli Loupi and Vanessa Giorgo, The Feminist Library
Chair: George Kalivis, Goldsmiths, University of London.

Plenary: Uncommon Sense presents Voice
Speakers: Professor Michaela Benson (Lancaster University), Dr Dan McCulloch (The Open University), Dr Kenny Monrose (University of Cambridge) and Belinda Scarlett (Working Class Movement Library)

Thursday 12 September
Plenary: Why We (Still) Need Utopian Thinking Now
Speakers: Ruth Levitas, University of Bristol, Lisa Garforth, Newcastle University and Akwugo Emejulu, University of Sheffield
Chair: Kat Jungnickel, Goldsmiths, University of London

Plenary: Doing Sociology Today: A book launch for the forthcoming Sociological Review monograph Revisiting Culture and Society
Speakers: Alison Eldridge, University of Glasgow, Andrew Smith, University of Glasgow, Bridget Fowler, University of Glasgow and Les Back, University of Glasgow

Visit the Undisciplining II section of the Sociological Review Foundation website for the full programme

How to get there
The Lowry is a short tram ride away from Manchester Piccadilly. More information can be found here.

Where to stay
Conference participants are staying at the Holiday Inn in Salford Quays and the Ibis in central Manchester.

Tickets and other items

Standard tickets
£160 standard rate

Concessionary tickets
£80 Postgraduate students, those in precarious employment, not in receipt of a wage based on full time employment, unemployed or retired.
£50 Teachers (11 September ONLY)
£20 Teachers (afternoon of 11 September ONLY)

Day tickets - we have a limited number of day tickets 
Standard  £60
Concessionary  £30

Public Lecture: May Day: Sociology and poetry, politics, love and loss with Jackie Kay

Free to those attending all 3 days of the conference
£10 to members of the public

On-site morning snacks, lunch, and refreshments will be provided free of charge to ticket-holders.

Conference dinner 11 September
£30 to join our three-course, vegetarian dinner on Wednesday at 8pm at The Lowry

Vegan, vegetarian, halal and other dietary requirements can be catered for. Ticket-purchasers will be contacted individually to indicate any dietary requirements prior to the venue’s catering deadline of 2 September.
Ticket price does not include alcoholic drinks, which are available for purchase separately.

Solidarity donation
Our pricing scheme is intended to put conference attendance in reach of as many scholars as possible, and particularly early career researchers and precariously employed academics.

If you are in a position to add a solidarity donation to your ticket purchase, your generous support will help the Sociological Review Foundation to underwrite not only the conference as a whole, but in particular, the full conference bursaries (including accommodation) that we have awarded to 20 Early Career Researchers. 

Refunds
Cancellations made by 31 July will receive a 100% refund.
Cancellations made between 1 and 15 August will receive a 50% refund.
Cancellations made between 16 and 31 August will receive a 25% refund.
Cancellations made after 31 August will not receive a refund.

Do you have any questions?

*Contact Danielle Galway I Events & Projects Officer: events@thesociologicalreview.com