We invite you to join us for the 12th Annual Conference of the PSA’s Sport and Politics specialist study group, to be hosted by Stirling University School of Law and held on our beautiful campus on Wednesday March 21st and Thursday March 22nd 2018.
We welcome submissions that deal with all aspects of sport and politics, and their relationship with other disciplines. These other disciplines might include (but are by no means limited to) inequality, governance, law, digital cultures, health, human rights, globalisation, social justice, austerity. Papers that deal with methodologies are also encouraged.
We are especially keen to hear from graduate students, early career researchers, BAME colleagues, women, and colleagues from beyond the UK. The conference theme is deliberately broad, and people don’t have to present in order to attend – anyone who wants to come along, talk sensibly and listen attentively will be very welcome! For the first time, the conference will allow attendees to submit a poster in lieu of an oral conference presentation. Please see details below, and contact David McArdle if you require more information.
Guest speakers
We are delighted to announce that Fraser Wishart, the Chief Executive of PFA Scotland (the footballers’ trade union) and Claire Nelson, the Chief executive of Scottish Netball, will be our guest speakers. There will also be a roundtable with representatives from commercial organisations who sponsor sports events on ‘The Small-p Politics of Sport Sponsorship’.
Paper submissions
Please email abstracts (maximum 300 words) containing the full title of the paper; name(s) and institutional affiliation(s) and email address to d.mcardle@stir.ac.uk by Friday January 26th. Abstracts should include background (outlining the context and/or academic literature informing the research), approach, key findings and significance. Abstracts for accepted papers will be published in the conference handbook.
Colleagues might also wish to propose a panel/workshop, which is a set of abstracts (three minimum) from a group of individuals/co-researchers submitting a coherent set of papers that address similar themes and could be scheduled together in one session.
Poster submissions
Please email copies of posters (either in publisher or pdf) and an abstract etc as above, also by Friday January 26th. The posters themselves should be A1 size (594 x 841mm) and can be landscape or portrait. They will be mounted on display boards, so please make sure they are light enough to allow this. They can either be posted to Dr David McArdle, School of Law, Stirling University FK9 4LA in advance or they can be brought to the venue on the Wednesday morning. Posters should have a title, and the name of the researcher(s), their affiliation(s), and email address(es) should be included. Abstracts for accepted posters will be published in the conference handbook.
Facilities for registration and payment will be available shortly.
Key dates
- Submission deadline: Friday 26th January
- Notification of decision: on or before Friday 2nd February
- Deadline for registration and payment with accommodation: Friday 9th February (accommodation may be available after this date but cannot be guaranteed)
- Deadline for registration and payment without accommodation: Friday 23rd February (registration may be available after this date but cannot be guaranteed)
- Conference: Wednesday 21st (lunch from 12-00pm) and Thursday 22nd March (full day)
Costs
Delegates have the option of three attendance packages, covering the period from lunchtime on Wednesday until the conclusion on Thursday:
- Attendance-only rate £115.00 (£100 for PSA members)
- Attendance with conference dinner £140 (£125 for PSA members)
- Attendance with conference dinner, bed and breakfast £170 (£155 for PSA members)
Stirling University: Venue and Surrounds
The University of Stirling is a leading UK teaching and research-intensive university, created by Royal Charter in 1967 and thus currently celebrating its 50th anniversary. The University is located in the City of Stirling; the gateway to the Scottish Highlands. The 330-acre campus encompasses a loch, a golf course and the 18th-century Airthrey Castle. It is undoubtedly one of the most attractive campuses in Europe. More information about the conference venue, the Stirling Court Hotel, can be found at www.stirlingcourthotel.co.uk. If you wish to stay at the venue on the Tuesday and/or Thursday nights too, please contact them directly. You might also want to look at http://www.destinationstirling.com for details of other activities.
Other hotels and accommodation
Hotels and bed-and-breakfast accommodation are available in both Stirling and Bridge of Allan, which are accessible by a brisk walk, taxi or bus. If you require accommodation we would encourage you to book the conference venue; you won’t get comparable facilities at a similar price elsewhere.
