This open public event chaired by Lynn Jamieson, the President of the British Sociological Association on the eve of their annual conference, which is taking place in Birmingham. All with an interest in Birmingham are welcome and invited to participate in discussion, from those who have never heard of sociology to long-term sociologists.

The event is being held on Tuesday 5 April 2016 (7 pm - 9 pm) at the Birmingham Midlands Institute, Margaret Street, Birmingham.

Sociologists study how humans shape and are shaped by the social world, from local to global. Birmingham is of particular interest for many reasons, including its exceptionally diverse, ‘superdiverse’, population of different ethnic and cultural groups.  Sociology is generally about analysing rather than celebrating. Yet decades of research give reason to celebrate this diversity; not least, by showing how failure to do so in popular culture feeds the social costs of racism.

There will be short presentations:

  • Birmingham Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies, photography and diversity, Professor Matthew Hilton, University of Birmingham
  • Mapping Birmingham’s Superdiversity, Dr Nando Sigona, University of Birmingham and a contribution from Julia King, LSE
  • Superdiverse businesses in Birmingham, Professor Monder Ram, OBE, University of Birmingham
  • Resisting Racism in Birmingham, Kehinde Andrews, Birmingham City University
  • Social Class and Inequality in Birmingham, Professor Karen Rowlingson, University of Birmingham

These presentations will be followed by open discussion with: Kehinde Andrews, Birmingham City University; Monder Ram, Karen Rowlingson, Nando Sigona University of Birmingham and Jill Robinson, University of Aston, a former Head of Regional, European and International Affairs for Birmingham City Council.

For more information and how to register, please see our events page.