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Meritocracy; Desert Island Doctors

Laurie Taylor examines the rise, meaning and reality of meritocracy as a concept. Also, doctors' choice of 'desert island discs'.

Meritocracy, then and now. Laurie Taylor talks to Peter Hennessy, Attlee professor of contemporary British history at Queen Mary, University of London. How did meritocracy arise as a concept and has it ever been realised in practice given the persistence of notions of a British Establishment with control over access to the centres of power? They are joined by Danny Dorling, professor of Geography at the University of Oxford. Also, doctors' choice of desert island discs - what do they tell us about the possession of cultural capital? Ruth McDonald, professor of health science research at Manchester University, discusses the meaning of elite musical tastes.

Producer: Jayne Egerton.

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28 minutes

Peter Hennessy

Attlee Professor of Contemporary British History at Queen Mary, University of London

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Establishment and Meritocracy
Publisher: Haus Publishing Limited
ISBN-10: 1908323779
ISBN-13: 978-1908323774

Danny Dorling

Halford Mackinder, Professor of Geography, University of Oxford and Visiting Professor, Department of Sociology, Goldsmiths, University of London

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Inequality and the 1%
Publisher: Verso Books
ISBN-10: 1781685851
ISBN-13: 978-1781685853

Ruth McDonald

Professor of Health Science Research and Policy at Manchester University

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Abstract: Sociology of Health & Illness, 36: 902–916
doi: 10.1111/1467-9566.12121

Thinking Allowed Award for Ethnography

Thinking Allowed in association with the British Sociological Association announces the annual award for a study that has made a significant contribution to ethnography: the in-depth analysis of the everyday life of a culture or sub-culture.

Are you involved in social science research and completing or will have completed ethnography this year? The Award is open to any UK resident currently employed as a teacher or researcher or studying as a postgraduate in a UK institution of higher education.

An entry should be a completed ethnography, a qualitative research project which provides a detailed description of the practices of a group or culture. Any sole authored book or peer reviewed research article published during the calendar year of the award will be eligible.

The judges for the Award are yet to be announced.

The judges will be looking for work which displays flair, originality and clarity, alongside sound methodology. The work should make a significant contribution to knowledge and understanding in the relevant area of research.Μύ

The panel of judges will select six finalists, and from that shortlist the judges will select an overall winner who will be awarded a prize of Β£1000.Μύ

The winner of the Award will be announced at the in April 2015.

Read on for essential information and details on how to enter.

HOW TO ENTER:

You may submit one entry only, which must be sole authored.Μύ

All entries must include the summary and contact details and a hard copy or electronic copy (attachments must be under the filesize of 10MB) of the ethnography.

Email a summary of your work to ethnoaward@bbc.co.uk (no more than 250 words) along with your name and phone number. Please include the name of your paper in the 'Subject' category of your email.

If you are submitting a paper, it can be attached to your email, provided it is no more than 10MB. If you receive no automatic email confirmation your paper is too large and you will need to send it by post.Μύ

If you are submitting a book (which must be published during this year) it should be posted to:
Thinking Allowed
Ethnography Award
Room 6045
Broadcasting House
London
W1A 1AAΜύ

Entries must be submitted by the closing date of 31st December 2014

TERMS & CONDITIONS:

The Thinking Allowed Award for Ethnography Terms and ConditionsΜύΜύ

ο»Ώ1. To be eligible to enter you must meet the following criteria:

  • be 18 or over as at 31st January 2014;ΜύΜύ

  • be a UK resident;ΜύΜύ

  • be a postgraduate student, teacher or researcher working in a UK institute of higher education; andΜύ

  • not be a Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ employee, or any person involved with the award or their close relatives.

2. Proof of age, identity and eligibility may be requested. The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ’s decision as to the eligibility of individual entrants will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.Μύ

3. Entrants must submit by way of email to ethnoaward@bbc.co.uk a summary outlining the nature of an ethnography undertaken and published by the entrant. Please include the name of your paper in the 'Subject' category of your email. The summary should not be longer than 250 words. The ethnography must consist of a qualitative research project which provides a detailed, in-depth description of the everyday life and practice of a group, people or culture and been included in a peer-reviewed paper or in a book published in 2014. All entries and research must be in English.Μύ

4. The email entry must include the following information and contact detail for the entrant: full name, postal address, institution of higher education, email address and contact telephone number.Μύ

5. If you are submitting a book (which must be published during this year) it should be posted to: Thinking Allowed Ethnography Award, room 6045 Broadcasting House, London W1A 1AA. If it is a paper, it can be attached to your email, provided it is no more than 10MB. If you receive no automatic email confirmation your paper is too large and you will need to send it by post.Μύ

6. All entries must include the: (i) summary (by email); (ii) the contact details (by email) and (ii) hard copy/electronic copy (if under 10MB) of the ethnography.Μύ

7. Only one entry will be allowed per person.Μύ

8. Entries cannot be submitted by any other method or they will not be considered.Μύ

9. All entries must be sole authored.Μύ

10. A panel of 5 highly experienced academics will select six finalists. These may be contacted by the Production Team for an interview. From the finalists, the panel will select an overall winner. The selection criteria will be based on the work which displays flair and originality, and which makes a significant contribution to knowledge and understanding in the relevant area of research. Each entry will be a completed ethnography, a qualitative research project which provides a detailed, in-depth, description of the everyday life and practice of a group, people, or culture. Judges will be looking for work which displays flair, originality and clarity, alongside sound methodology. It should make a significant contribution to knowledge and understanding in the relevant area of research.Μύ

11. The prize will consist of: Β£1,000. The judges' decision will be final and the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ will not enter into correspondence with the applicants. In the event of two outstanding entries, the prize of Β£1000 will be shared.Μύ

12. The finalists will be contacted by telephone in spring of 2015 and the winner announced in April 2015. If a selected entrant cannot be contacted after reasonable attempts have been made to do so, the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ reserves the right to offer the prize to the next best entry.Μύ

13. The winner should refrain from referring to the award in order to promote commercial ventures. All references must be compliant with Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ branding policies.Μύ

14. The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ will only ever use personal details for the purposes of administering the scheme. Please see the .Μύ

15. Closing date for entries is 23:59 on 31st December 2014. All entries which are received after that will not be considered.Μύ

16. The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ cannot accept any responsibility for any problem with the internet or electronic mail system.Μύ

17. All entries must be the original work of the entrant and must not infringe the rights of any other party. The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ accepts no liability if entrants ignore these rules and entrants agree to fully indemnify the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ against any claims by any third party arising from any breach of these rules.Μύ

18. Entrants retain the copyright in their original ideas but on being selected will grant to the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ a licence to broadcast their entry (or parts thereof) across all media, as well as use it on any online platforms on standard prevailing Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ terms (as agreed with the Writer’s Guild, Society of Authors and Personal Managers Association).Μύ

19. By applying for the award, entrants warrant that they have legal capacity to enter the scheme and agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.Μύ

20. The names of the all selected entrants and any entrant whose entry is broadcast or used on-line will be made public. Entrants must agree to take part in any post-event publicity if required.Μύ

21. The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ reserves the right to disqualify any entry which breaches any of these terms and conditions.Μύ

22. The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ reserves the right to cancel or alter the award (including amending these terms and conditions) at any stage, including members of the judging panel if deemed necessary in its opinion, and if circumstances arise outside its control. In this event, a notice will be posted on the following website: Μύ

23. These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of England and Wales.

Μύ

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  • Wed 12 Nov 2014 16:00
  • Mon 17 Nov 2014 00:15

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