14th International Research Conference, at LTU Luleå University of Technology, 10-11 September 2010

Keynote Speakers

• Prof. Brigitte Aulenbacher, Johannes Kepler Universität, Institut für Soziologie, Linz, Austria
• Prof. Birgit Riegraf, Fakultät für Kulturwissenschaften Universität Paderborn, Germany
• Prof. Mike Dent, Faculty of Health, Staffordshire University, Staffordshire, UK
• Prof. Kazem Chaharbaghi, UEL Royal Docks Business School University of East London, UK

This Conference, organised jointly by Staffordshire University, the University of East London and the University of Luleå, will provide a forum for policy, organisational and multidisciplinary critical analyses of the dilemmas facing the organisation and delivery of health, housing, education, social services and the human services generally.

The theme of this conference is Changes and new directions in Human Services. Change has been a leitmotif of the Human Services and the Public sector more generally in recent years; and whilst it is an aspect of all organisational, social, political and economic life, it has been especially rapid and far reaching in the human services, exacerbated by the turbulence and fall-out from the present fiscal crisis. We accordingly invite papers that examine the responses of public, private and voluntary sector organisations and governments in tackling the contemporary problems facing human services related to the changes and new directions in service delivery and organisational effectiveness (locally, regionally and globally), as well as ethical and gender issues concerning access tolabour markets, equity and quality of service.

Streams for the conference will be following:

• Changes in the Human Services and public sector
• New directions and strategies for users, employees and employers
• Changing forms and/or limits of the New Public Management and/or governance
• Gender and the Human Services
• Political influences, changes and/or implications for the Social welfare services
• Information-technology and changes and new directions for the human Services
• Ethics and the Human Services
• New forms of professionalism

Papers on other related topics are also welcome for consideration by the conference organisers. Conference participants can be assured of a warm welcome and a critical, scholarly and supportive environment. Each participant will receive a copy of the Conference proceedings containing six page versions of papers presented, which will be peer reviewed and edited by the organisers after the conference.

In addition we have agreed with the Editors of Socialvetenskaplig Tidskrift (a Swedish journal) to put together a special issue on social policy to include suitable papers from the conference that have undergone the usual rigorous peer review process. In addition, we will be actively considering possibilities for other mainstream edited collections and special issues. Past conference publications include special issues of Equal opportunities International and Policy and Politics, as well as edited collections such as Gender and the Public sector, London: Routledge and Questioning the New Public Management, Aldershot: Ashgate. The deadline for abstracts is Monday 26 April 2010.

Please send your abstract, approx. 500 words, to Dilemmasconf@ltu.se The deadline for abstracts is Monday 26 April 2010.

Decision on acceptance, following the refereeing process, will be notified by the middle of May 2010.

For further information please contact the conference organisers:

Elisabeth.Berg@ltu.se
Saila.Piippola@ltu.se
j.j.Barry@uel.ac.uk
j.p.chandler@uel.ac.uk

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