Society matters LIVE

Academic insights into real world matters

Society matters LIVE is an in-person event series organised by Aston University in collaboration with Café Artum at Hockley Social Club.

The events, which are held at Café Artum in Birmingham, showcase some of the fascinating research taking place by academics within the School of Social Sciences and Humanities.

These events are free to attend and open to all members of the public. As there is limited capacity at the venue, tickets will be given on a first come, first served basis.

Upcoming events

Nativity plays and school prayers: religious practice or cultural heritage?

Thursday 1 December 2022, 17:30 – 19:00 GMT, Café Artum

Dr Céline Benoit will reflect on the place religion occupies in today's multicultural society exploring questions such as: Why is religion, which is often considered a taboo topic in the public sphere, compulsory in state schools? What do pupils and teachers think about it? And why do these questions really matter?

Was the pandemic response ethical? How prepared are we for the next one?

Thursday 26 January 2023, 17:30 – 19:00 GMT, Café Artum

Dr Lauren Traczykowski will ethically analyse some key actions and decisions made during the pandemic and other recent emergencies through a disaster ethics lens. Instead of focusing on the public health side of the emergency, this session will unpack general response and recovery issues so that participants are empowered to ask the right questions and understand certain answers – even if they are uncomfortable to us as individuals.

The science of swearing

Thursday 30 March 2023, 17:30 – 19:00 GMT, Café Artum

Swearing is a common part of day-to-day conversation for many people. But why do we swear and how have our favourite swear words changed over time? Dr Robbie Love will explore the science of swearing, from what happens in the brain when we swear to tracking how often we swear with the help of corpus linguistics.

Lab made meat on the menu?

Thursday 27 April 2023, 17:30 – 19:00 GMT, Café Artum

Dr Eirini Theodosiou and Dr Jason Thomas will explore what cultivated - or lab-produced - meat is and what factors can influence consumers on buying it and eating it.

Past events

Is net zero worth fighting for? Climate change in the age of emergency

Thursday 23 June 2022, 17:30 – 19:00 BST, Café Artum

Dr Graeme Hayes will talk about what net zero means and what it doesn’t mean, what it tells us about climate change and what it leaves unsaid, why calculating carbon footprints is helpful and also why it isn’t, and will argue that net zero is a terrible idea which could probably only be made worse by abandoning net zero.

75 Years On: The Partition of India in a Global Perspective

Thursday 25 August 2022, 17:30 – 19:00 BST, Café Artum

Dr Volker Prott will invite you to take a step back and explore the partition of India from a global historical perspective. The partition of India has become a synonym of tragedy and unimaginable human suffering. The British decision in June 1947 to grant independence to its colony by creating two separate states caused the displacement of over ten million people as well as hundreds of thousands of casualties.

Who is doing the household work and why does it matter?

Thursday 29 September 2022, 17:30 – 19:00 BST, Café Artum

Dr Emily Christopher discusses the value of unpaid work around the home and the wider consequences of how it is divided. Who cooks the meals in your household? Who puts the clothes away or takes out the bins? Who does the DIY or organises birthday cards and presents for family and friends? Who makes sure the bathroom cupboard is stocked with toothpaste or is the one to organise childcare at the last minute? Why does this even matter?

Refugee solidarity – how much can individuals and organisations do?

Thursday 27 October 2022, 17:30 – 19:00 BST, Café Artum

Dr Gaja Maestri, Dr Katie Tonkiss and Dr Amanda Beattie (Centre for Migration and Forced Displacement) will reflect on how individuals and organisations engage with refugee support and will share examples from Australia, Greece and the UK.