Contagion
Steve Hinchliffe (Geography) leads this BTG-funded project, which started in May 2012.
About the project
We live in contagious times. From emerging infectious diseases and epigenetics to financial collapse, from riots to social panic, the conditions for contagion seem to be accelerating and more widespread than at any other time. The result is that contagious events are often characterised by their speed, spatial complexity and impact, financial and otherwise.
Crossing biology, law, politics, economics and communication, there’s a widespread employment of contagious language to describe what was healthy and secure but is now under threat, or conversely, to understand social changes that can generate positive change.
This project aims to explore the new methods and models that are required to understand the power, ethics and new spatial configurations of contagion.
Project aims
- To investigate the various ways in which contagion is both studied and modelled within a cross-disciplinary setting.
- To generate an interdisciplinary approach to the topic of contagion via the development of new methodological approaches, conceptual frameworks, and modelling tools.
Project activities
The Project plans to hold a series of four workshops to develop concepts, methodologies and modelling approaches that are fit for the purpose of engaging with a contagious world.
The first workshop was held on 10 July, with around 20 participants - for further details and to download presentations, please follow this link to the workshop details.
