Counter terrorism and Birmingham: A conversation with Dr Chris Allen

Dr Chris Allen, one of the country's leading experts on Islamophobia, will hold an open discussion on counter terrorism and Birmingham, as part of this year's Economic and Social Research Council's Festival of Social Science. The event, on Thursday 7 November, at Selly Oak Methodist Centre, Birmingham, is part of a week-long celebration of some of the country's leading social science research. The College of Social Science within the University of Birmingham will be showcasing a number of research projects with free lectures, workshops, seminars, exhibitions and other events being held around the country to offer an insight into how social science research impacts on our lives. Dr Chris Allen said: 'As the recent conviction of Pavlo Lapshyn for murder and the planting of bombs at mosques across the West Midlands shows, terror has multiple faces. Some of those faces - whether perceived or actual - are associated to certain religions and religious communities. The 'conversation' we're having as part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science seeks to unpack some of the key issues surrounding this sensitive issue, to try and better understand if there is a link between religion and terror in today's Birmingham.' Among the research being highlighted will be: Attitudes to gratitude The future of aid in an age of austerity Impact of the recession and the public expenditure cuts on third sector organisations Getting on in the UK, networks, class and culture The University of Birmingham's School of Psychology will also be featuring work in the areas of: Eating behaviour Forensic psychology Children's development Object recognition