Public festival gives insight into science of society

The University of Sheffield will host to a range of engaging and entertaining events for the public during the next fortnight (12-20 March 2010), to celebrate the science of people, society and the changing world around us. As part of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Festival of Social Science, the University will be holding several events in the community to showcase its world-class social science research and engage members of the public in this fascinating field. The events will take a variety of formats from panel debates, to mobile workshops, business breakfasts, educational field trips and even a virtual event in Second Life. They will be aimed at a number of different audiences including the general public, policy makers, business, the media, and students of all ages. Broadly speaking, social science encompasses society, how we behave and our impact on the world around us. In the changing world we live in, social science can help make sense of key everyday issues such as government´s policy, climate change, population change, national and international economies, urban spaces, aging, law in society and the care of our land. Some of the events included in the programme are as follows: Fear and Loathing in Sheffield: Public Fear in an Urban Landscape - Saturday 13 March and Wednesday 17 March 2010, starting at either 11am or 2pm - The School of Law, Winter Street, Sheffield - Members of the public are invited to a mobile landscape workshop where participants can use photography and writing to document elements of the landscape which provoke emotions of fear or unease.