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CDAS Conference 2012: Dying in the Digital Age
09-10 June 2012
Bath, UK

The University of Bath’s Centre for Death & Society (CDAS) announces
its 2012 summer conference. Our conference last year, Death & Dying
in the Digital Age, was possibly the first ever to bring together
computer scientists and death studies researchers. Reflecting the
literature, the most coherent body of the 2011 papers concerned
post-death phenomena, specifically digital mourning and legacy, and a
selection of those papers will appear in a special issue of
Bereavement Care in Spring 2012.

By contrast, research into how digital technologies affect the
interactions and experiences of those near the end of life – the frail
elderly, the terminally ill – is much more limited and
fragmented.Considerable research has been done on technologies to
sustain people’s physical wellbeing toward the end of life, but very little on
technologies to sustain their social lives.

So for 2012 we invite papers that look at digital technologies that
enhance the social wellbeing of those nearing the end of life. Topics
can include, but are not limited to, the modelling, development or use
of technologies that promote social inclusion, blogs, social
networking, health & social care technologies, narrative analysis,
etc. Our aim is to bring together the fragmented research and
knowledge in this area.

Twenty-minute papers are invited from computer scientists, system
engineers, formal modellers, HCI specialists; social scientists and
death studies researchers; scholars of culture, media and literature;
health and care professionals; software developers & entrepreneurs;
and those themselves nearing the end of their life. Abstracts (up to
250 words) to be emailed to cdas(a)bath.ac.uk by 12 March 2012.

The conference will be held in the centre of the world heritage city
of Bath, in the amenable surroundings of the Bath Royal Literary &
Scientific Institute (car park nearby, Bath Spa station 10 minutes
walk, Bristol Airport 1 hour). The cost, £45 for a single day, £80 for
the weekend, includes lunch and refreshments. There will be
opportunities to socialise over a drink on Friday evening or meal on
Saturday evening (neither included in price). There is plentiful
accommodation nearby, which delegates need to arrange for themselves.

Conference updates, a booking form and accommodation links at:
http://www.bath.ac.uk/cdas/news/conferences/index.html#cdas2012

Tony Walter
CDAS, University of Bath
jaw34(a)bath.ac.uk