Although ‘power’ can appear a vague term, the dichotomy between haves and have-nots, the desire to gain autonomy, and the dire consequences of subjugation, are three issues that resound across the arts and social sciences. In this book, postgraduate students from the constituent disciplines use the freedom of their positions as early-career researchers to boldly explore power relations. From a legal perspective, papers are included geared towards human rights issues and violations. Further, the applied perspectives from business and education researchers consider how access to wealth and education, and to equal education, can and must be achieved. Then, interpreted through the perspectives of anthropological, sociological, and historical approaches, power has become a resonant issue among the creations of culture and human interaction(s). Finally, within the ‘soft’ sciences, the very same preoccupations, as they appear in creative expression, are examined within literature and music. Indeed, through the twenty-one articles chosen for inclusion in this collection, distinct in their disciplinary origins, approaches and foci, together the authors are emphasising the many similarities that exist among the arts and social sciences subjects.
‘Perspectives on Power: An Interdisciplinary Approach’ was conceived as a result of the quality and reception of papers presented at the 2008 Moving Forward Postgraduate Conference, held at the University of Aberdeen. The volume comprises twenty-one articles on the theme of ‘power’, carefully chosen by the editorial team from in excess of eighty presentations. These represent and tender a wide range of scholarly approaches to and within the arts and social sciences; the remit of Moving Forward. The collection is aimed at scholars and scholarly institutions within the United Kingdom in particular, but contains contributions from scholars across the globe. The collection should especially appeal to and inspire delegates visiting the Moving Forward Postgraduate Conference in the years to come.
