Forensic Cultures in Interdisciplinary Perspective
This international
conference examines in analytical and historical perspective the remarkable
prominence of forensic science and medicine in contemporary culture. It brings
together leading scholars from history, sociology and socio-legal studies,
media and cultural studies, and practitioners working within the diverse
locations of forensic culture – from
crime scenes and bio-medical laboratories to television studios. Topics for
discussion include the politics and practice of DNA evidence, the use of
"cold case review" in re-evaluating celebrated murder trials from the
past, the historical invention of "crime scene investigation", the
work of forensic identification at mass grave sites, and media forensics – including a dinner event featuring the creators
of the BBC forensic dramas Waking the Dead and Silent Witness.
Forensic Cultures is
sponsored by the University
of Manchester's Centre
for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine (CHSTM), and by the
Wellcome Trust.
For further details,
including registration information, please see the conference website or contact the organisers,
Dr Ian Burney and Dr David Kirby.
