39th Annual MSSA Conference

October 23-26, 2013 - Atlanta, GA

Action Sociology: Opportunities in a (Post) Modern World

Call for Participation

Session Descriptions

Action Sociology: Effecting Social Change
Timothy B. Gongaware, University of Wisconsin – La Crosse, tgongaware@uwlax.edu

Based on the Scamblers’ blogpost (A Case for Action Sociology) that gave rise to the conference theme, this session asks the dual questions: What activist role do sociologists currently play in a formal democracy? What role should they have?  Papers submitted for this session can either explore the experiences of sociologists who engage in activism, and/or engage in the debate over whether or not such intervention should be a formal aspect of sociology as the Scamblers suggest.

Community Sociology: Spatial Analysis of Social Data
Jeremy Porter, City University of New York, jeremy_r_porter@yahoo.com

The session on community sociology and the spatial analysis of social data invites recent research concerning social processes at the individual, group, and institutional level and their relationships to the local environment and variations of that context across geographic space.

Contemporary Immigration Patterns
Erin Rider, Jacksonville State University, erider@jsu.edu

This session invites papers on different categories of immigrants (economic, political, etc.), push and pull factors relating to immigration trends, and/or immigrant experiences transitioning from one society to another.  Thus, topics could include policy changes and immigration experiences at initiation, seeking residence, and resettlement stages.

Contemporary Theory
Jeremy Ross, Jacksonville State University, jeremyros@gmail.com

This session invites papers that take a fresh perspective on sociological topics, and which take a place outside the classical cannon.

Creating Sociology Internships that Foster Critical Thinking and Awareness
Toni Sims-Muhammad, Livingstone College, tsims-muhammad@livingstone.edu

This session invites the work of scholars that explores important and critical, as well as unique perspectives about the nature, dynamics and scope of sociological internships that foster “front loading realities” (Sims-Muhammad, 2012) – those that explore “doing sociology.”

Doing Ethnography
Michael Spivey, University of North Carolina at Pembroke, michael.spivey@uncp.edu

This session is reserved for all things ethnographic. In particular, it would be great to have a paper or two dealing with the theme of the conference, Action Sociology. How can ethnography be utilized for social change? However, the session is open to theoretically-informed fieldwork, empirical studies, new directions in ethnographic methods, ethical issues related to ethnography. Other areas concerning ethnographic research and writing are welcome.

Education, Science, and Social Justice
Willie Pearson, Georgia Institute of Technology, kingvassie@comcast.net

One of the greatest challenges to the nation’s continuing economic progress, security, and tradition of participatory democracy is the gap in education, mathematics, and science achievement separating economically disadvantaged, women, and some racial/ethnic minority students from other students. The session seeks papers that address the consequences of this inequality.

From Both Sides of the Fence (Part 1) – Student experiences with undergraduate field research methods courses
From Both Sides of the Fence (Part 2) – Approaches to teaching qualitative field research methods: a panel discussion
Lachelle Norris, Tennessee Tech University, LNorris@tntech.edu

These two sessions will focus on undergraduate field research methods. The first invites papers from undergraduate students in which they discuss their experiences having recently completed qualitative research methods coursework. The second session invites participants to sit on a panel of both the students from the prior session and instructors who teach field research methods courses. In this session, instructors can discuss how they approach the difficulties and challenges in teaching the course and students can also join in providing feedback and suggestions based on their experience.

Global Processes/Local Impacts
David Jaffee, University of North Florida, djaffee@unf.edu

This session invites sociological research and action that links global socio-economic processes to local socio-economic conditions. We have long heard the mantra – think globally/act locally. How does this translate into different forms of sociological inquiry and active community engagement in shaping social policies and outcomes?

Global Sociology
Samuel Adu-Mireku, Fayetteville State University, sadu-mireku@uncfsu.edu

The Global Sociology session invites papers that focus on topics in countries other than the United States. The session, however, is interested in papers that present a comparative analysis of topics in the United States and another country.

Sociology of Emotions
Paul Namaste, High Point University, pnamaste@highpoint.edu

This session invites a wide-range of papers dealing with the understanding of emotions and how they connect to behavior and relationships.

Sociology of Housing
Jessica Pardee, Rochester Institute of Technology, jwpgss@rit.edu

Housing is an essential corner piece to our daily lives, yet so often research on the role of housing in society is relegated to an afterthought as an analytic factor. Yet, at the core, our citizenship rights are fundamentally linked to our housing – where we live predicts our legal rights, as well as our access to society’s resources from schools to hospitals and health clinics, grocery stores, parks and playgrounds, fire and policy services, and even trash collection. In response, this session invites papers from scholars for whom housing is a centerpiece in understanding our social world.

Sociology of Propaganda
Michael P. Perazzetti, University of West Georgia, mike.perazzetti@gmail.com

This session invites papers which address the symbolic interactions of individuals and small groups and how various types of propaganda influence those interactions.

The Role and Relevancy of HBCUs to Black Progress and Empowerment in the 21st Century
Toni Sims-Muhammad, Livingstone College, tsims-muhammad@livingstone.edu

This session invites papers that explore important and critical, as well as unique perspectives about the current, future role and relevancy of Historically Black Colleges and Universities to Black Progress and Empowerment in the 21st Century America and the world.

Visualizing Action Sociology
Terrell A. Hayes, High Point University, thayes@highpoint.edu

Visual sociology explores how the world that is seen, photographed, drawn or otherwise represented visually is different from the world that is represented through words and numbers. This session calls for any and all forms of visual imagery (e.g., photos, film, art, etc.) that might serve to enhance our understanding of: sociological concepts and ideas; social problems; ethical and methodological considerations associated with the use of visual images in research; or efforts to promote social change through direct or indirect action. Submissions may include, but are not limited to, photo essays and photo or film documentaries.