“The Futures We Want: Global Sociology and the Struggles for a Better World” (3rd ISA Forum of Sociology) July 10th – 14th, 2016, Vienna, Austria

Call for Session Organizers (Deadline March 15th, 2015)

We want to invite you to organize a Session at the 3rd ISA Forum of Sociology (“The Futures We Want: Global Sociology and the Struggles for a Better World”) which will take place from July 10th to 14th, 2016, at the University of Vienna (Austria) ( http://www.isa-sociology.org/forum-2016/ http://www.isa-sociology.org/forum-2016/).

As most of you probably know, the ISA Forum is the ISA Intermediate Conference between World Congresses. So in contrast to the RC33 conference (where only methodologists will attend), the ISA is meant to discourse between different fields of sociology and to provide a platform for the wide spectrum of our many Research Committees (RCs), Working Groups (WGs), and Thematic Groups (TGs). The conference theme aims at encouraging forward-oriented research ranging from the tiny worlds in micro situations to the broadest macro dynamics affecting the entire planet. The rather uncommon plural “s” in futures points to the diversity of possibilities, projects, and visions. Social actors aspire, desire, envision, expect, fear, imagine, plan, and ultimately shape in their more or less contentious interactions at multiple scales new conditions. Empirical research from around the world is needed to help tackle the critical problems and opportunities in our age of advanced globalization.

Three types of sessions are particularly welcome:

‒ Sessions trying to address problems of specific substantial research fields that are also represented at the ISA Forum (e.g. methods of sociology of religion, methods of sociology of aging, methods of sociology of organization …). The aim of these sessions should be to encourage discussion of RC 33 with members of other RCs, WGs and TGs. These sessions can be either RC 33-only our Joint Sessions. In the latter case, RC 33 can host the session.

‒ Sessions addressing methodological problems regarding the conference theme.

‒ General methodological topics: While sessions related to the umbrella theme our joint discussions are particularly welcome as a way to connect across RC/WG/TGs, as always other methodological sessions from RC 33 members are welcome.

If you are interested in organizing a session, please submit an abstract containing the following information to Martin Weichbold ( mailto:Martin.Weichbold@sbg.ac.at Martin.Weichbold@sbg.ac.at) by March 15th, 2015:

‒ Session Title

‒ Session Organizers (Name, Email-Address, Institutional Affiliation)

‒ Session Abstract (containing a short description of the session and the type of papers you want to be submitted to the session).

Best wishes,

Martin Weichbold

(RC 33 Vice President for ISA Forum Programme Coordination)

RC 33 Rules for Session Organization (According to RC Statutes)

1. The conference language is English. All papers therefore need to be presented in English.

2. All sessions have to be international: each session should include speakers of at least two countries (exceptions will need good reasons). Moreover, each paper must contain a methodological problem (any area, qualitative or quantitative).

3. Speakers can only have one talk per session. This is also true for joint papers: it will not be possible for A and B to present at the same time one paper as B and A during the same session. This would just extend the time allocated to each speech in the different sessions.

4. Sessions will have a length of 90 minutes with a maximum of 4 papers or a length of 120 minutes with a maximum of 6 papers. Session organizers can invite as many speakers as they like. The number of sessions depends on the number of papers there are.

5. There will be several calls for papers via the RC33 Newsletter. To begin with, session organizers can prepare a call for papers on their own initiative, then at a different time, there will be a common call for papers, and session organizers can ask anybody to submit a paper. RC33 members may distribute these calls via other channels.

6. Papers may only be refused for the conference if they do not present a methodological problem (as stated in Article 3 of the RC33 Statutes), are not in English or are somehow otherwise estimated by session organizers as not being appropriate for the conference.

7. Session organizers may ask authors to revise and resubmit their paper so that it fits these requirements. If session organizers do not wish to consider a paper addressed to them, they should inform the author and forward the paper to the conference chair who will find a session where the paper fits.

8. Papers directly addressed to the organization committee (and those forwarded from session organizers) will be offered to other session organizers (after proofing for quality). It is then up to the organizers to include a paper in their session(s) or not. If they think it does not fit into the session(s), the papers should be sent back as soon as possible to the organizing committee so that it can offer the paper to another session organizer.

9. There will be a conference Web site with information about the procedure for submitting a paper and deadlines.