Southern Sociological Society
2026 Annual Meeting
CALL FOR PAPERS
Submission Due Date: November 7, 2025
Empowered Sociologists: Agency and Action Towards Social Change
Jacksonville, Florida
Hyatt Regency Jacksonville
April 8-11, 2026
President
Kendra Jason, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Program Chairs
Taylor McElwain, Virginia Tech
Mairead Moloney, University of Miami
Empowered Sociologists: Agency and Action Towards Social Change
The 2026 Annual theme, Empowered Sociologists: Agency and Action towards Social Change, is a call to action for empowered thought leaders to uphold the ethical mission of the Southern Sociological Society. Sociologists are well-positioned to lead through times of rapid social change with our collective action. In an era when many feel disempowered, this call serves as a reminder of the strength of sociology and the contributions of sociologists. It is also a reminder of the Society’s mission to apply our knowledge and training to address and resolve societal problems.
Our social reality is shaped by continuous change and power shifts. History is fraught with the struggle for power and control on multiple socio-political levels. These tensions play out in organizations and workplaces, within communities, and interpersonally between us/them, haves/have-nots, and outsiders and insiders. In recent years, the Academy has undergone significant changes, driven by the institutionalization of Artificial Intelligence (AI), staffing shortages, organizational restructuring, and a decline in funding. Employment patterns have shifted as older workers delay retirement. The gig economy is growing exponentially, and secure jobs and employee benefits are becoming more elusive. Health disparities are widening while healthcare access is shrinking. Community-based resources lose traction in markets and trade. Within a relatively short period, the shifts in social organization, politics, transportation, the physical environment, economy, immigration, family structures, identities, crime, technology, medicine, and more, has created a new and precarious social reality.
Sociologists are at the forefront of this rapidly changing reality, and few disciplines are as well-equipped to identify and investigate the social forces that shape our everyday lives. Our theoretical, methodological, pedagogical, and practical knowledge is vital for a more precise understanding of the human condition and its challenges. We are uniquely poised to inform policy and practice while upholding the strictest ethical standards of social science. Sociology is a powerful resource for making sense of rapid social change as we analyze history, inform the present, and envision the future. We have the knowledge and tools to make the invisible, visible, to acknowledge those who have “been disappeared” or erased from history, to support community organizing, and to disrupt. Members of our discipline are vital thought leaders in the classroom, in communities, and in society. We are a formidable force as a discipline and agents of influence and action.
The 89th Annual Meeting of the Southern Sociological Society calls upon sociologists to empower each other as we deepen our critical thinking, engage in cutting-edge research, mentor the next generation, enrich pedagogical strategies, and craft viable interventions. We acknowledge that we possess varying levels of agency, but we may all contribute to action plans across multi-layered social dimensions. Together, we will navigate an interconnected, interdependent, and rapidly evolving global community. The 2026 Annual Conference welcomes and values your research, perspective, and pedagogy, and strives to offer you tools to empower you to shape the future of sociology.
Submission Details
The SSS annual meeting is constructed entirely out of member submissions. Submissions are considered from the breadth and depth of the discipline, regardless of the theme of the 2026 Annual Conference. There are six submission types: individual papers, poster presentations, full session proposals, flash talks, roundtables, and special sessions. To submit to SSS 2026, please visit our membership portal.
Important notes: The information provided through the submission portal will appear exactly as it is entered (including capitalization) by the submitter. Therefore, enter your paper title, author names, and affiliations as you wish to appear in the program. Also, time slots are limited; thus, participants may serve in no more than two presentation roles (e.g., author of a paper, panel participant, workshop leader, poster presenter, etc.). There are no restrictions on the number of times a participant may serve as a session presider or discussant.
1) Individual Papers: You may submit extended abstracts of individual papers for potential inclusion in a regular paper session. These abstracts will be organized into sessions by members of the Program Committee on the basis of common themes. All regular paper submissions should include: (a) the title of the paper, (b) names, affiliations, and contact information for each author, and (c) an extended abstract. Extended abstracts should be approximately 300-450 (max. 450) words and organized with the suggested three section headings: Objectives, Methods, and Findings. See helpful hints on writing extended abstracts here.
2) Poster Presentations: You may submit abstracts for inclusion in a poster session. All poster submissions should include: (a) the title of the paper, (b) names, affiliations, and contact information for each author, and (c) an extended abstract. Extended abstracts should be approximately 300-450 (max. 450) words and organized with the suggested three section headings: Objectives, Methods, and Findings. See helpful hints on writing extended abstracts here. Posters should display relevant information in a way that is accessible (readable from a distance of six feet) and visually appealing. SSS provides easels, clips, and backing boards. Your poster should not exceed the size of the foam backing board (30” x 40”).
3) Full Session Proposals: All full session proposals must include an abstract (max. 450 words) detailing the theme of the proposed session. This should include a brief description of the session’s prospective broad appeal and/or connections with the 2026 meeting theme of Empowered Sociologists: Agency and Action Towards Social Change, if relevant. All areas of sociology are welcome! If the session is submitted on behalf of an SSS Committee (or multiple committees), include this information in the session title. Additionally, you must include full details for all participants, including the submission title, submission type, abstract, three keywords, name, institution, email address, and position. Participants include the presider and organizer, as well as the presenters or panelists, and the discussant, if applicable.
4) Flash talks: You may submit extended abstracts for potential inclusion in a flash talk session. Flash talks are limited to 5 minutes. These abstracts will be organized into sessions by the Program Committee members based on common themes. All flash talk submissions should include: (a) the title of the paper, (b) names, affiliations, and contact information for each author, and (c) an extended abstract. Extended abstracts should be approximately 300-450 (max. 450) words and organized with the suggested three section headings: Objectives, Methods, and Findings. See helpful hints on writing extended abstracts here.
5) Roundtables: You may submit extended abstracts of individual presentations for potential inclusion in a roundtable session. These abstracts will be organized into tables by members of the Program Committee based on common themes. All roundtable submissions should include: (a) the title of the paper, (b) names, affiliations, and contact information for each author, and (c) an extended abstract. Extended abstracts should be approximately 300-450 (max. 450) words and organized with the suggested three section headings: Objectives, Methods, and Findings. See helpful hints on writing extended abstracts here.
6) Special Sessions: Members can submit ideas for a range of other special sessions, including workshops, mini-conferences, and Author-Meets-Curious-Readers (AMCR), among others. AMCR sessions spotlight books with broad enthusiasm across the SSS membership. AMCRs may be self-nominated and should include three to four potential ‘curious readers.’ Proposals for workshops on a range of topics like social change, pedagogy, methodology, networking, and Publishing, for example, will also be considered. Proposals for AMCRs and workshop sessions should be sent directly to the program co-chairs for consideration and follow the guidelines described above under Full Session Proposals.
Members can also make a call for papers for a session they want to organize. To do so, submit to “Sessions Seeking Papers,” which will be updated and subsequently circulated as a digest weekly. If you see a session that you would like to join, please email the person organizing the session (their information will be included in the weekly digest). The organizer will notify you if they plan to add you to their session, and if so, will request your submission title, abstract, three keywords, name, institution, email address, and position. They will then submit the full session for all participants.
Submission Due Date: November 7, 2025
Submission and Registration Procedures
Anyone attending the meeting or listed in the program must be a current dues-paying member of SSS (except undergraduate observers and presenting undergraduate affiliates of SSS Departmental Members). All program participants (presenters, presiders, discussants,panelists, etc.) must also be registered for the annual meeting. Please note that attendees of the 2026 Annual Conference are strongly encouraged to pre-register for SSS 2026 on or before March 1, 2026.
Those who register after this date will pay increased on-site registration fees. You may
Join/renew your SSS membership, submit abstracts, and pre-register for the 2026 Annual Conference from our website: https://www.southernsociologicalsociety.org/
Hotel Information
Book your room at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront using this link. Web-based reservations are preferred, but you may also call (888) 627-7033 to reserve a room – mention that it is for the “Southern Sociological Society 2026 Conference,” and the Group Code is G-SSS6
The SSS conference rate is $199/night. The deadline for booking within the SSS Annual Meeting room block rate is March 1, 2026. However, the room block often fills up well before this cut-off date.
Anti-Harassment Policy
Our Annual Meeting is convened for professional development and scholarly educational interchange in the spirit of free inquiry and free expression. Harassment of colleagues, students, hotel staff, or other conference participants undermines the principle of equity at the heart of these professional fora. It is inconsistent with the principles of free inquiry and free expression. Please review our anti-harassment policy and meet our anti-harassment advocates here.
Please direct questions about the 2026 Annual conference program program@southernsociologicalsociety.org.
Questions regarding membership or registration should be directed to: