Sessions Seeking Papers

1. Thinking about Race: Racial Concepts, Attitudes, and Public Opinion
This session examines how people think about race and racism. It includes papers on (a) racial conceptualization, appraisals, or categorization; and (b) public opinion and attitudes about race and racism. Papers may be primarily empirical, theoretical, or both; qualitative and quantitative approaches are both welcome. To be considered, please submit a PDF or Word submission to Raj Ghoshal, rghoshal@elon.edu. Your submission should include name, title, department, university or institution, and email for all authors, and abstract or extended abstract (150-500 words). Additional information is welcome but not required. Please include “SSS” in the email subject line. Please share this session information with potentially interested colleagues. Submissions by Oct 29 will receive full consideration; submissions by Oct 31 will receive consideration if time permits.  

2. Memorialization and Racist Violence
The public landscape and its connections with racial violence have been the focus of fierce debate in recent years. Yet, despite daily exposure and its pervasiveness in our everyday lives, we know little about the social effects of these physical reminders, such as their relationship with socio-political attitudes, group identities, social interactions, and institutional structures. This panel will bring together scholars whose work broadly engages with debates surrounding public memorialization and racial violence. This can include, but is not limited to, theoretical and empirical work discussing the broad relationship between past violence, its memory in the present, and the legacy or effects it continues to have on society. If you are interested in participating in this session, please submit your information in a Word document by Monday, October 30, if not sooner, to Heather A. O’Connell (hoconnell@lsu.edu) or Ashley V. Reichelmann (avr@vt.edu). In your document please include: 1. Each author’s name, affiliation, position, and email address 2. Title of the paper 3. Extended abstract (400-450 words) – Please note that the SSS guidelines suggest, if applicable, that the abstract should be organized with the following section headings: Objectives, Methods, and Findings.  

3. Whitespaces
We are interested in putting together a session (or sessions) compiling scholarship that investigates the historical, contemporary, and future realities of whitespaces – broadly conceptualized. We are interested in work that critically assesses these spaces regardless of theoretical, methodological, or epistemological orientation. Potential paper topics include, but are certainly not limited to: Academic disciplines as whitespaces Whitespace and racialized interaction orders The cultures of whitespace Whitespace as a perceptual space Cultural consumption and whitespaceWhitespace and invisibilities Identity construction, navigation, and maintenance within whitespace Institutions as whitespace And so much more… All paper submissions should include: (a) the title of the paper,* (b) names, affiliations, and contact information for each author,* and (c) an abstract. Abstracts should be approximately 350-450 words and organized with the following three section headings: Objectives, Methods, and Findings. These section headings may not apply to all submissions, so authors may modify as needed. *Note that information provided here is what will appear in the program, so please include your name, affiliation, and contact information exactly as you want it to appear in the program. There is also a possibility that an edited volume will be produced out of these sessions. Of course, the submission and review processes will determine which papers may ultimately be invited to submit to that volume as well as which ones ultimately are a part of any final collection. Please submit your materials to session organizers David L. Brunsma (brunsmad@vt.edu) and Elizabeth B. Roberts (ebr@vt.edu) by October 27, 2023.  

4. Intersectionality and Sexual/Reproductive Health
Both reproductive health and sexual health are major public health concerns and undoubtedly intertwined. Outcomes around pregnancy, delivery, maternal mortality, STI acquisition, and other infections can be connected to similar social determinants of health including healthcare, media, education, family socialization, and policy. What we also know as sociologists is that each of those determinants has a differential impact based on intersectional factors like race, class, gender, age, bodies/embodiment, and sexual orientation. The objective of this session is to highlight work on sexual and reproductive health that uses intersectionality theory – or other frameworks that center aspects of identity – to better understand population health and well-being.   All 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 400-450 (max. 450) words and organized with the suggested three section headings: Objectives, Methods, and Findings. These section headings may not apply to all submissions, so authors may modify as needed. Please submit materials by October 20, 2023, via email to j_wade@uncg.edu  

5. Challenging Dichotomies in Hazard and Disaster Research
Disasters are often cast as either technological—human-caused—or natural. Events like Hurricane Katrina blur these binary distinctions. In addition, disasters with na tech origins such as Fukushima and tech na events—for example, induced seismicity from hydraulic fracturing processes—offer additional perspectives that challenge this dichotomy. So too does climate change blur binaries for extreme weather events. In keeping with the SSS 2024 theme of disrupting binaries, this session is seeking papers that interrogate these categories and focus attention on the utility and pitfalls of these distinctions. We welcome submissions of any methodology and about any location.   If you are interested in participating in this session, please submit your information in a Word document by Friday, October 27, if not sooner, to Liesel Ritchie (liesel14@vt.edu) or Adam Straub (strauba@rowan.edu). In your document please include: 1. Each author’s name, affiliation, position, and email address 2. Title of the paper 3. Extended abstract (400-450 words). Please note that the SSS guidelines suggest, if applicable, that the abstract should be organized with the following section headings: Objectives, Methods, and Findings.  

6. Space, Place, and LGBTQ Populations
I am currently seeking papers for a session on space, place, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) populations. This session will focus on papers that examine questions regarding how region and geography produce variations in the expression of LGBTQ culture and identity. Papers that challenge existing narratives about LGBTQ individuals living in understudied regions in the United States, such as the U.S. South or Midwest, will especially be considered for inclusion in the session. Other topics of interest related to understudied regions include anti-LGBTQ legislation and policy, rural queer studies, queer & trans joy, and global variation in attitudes toward and the experiences of LGBTQ persons. All submissions should include: (a) the title of the paper, (b) names, affiliations, and contact information for each author, and (c) a 450-500 word extended abstract. The extended abstract should describe the purpose of the study, research methods, and major findings. Note that all information provided here is what will appear in the program. Please submit materials by October 25th, 2023 via email to Lisa R. Miller at millerlr@eckerd.edu.  

7. Asian Americans in the South
For this session, we are seeking papers that address the in/visibility of Asian Americans in the South, whether past, present, or future. Potential paper topics include, but are certainly not limited to: Histories of Asian immigration to the SouthPast or present Asian American activism in the SouthAsian American racial flexibility between Black and WhiteAsian American southern identitiesAnd so much more…. All 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 400-450 words and organized with the following three section headings: Objectives, Methods, and Findings. These section headings may not apply to all submissions, so authors may modify as needed. *Note that information provided here is what will appear in the program, so please include your name, affiliation, and contact information exactly as you want it to appear in the program. Email SunAh Laybourn at sunah.laybourn@memphis.edu  

8. Digital Sociology
This session is dedicated to highlighting sociological scholarship in the theme of digital sociology and matters surrounding digital spaces and online spaces. Paper topics may include, but are not limited to: Digital Sociology,Digital spaces and building community,Ethics of digital spaces, politics of digital spaces,Digital ethnography,Social media, online cultures,Social justice in online spaces, use of online spaces for social movements,Inequalities in online spacesAccess and availability of digital spaces,How marginalized identities exist in digital spaces.   All paper submissions should include: (a) the title of the paper, * (b) names, affiliations, and contact information for each author, * and (c) an abstract. Abstracts should be approximately 350-450 words and organized with the following three section headings: Objectives, Methods, and Findings. These section headings may not apply to all submissions, so authors may modify as needed.   *Note that information provided here is what will appear in the program, so please include your name, affiliation, and contact information exactly as you want it to appear in the program. Please submit materials by October 27, 2023, via email to Anne Patrick: anne.patrick@blackburn.edu.  

9. Complicating Binaries through Environmental Justice
Binaries including, but not limited to, culture/nature, human/nonhuman, and mind/body have formed the foundation for dominant ways of thinking about the relationship between humans and their environment. Environmental justice offers a reframing of this relationship by complicating these dominant binary frames. Papers interested in this session should, at a minimum, engage with literature on environmental justice and ideally (but not necessarily) also engage with questions of binaries and their relation to environmental justice. To be considered, please email: crballer1@vt.edu and include in your submission the title of your paper and an abstract or extended abstract (150-500 words) along with your name, department, university or institution, and email for all authors. Please include “SSS” in the email subject line. Please send your submissions by Oct 27.  

10. Family, Gender, and Power
One of the key processes in the maintenance of power differences – categorization – is highlighted in this year’s conference theme of Disrupting Binaries. This paper session aims to focus specifically on power in the family, a key institution in which the gender binary is reproduced (but also sometimes challenged). This paper session seeks to explore the processes at work in these institutions that both maintain and change our ideas about family and what it means to be part of a family, how those meanings are gendered, and why that matters. Topics may include, but are not limited to, gender socialization within the family; the distribution of emotional labor and care work within families; how gendered power dynamics shift at different stages in the life course; and how other institutions such as the economy, government, and education intersect with the relationships centered in this paper session. Submissions should include: (1) a title, (2) three keywords, (3) an abstract containing (if applicable) objectives, methods, and findings, and (4) your contact information, including your name, email, phone number, and institutional affiliation. Please send submissions to Dakota Dougherty at ddoughe@ncsu.edu by October 29, 2023.

11. Beyond “Great Man” Sociology: Innovative approaches to teaching theory
Courses in Sociological Theory are often taught one of two ways: the ‘great man’ approach emphasizes the contributions of a few well-known theorists such as Marx, Weber, and Durkheim; and another approach offers a brief introduction to numerous classical, modern, and contemporary theories. In a recent book, Fabio Rojas challenged us to think and teach differently. Have we taken up this call? How can we maximize the potential of sociological theory for our students, especially those who do not intend to pursue graduate studies? This session seeks to bring together ideas and approaches to teaching Sociological Theory in ways that are innovative, engaging, and relevant to students. This session seeks to disrupt the binaries that define who can be a theorist and what the “classical” canon includes. If you are interested in participating in this session, please send a proposed title and description of your presentation to lindsey.ibanez@washburn.edu before Oct. 27, 2023.   

12. Racialization & Racism in Child Welfare & Other Youth-Facing Systems
Sociologists are poised to contribute knowledge to combat the disproportionate harm that child welfare and other public service systems bring to ethnoracial minority youth and families. With that goal in mind, this session aims to bring together papers focused on advancing our knowledge of racialization and racism in youth-facing systems, including but not limited to child welfare systems. We welcome papers that examine the experiences and perspectives of ethnoracial minority youth (including Black, Native/Indigenous, Latinx/Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, Multiracial, and other ethnoracial minority youth). We welcome papers with a focus on children and youth, parents, caregivers, families, or community-level processes. Papers topics could include, but are not limited to those focused on methodology (i.e., how to best measure racialization and racial inequalities, best practices for including youth of color on research teams) or those focused on racial stratification in experiences and outcomes (i.e., examining the perspectives of ethnoracial minority youth, examining how ethnoracial minority youth fare across and within groups). Papers need not be driven by data analysis and may be theoretically-focused, review existing research, or aim to make methodological contributions. All submissions should include the following: (a) title of the paper, (b) each author’s name, affiliation, position, and email address*, (c) three keywords to describe your topic or subfield(s), and (d) an extended abstract. Extended abstracts should be approximately 400-450 words, and organized with the following headings (if applicable): Objectives, Methods, and Findings (including preliminary/expected). *Note that information provided here will appear exactly as such in the program. For full consideration, please submit materials by Friday, October 27, 2023 (12:00pm Eastern Time) to both sessions organizers Julia Arroyo (arroyojm@cofc.edu) and Stephanie A. Dhuman (sdhuman@hamilton.edu).

13. Sociology In/Of the Anthropocene
I am currently seeking papers for a session on sociology and the Anthropocene. The proposed session is broadly conceived and can include papers both on the practice of sociology in the Anthropocene and on a sociology of the Anthropocene. In terms of the former, papers can be conceptual, theoretical or programmatic in nature and examine such issues as sociology’s relationships to other sciences, the relationships between sociology and indigenous knowledge, necessary changes in sociology’s analytic focus, and so on. In terms of the latter, papers can be more empirical in nature and involve sociological research that addresses the Anthropocene and related to some degree. Papers in this vein can be in the areas of environmental sociology, social movements, the sociology of space/place, and so on. Submissions that creatively combine any elements of the above are certainly acceptable, as are papers from a variety of theoretical methodological perspectives. If you are interested in participating in this session, please email your information and abstract to Bradley Nash, Jr (nashb@appstate.edu) by Saturday October 28. All submissions should include (a) the title of the paper (b) names, affiliations, and contact information for each author, and (c) an abstract. Abstracts should be approximately 350-450 words and organized with the following three section headings: Objectives, Methods, and Findings. Section headings may not apply to all submissions, so feel free to may modify as needed.  

14. Dealing with Debt
Financial and financialized debt have become integral to life in America. This session aims to examine how debt operates at the micro, meso, and macro levels. Potential paper topics include the following: how people use and experience debt; shifting social meaning and experiences of debt; debt inducing freedom and mobility; debt peonage; emotional content of debt and debtor subjectivities; institutional and organizational analysis of credit markets; racialized and gendered dimensions of debt; debt and youth; debt and detention; and much more. All orientations – empirical & theoretical – and methodologies – qualitative & quantitative, small or large N – are welcome. To be considered, please submit a PDF or Word submission to Paromita Sanyal, psanyal@fsu.edu. Your submission should include (a) names, affiliations, and contact information for all authors as you want them to appear in the conference program, (b) paper title, (c) and a 500 word abstract outling the study’s goal, data and methods, and findings (preliminary or otherwise). Please include “SSS 2024 Submission” in the email subject line. Submissions by Oct 27 will receive full consideration. The session may lead to an effort to put together a peer-reviewed edited volume of select submissions.  

15. Fat Studies/Body Politics (sponsored by SWS-South)
This session will highlight scholarship in the general theme of body politics/fat studies. In alignment with the conference theme of “disrupting binaries”, we will highlight papers that challenge societal discourses about the fat/thin, unhealthy/healthy binaries. Areas of study may include: Fat Studies, Fat sexualities, Fatness & institutions, and Fatness as an identity; Fat Activism; Health at Every Size (HAES); Bodies as they intersect with gender, sexuality, race, class, religion, ability; Body politics; Colonizing and decolonizing bodies; Representation & visual culture; Dieting and food as they relate to bodies; Fashion as it intersects with gender, sexuality, race, class, religion, ability, size; Disciplining/Policing bodies, Size discrimination; Neoliberalism and bodies; and Bodies, borders, and boundaries (transnational bodies). All 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 400-450 words and organized with the following three section headings: Objectives, Methods, and Findings. These section headings may not apply to all submissions, so authors may modify as needed. *Note that information provided here is what will appear in the program, so please include your name, affiliation, and contact information exactly as you want it to appear in the program. Please submit materials by October 20th, 2023 via email to byersle@wofford.edu and aprohaska@ua.edu.   

16. Teaching Applied Sociology
This proposed panel is seeking panelists on teaching applied projects and/or service-learning/community-engagement courses. This panel is designed to support interested attendees in assignment or course design. This may also be an opportunity for panelists to share their knowledge and experiences. Various topics related to teaching such courses may be covered, but include syllabus and assignment design, successes and challenges, institutional support, and/or community-engagement online, etc. Two or more participants may submit a single proposal to co-present. Graduate students are also invited. If you have any questions, please contact me with what you’re thinking about, and we can discuss. Please email me by Friday, October 27th with a title; an abstract describing the type of course(s) and/or applied projects you’ll be discussing, and the presenters’ contact information. Contact Ashley Vancil-Leap at adv102@msstate.edu

17. Sociologists Doing Activism (sponsored by the Committee on Sociological Practice)
Share how you’re combining your social science expertise with social justice activism and practice. We solicit submissions from sociologists or other social scientists who have used their expertise – either broadly or as scholars of race/ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, social movements, politics, work, human rights, peace, violence, crime, globalization, or other specialties – as activists and social practitioners. Participants are anticipated to have participated in local community or campus efforts, but regional-, national-, or international-scale activism in the U.S. or elsewhere is also appropriate. The individual’s activism may have been undertaken either explicitly in their role as a social scientist or simply informed by their social science expertise. The session’s focus is on progressive activism, broadly conceived. Among the relevant groups, causes, and settings – though not a comprehensive list – are: * Black Lives Matter or other anti-racist groups * LGBTQ+ rights groups * reproductive rights activism * feminist groups * #MeToo movement activism * disability rights activism * Moms Demand Action and other anti-gun-violence groups * environmental groups (e.g., climate change, pipeline opposition) * anti-war groups * labor unions and labor rights or antisweatshop activism * progressive campus activism of any kind, including advising of activist student organizations * political action groups such as Indivisible, Democratic Socialists of America * political campaigns, candidacy, or office-holding  Participants will share their experiences and how their expertise played a role in their activism. Two or more participants engaged in directly related activism may submit a single proposal to co-present. Graduate and undergraduate students and social scientists in nonacademic positions are invited, as well as faculty, as long as they linked social science knowledge to activism. If you are interested in presenting in this session, please submit the following information by Wednesday, October 25 to Sociological Practice committee member Dale Wimberley (dale.wimberley@vt.edu): (1) the title of the presentation; (2) contact information (name, affiliation, email address, phone number) for each presenter; and (3) an extended abstract (no more than 450 words) describing the type of activism, group, or setting, and the presenter’s use of social scientific expertise in that context. Prior inquiries are welcome. Including “SSS” in the subject line of your email is helpful.  

18. Breaking Binaries in Gender-Based Violence Research
This panel seeks papers for a session sponsored by the Sociologists for Women in Society – South (SWS-S) at the 2024 Southern Sociological Society (SSS). Submitted papers should explore some facet of the relationship between gender-based violence and binary frameworks, broadly defined. Examples include but are certainly not limited to:   • How binaries shape definitions of “victim/survivor” and “criminal,” both at individual, micro-levels and systemic, macro-levels • How intersectional theories highlight the co-construction of race, class, gender, sexuality, citizenship, ability, etc., in gender-based violence scholarship • How binaries play a role in the tangible effects of anti-violence interventions, policies, and services • How criminal legal systems operationalize “justice”/”injustice” as a potential binary   For this panel, qualitative and quantitative analyses of empirical data are welcome, as well as more theoretical projects proposing new approaches to gender-based violence research outside binary structures.   If you’re interested in participating in this session, please send your information in a Microsoft Word document or PDF to Corinne Schwarz (corinne.schwarz@okstate.edu) by Friday, October 27, if not earlier. Submissions should include the following:   1. Each author’s name, affiliation, and position 2. Contact information for each author 3. Title of the paper 4. Extended abstract (400-450 words)—Please note that the SSS guidelines suggest, if applicable, the abstract should be organized with the following section headings: objectives, methods, and findings.  

19. Age Discrimination: Too Young, Too Old, Too Bad
This session is for the discussion of papers on age discrimination – characterized by societal judgments and codified rules of who is too young, too old, too little, or too late. Any creative interpretation of these themes is welcome. Many social roles have legal age restrictions, others have seemingly arbitrary folkways, and a handful have full blown mores. All impact and limit opportunities. Intersection of other demographic variables can exacerbate this and could be considered as well. In relation to social roles, the life course could be seen as a continuum of opportunities constrained by expectations of capabilities based on age at both ends. The judgements of age appropriateness are socially produced and maintained, which points to both causes and answers.   All paper submissions should include: (a) the title of the paper, (b) names, affiliations, and contact information for each author, and (c) an abstract (150 – 500 words). If appropropriate, the abstract should be organized with the following section headings: Objectives, Methods, and Findings. Please submit materials by October 25th, 2023 via email to john.lillis@uncp.edu.  

20. Gender, Sexualities, and Religion
This is a call for extended abstracts for a co-organized paper session focused on gender, sexualities, and religion sponsored by the Sociologists for Women in Society – South (SWS-S) at the 2024 Southern Sociological Society (SSS) Meeting. This session is broadly conceived and open to any papers using quantitative and/or qualitative methods that address some aspect of gender and/or sexualities and religion.   If you are interested in participating in this session, please submit your information in a Word document by Sunday, October 29, if not sooner, to Mandi N. Barringer (m.barringer@unf.edu). In your document please include the following:   1. Each author’s name, affiliation, and position 2. Contact information for each author 3. Title of the paper 4. Extended abstract (400-450 words) – Please note that the SSS guidelines suggest, if applicable, that the abstract should be organized with the following section headings: objectives, methods, and findings.   Please let us know if you have any questions. Thanks!  

21. Complicating the Disability Binary
Scholarship in disability studies and the sociology of disability has highlighted the problem of medicalized approaches and discourses that equate disability with impairment and locate the “problem of disability” in the individual – rendering social-structural causes of disability invisible and unchallenged. An overly simplistic disability/impairment binary, however, may not resonate with the complex daily experiences of many disabled people and their families. We welcome papers that trouble this binary by examining intersectional identities, interactions between bodily experiences and socio-cultural barriers, narrative flexibility in identity construction or as a tool for the navigation of service systems, and other issues that highlight the complex messiness of the disability experience.   To be considered, please email Sara Green at: sagreen@usf.edu and include in your submission the title of your paper, an abstract or extended abstract (150-500 words), and names, departments, universities or institutions, and email addresses for all authors. Please include “SSS” in the email subject line and send your submissions by October 27, 2024.  

22. The Sociology of W. E. B. Du Bois and Black Subjugated Knowledges
Over the past decade sociologists have increasing acknowledged the contributions of early, unknown, and little-known Black scholars like W. E. B. Du Bois, Augustus Granville Dill, and Ida B. Wells-Barnett. Not only are these and others (finally) being recognized, but their works are also (too) slowly being incorporated into contemporary research studies and foundational curriculums. Whether it’s the use of quantitative data to understand and address violence directed at Black folk like Wells-Barnett, engagement in public sociology that directly impacts everyday people like Dill, or the development of innovative theories and methods to investigate and understand social phenomena like Du Bois, in this current moment the works of early Black sociologists are as relevant now was ever. We are seeking papers that draw upon the theoretical or methodological products of early Black sociologists to better understand our contemporary condition or better contextualize past events/moments. It is our hope that by building a body of scholarship featuring historically marginalized voices, future sociologists and social scientists will be able to spend more time developing corrective practices/policy for social issues than merely studying them. This session may lead to an effort to put together a peer-reviewed edited volume of select submissions.   To be considered for this session submit a (PDF or Microsoft Word) 250-500 word abstract to Earl Wright II (wrighte@rhodes.edu) that includes A) name(s), affiliation(s), and email address(es) of all authors and B) paper title. Please include “SSS 2024” in the email subject line. Submissions received by Friday, October 27 will receive full consideration.  

23. Criminalization of Homelessness
This session is dedicated to highlighting sociological scholarship of homelessness generally and the criminalization of homelessness more specifically. Paper topics may include, but are not limited to: Criminalization of homelessness, Poverty governance, Housing insecurity, Anti-homeless legislation, Urban homelessness, Urban poverty, Strategies for survival, Housing shortage, Attitudes towards homelessness, Complaint oriented policing, Gentrification, Tourism and homelessness. All paper submissions should include: (a) the title of the paper,* (b) names, affiliations, and contact information for each author,* and (c) an abstract. Abstracts should be approximately 350-450 words and organized with the following three section headings: Objectives, Methods, and Findings. These section headings may not apply to all submissions, so authors may modify as needed.   *Note that information provided here is what will appear in the program, so please include your name, affiliation, and contact information exactly as you want it to appear in the program. Please submit materials by October 25, 2023 via email to Makenna K. Clark makennakclark@vt.edu.  

24. Together Alone? Social Capital, Solitude, and Isolation
This session invites papers that address social capital and connection, social isolation and loneliness, solitude, and related themes. Research that addresses these concepts in relation to the pandemic and post-pandemic eras, AI and social media, mental health, and/or inequality is especially welcome, but all submissions will be considered. The session is deliberately interdisciplinary: work may be from sociological, philosophical, psychological, or other related perspectives, and submissions may be theoretical, empirical, or both.   To be considered, please submit a PDF or Word submission to Sanem Soyarslan, ssoyars@ncsu.edu. Your submission should include name, title, department, university or institution, and email for all authors, and abstract or extended abstract (150-500 words). Please include “SSS” in the email subject line. Submissions by Oct 29 will receive full consideration; submissions by Oct 31 will receive consideration if space permits.  

25. The Sociology of The Supreme Court (sponsored by the Committee on Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion)
The Committee on Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion of the Southern Sociological Society seeks papers to contribute to a session or sessions that focus on the implications of the recent Supreme Court Decisions (including but not limited to Dobbs and Students for Fair Admission) on how sociologists in the South do their jobs. We welcome proposals from a wide range of sociologists who do research on the impact of state intervention on higher education, including but not limited to recruiting, hiring, retention, teaching, student life, research topics, grant writing, and/or administration. We also encourage submissions that center an intersectional approach to any of these research areas. Contact Joanna Hunter (JEDI Committee) at jhunter35@radford.edu  

26. Teaching and Learning in Combined Sociology and Criminology Departments
While distinct, sociology, criminology, and criminal justice programs are increasingly part of combined departments due to their perceived similarities in subject matter, methodology, theory, and scope. As departments contend with the priorities of combined sociology, criminology, and criminal justice programs, practical challenges regarding staffing and resource management arise. Of equal importance are the unique classroom challenges that occur when developing and implementing a curriculum shared by multiple disciplines and when contending with differences across majors in terms of student demographics, political orientations, and anticipatory career socialization. The purpose of this panel is to focus on the teaching challenges and opportunities that present themselves in multidisciplinary departments. It is also to serve as a space to share successful strategies used to bridge disciplinary gaps while maintaining disciplinary integrity.   If you are interested in participating in this panel session, please email Laine Briddell (laine.briddell@cnu.edu) by October 30. Submissions should include the following info: 1) Your name and affiliation, 2) A brief description of how your department is structured, describing the disciplines, majors, and how interconnected they are, and 3) A short description (roughly 250 words) of your experiences teaching in a multidisciplinary department and the changes, challenges, and opportunities you have experienced.    

27. Pedagogical Wisdom for Graduate Students (sponsored by the Committee on the Status of Students)
The Committee on the Status of Students is seeking expert pedagogues to share their practices, tips, skills, and secrets for engaging and inspiring students in the classroom. Many times, graduate students are assigned teaching assistant and instructor positions with minimal training or experience. In other situations, PhD candidates receive little to no teaching experience before taking on academic jobs after the degree. The purpose of this expert panel workshop is discuss teaching challenges and successes, and a space to share successful strategies used in sociology classes. If you are interested in serving as an expert for this panel session, please email Dr. Anthony Stone (ajstone1@memphis.edu) by October 31. Submissions should include the following info: 1) Your name and affiliation, 2) A brief description of your department and institution (teaching load, number of majors, and average class sizes, and 3) A short description (approx. 250 words) of your teaching experiences, including the challenges and joys you have experienced.

28. Crafting a Scholarly Research Agenda (sponsored by the Committee on the Status of Students)
The Committee on the Status of Students is seeking scholar-experts to share tips, tricks, and best practices for honing one’s research skills and crafting a successful research agenda. Because graduate students have varied experiences assisting with, engaging in, and conducting original research while in graduate school, this expert panel workshop will provide students with approaches to data collection, analysis, and writing schedules as they prepare for a career in research. If you are interested in serving as an expert for this panel session, please email Dr. Anthony Stone (ajstone1@memphis.edu) by October 31. Submissions should include the following info: 1) Your name and affiliation, 2) Your research area(s) and preferred methodologies and 3) A short description (approx. 250 words) of your research agenda and experiences.

29. Disrupting Binaries through Scholar-Activism in Small & Community Colleges in the South (sponsored by the Committee on Sociology at Small and Community Colleges)
The process of disrupting binaries through activism and institutional changes at small, teaching-focused institutions in the South comes with challenges and benefits (creating support groups for LGBTQ+ faculty, advocating for organizational changes, advising student affinity groups in their activism, facilitating community-engaged change work etc.). The goal of this session is to offer a platform for small and community college scholars and activists to discuss their work, offer insight into their process, and network with others. We invite those who work or attend graduate school at small & community colleges in the southern region to talk about their recent or current projects, barriers that they have faced from administration or colleagues, and successes they have had in disrupting binaries on their campuses or in their community. Please submit a brief description of your project or research by October 30 to: Melencia Johnson, melenciaj@usca.edu

30. Supporting Sociologists at Small and Community Colleges (sponsored by the Committee on Sociology at Small and Community Colleges)
This session is designed to share strategies for overcoming challenges faced at small and community colleges. The discussion can include systems of support. As part of a larger project by the Committee on Sociology in Small and Community Colleges, this session will also present the data collected before and at the 2023 annual meeting. We will discuss the results, offer solutions to challenges, and explore ways to celebrate wins. We extend a warm invitation to sociologists, especially those from historically marginalized backgrounds, who work within small and community colleges to join us in this session. Your unique perspectives and valuable insights are essential to our collective efforts. Please submit a brief description of your insights and/or research by October 30 to: Melencia Johnson, melenciaj@usca.edu.

31. Disrupting the Tenure–Instructional Track Binary (sponsored by the Committee on Sociology at Small and Community Colleges)
Most universities and colleges have a two-tiered system, where some faculty’s primary role is research-intensive, while other’s role is teaching-intensive. These divergent duties often create divisions within departments, especially concerning issues of funding priorities, prestige, and collaboration. For this roundtable, we invite those who are interested in exploring ways to leverage those differences to overcome the binary and enhance support for the core mission of sociology departments in higher education, which is both knowledge creation and nurturing the next generation of social scientists. Please submit a brief description of your insights by October 30 to: Melencia Johnson, melenciaj@usca.edu.

32. Professional Mentorship and CV Review (sponsored by the Professions Committee)
The Professions Committee is seeking sociologists who would like to participate in a mentorship workshop at the annual meeting. We are inviting scholars at all stages of professional development to participate. Scholars may participate as mentors, mentees, or in both roles. Mentors are asked to meet with mentees, candidly answer their questions, and provide feedback on their CVs if requested. Mentees are invited to meet with mentors, discuss their professional development, and get their CV reviewed if desired. Please contact Margaret Ralston (mr1636@msstate.edu) by October 27 if you would like to participate as a mentor.

33. Panel on Research Grants (sponsored by the Professions Committee)
The Professions Committee is seeking sociologists with grant experience who can share information on the grant writing process and securing funding. This session will focus on research in both academia and industry.  If you have any questions, please contact me. Please email me by Friday, October 27th with some information on what kinds of grants you are able to speak to and your contact information. Contact: Margaret Ralston, mr1636@msstate.edu

34. Finding a Job that Matters to You – Research and Teaching (sponsored by the Professions Committee)
The Professions Committee is seeking sociologists who can help job seekers navigate and select the appropriate employment path for them. This session will help guide job seekers by providing them questions to pose to themselves when deciding on a career path. Additional topics may include strategies on selecting the appropriate jobs in which to apply and strategies to use during the interview process.  Please email me by Friday, October 27th with some information on what aspect of career path you are able to speak to and your contact information. Contact: Margaret Ralston, mr1636@msstate.edu

35. Sociological Practice under Shifting Political Realities: The Case of Florida and Texas (sponsored by the Committee on Sociological Practice)

We seek submissions from Sociologists recently or currently employed in a Florida and Texas universities doing diversity, equity, and inclusion work, in light of the current political climate. What has been your experience of that changing climate? How has this changing climate affected the work you are doing? What strategies is/are your department(s) employing to cope with the shifting and uncertain political environment? Examples of such strategies might be how faculty and students are creating safe spaces to continue doing DEI work and what resources they may be utilizing.

If you are interested in presenting in this session, please submit the following information by October 30, 2023 to the session organizer, Jamekia Collins (jcollins@hsri.org) : (1) the title of the presentation; (2) contact information (name, affiliation, position, email address, phone number) for each presenter; and (3) an extended abstract of no more than 450 words.

36. Sociological Perspectives in Policy Work (sponsored by the Committee on Sociological Practice)

The Committee on Sociological Practice is looking for sociologists or other social scientists who have used sociological perspectives or theories when doing policy work. Also known as policy sociology, we are seeking to understand how you apply sociological research to solve concrete social problems. We encourage presenters to share how they have applied sociological knowledge to solve problems defined by clients such as firms, local/state/national governments, or organizations (non or for profit). We would also encourage potential presenters to apply their expertise to garner discussion on issues of public policy.

If you are interested in presenting in this session, please submit the following information by October 30, 2023 to the session organizer, Jamekia Collins (jcollins@hsri.org) : (1) the title of the presentation; (2) contact information (name, affiliation, position, email address, phone number) for each presenter; and (3) an extended abstract of no more than 450 words.

Note: SSS policy requires that all participants listed in the program be current member of SSS and be registered for the annual meeting. You may join/renew your SSS membership and pre-register for the conference at: https://www.southernsociologicalsociety.org/.