Research Committees

Established in 2001. Frequency: every four years.
Last edition: 2017.

2017 Theme: "Migration, Citizenship, Identity and Diversity in the Era of Globalization: Gender and Feminist Perspectives" 
Deadline: September 15, 2017.

Research Committee 32 (Women in Society) of the International Sociological Association is organizing a world-wide essay competition to stimulate the development of comparative feminist theoretical frameworks and empirical studies on migration/ citizenship/ identity/ diversity or their intersections, in the era of Globalization. These papers should be informed by theoretical and empirical analyses in examining the impact of globalizing processes on any of the following (i.e., migration, citizenship, identity, diversity) on issues such as education, work contexts, state and international policies, ethnicity, race, knowledge production and social justice, with particular concern for women and gender.

The 2017 competition will take place in celebration of the life and legacy of our late President-Elect Dr. Cynthia Joseph, who until her untimely death on 15th June, 2016, was Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education at Monash University in Australia. Cynthia’s work was informed by
Postcolonial theories, Comparative Education, and Asian Studies to research cultural differences and inequality issues in education and work contexts, with an emphasis on migration, citizenship, identity and diversity.

The award invites papers that speak to any of the themes Cynthia Joseph addressed in her scholarship, with the goal of bringing insights from her work in solidarity and to ensure that we keep her legacy alive as part of our feminist scholarship and activist work.

An international jury will be established by RC32. Papers will be evaluated on the basis of their use of sociology to analyze issues pertaining to women and gender in the context of migration, citizenship, identity, diversity, ethnicity, and race or their intersections; their conceptual innovation; their way of developing the arguments; and the possibility of their use in a comparative international framework. Papers that are not on the topic as outlined will not be considered.

Eligibility

New scholars (i.e., scholars who received their PhD in sociology from 2012-2017); members of indigenous groups, and graduate students from the Economic South temporarily in the North during their studies are eligible. Only one submission, whether as author or co-author, is allowed.

Language of submission

Written papers in English, French, or Spanish, the official languages of ISA are invited. Capacity of verbal communication in one of these languages is also desirable.

Format, presentation and accompanying information for 2017 essay competition

Candidates must submit an original paper that has not been previously published elsewhere. Papers should be typed and double spaced. Maximum length is 6,000 words (i.e., no more than 20 pages of text) and a maximum of 10 pages of references and notes. Notes and the bibliography should appear at the end of the text. The paper’s title but not your name should be on the top of your paper. Since papers will be judged anonymously, submit your name, address, e-mail, phone, and fax numbers (if relevant) and an abstract of the paper (250 words maximum) on a separate page. Submit a brief curriculum vitae as well. Papers which do not confirm to these rules run the risk of being rejected.

An electronic version (.doc or .pdf) of the paper should be e-mailed to: mheath@mcmaster.ca

Please indicate “RC32 Essay Competition” in the subject of your message. An electronic acknowledgement will be given upon receipt of the electronic submissions.

Deadline

Deadline for the 2017 essay competition is September 15th, 2017. The winner will be notified by January 15th, 2018.

Award

Competition winner(s) will be invited to present their papers at the World Congress on Sociology which will take place in Toronto, Canada, July, 2018. The winner(s) will receive an award of $500 and a plaque at the RC32 Reception. Although full funding cannot be promised, RC32 will provide partial financial support to help the winner(s) attend the conference.