International Sociological Association (ISA)

02/09/2026

ℹ️ ISA WG04 Mid-Term Conference on the theme “The Modern Dream of Control: Uncertainty, Risk, and the Incalculable in Contemporary Society”
📍 Santiago, Chile

🗓️ Deadline for abstracts: 20 September 2026
🔗https://www.isa-sociology.org/sites/default/files/2026-07/cfp-wg04-midterm-conference-2026.pdf

02/09/2026

🚨 Digest of recent calls for Prizes and Awards from the International Sociological Association and ISA Research Networks 🚨

Below is an overview of ongoing opportunities for sociologists to recognize excellence and advance their careers:

🔹 ISA Award for Excellence in Research and Practice
Presented every four years since 2013, this award honors sociologists whose contributions significantly promote sociological knowledge, practice, and discipline development. The 2027 edition will be awarded at the XXI ISA World Congress of Sociology in Gwangju, Korea (4–10 July 2027). The recipient will receive a commemorative plaque, travel and accommodation support, a registration fee waiver, and broad recognition across ISA platforms.

🗓️ Deadline for submissions: October 30, 2026
More information: https://www.isa-sociology.org/about-isa/about-isa/awards-and-prizes/isa-award-for-excellence-in-research-and-practice

🔹 9th Worldwide Competition for Junior Sociologists (WCJS27)
Open to early-career sociologists with a Master’s degree obtained after October 30, 2016. Submission involves an original, unpublished paper (up to 7,000 words) in English, Spanish, or French. Finalists will be provided with ISA membership, registration, and support to attend the Gwangju Congress.

🗓️ Deadline for submissions: October 30, 2026
Details: https://www.isa-sociology.org/about-isa/about-isa/awards-and-prizes/isa-worldwide-competition-for-junior-sociologists/9th-worldwide-competition

🔹 RC15 Sociology of Health Early Career Scholars Competition 2026
The six highest-ranked papers will be invited to present at the Gwangju Congress and may be considered for publication in Social Constellations. The top three papers will additionally receive full congress registration fee coverage and RC15 membership for four years. The competition is open to PhD students and recent PhDs in sociology of health.

🗓️ Submission deadline: September 15, 2026
Further info: https://www.isa-sociology.org/research-networks/research-committees/rc15-sociology-of-health/sociology-of-health-early-career-scholars-competition

🔹 Best Post-Graduate Student Paper Award 2027 (RC09)
Applicants must be PhD students globally. Selected papers will be presented at the Gwangju Congress with prizes of EUR 500 (single-authored) or EUR 1,000 (co-authored). Winners will be featured in the RC09 Newsletter.

🗓️ Deadline: September 15, 2026
Application details: https://rc09socialtransformations.org/2026/07/24/2027-best-post-graduate-student-paper-award

Note: The Junior Scholar Award for Excellence in Research (RC58) closed applications on September 1, 2026.

👉 For further opportunities, stay connected with ISA channels.

01/09/2026

📆
Topic of the Month, September 2026

Moralities towards housing policies in South Africa is our Topic of the Month for September 2026.

🔐 On this topic, the article The occupation of state housing as a moral obligation? Housing welfare in Gauteng between reciprocity and liberalism by Raffael Beier (TU Dortmund University, Germany; University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa) and Nonhlanhla Mathibela (University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa) published in International Sociology is available Open Access.

@ https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/02685809251343586

31/08/2026

ℹ️ Call for abstracts for graduate workshop (2 December) and international conference (3-4 December 2026) on “Senses and Society: Theory, Method, Practice” organized and coordinated by ISA Thematic Group “Senses and Society” (TG07), and hosted by the Sociology Department of National University of Singapore (NUS).

🗓️ Deadline for abstracts: 14 September 2026
🔗 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeHlkNIC9FFSkr7zoua8O7Tnc1JkrAGc4BlSyR_4wnTi8jIRA/viewform

28/08/2026

Congratulations to Ana Cristina Santos on her election as President of the European Sociological Association!

The International Sociological Association looks forward to working closely with Ana Cristina and to continuing the strong collaboration between ISA and ESA.

We also extend our warm thanks to outgoing President Kaja Gadowska for her excellent collaboration with ISA and her contribution to strengthening the ties between our two associations.

We look forward to continuing this close cooperation with ESA under its new leadership.

Following the results of the ESA elections announced today at the General Assembly, Cristina Santos, University of Coimbra, has been elected President of the European Sociological Association for the 2026–2028 term.

27/08/2026

We are excited to celebrate our colleagues' participation in the 17th Conference of the European Sociological Association, happening in Warsaw, Poland, from August 25 to 28, 2026. This year's theme is "Strengthening Democracies: Social Action, Solidarity, and Sustainable Futures". Over 3,800 participants from around the world are attending in person to engage and exchange ideas.

Congratulations to ESA President Kaja Gadowska on a successful opening of the conference! We also thank ESA for inviting key ISA leaders to participate. Here’s the ISA lineup at the conference:

👤 Plenary Session by ISA President (2023–2027), Geoffrey Pleyers
👤 Plenary Speaker — ISA Vice-President for National Associations (2023–2027), Bandana Purkayastha
👤 Semi-Plenary — ISA Executive Committee Member (2023–2027), Nazanin Shahrokni
👤 Semi-Plenary — Former ISA President (2018–2023), Sari Hanafi

🔗 More about the Programme: https://www.europeansociology.org/conference/2026/article/6d015739-a9c3-4ad0-bff4-020f4e9707bb

27/08/2026

We are happy to see the highlights from our colleagues at the 17th ESA Conference in Warsaw, Poland!

27/08/2026

ℹ️ Call for chapters for edited book “Violence and Alienation in Contemporary Society: Agents, Social Structures, and Social Dynamics”

🗓️ Deadline for abstracts: 15 September 2026

This volume examines digital alienation as a defining condition of contemporary society, in which technological mediation reshapes experiences of sociality, selfhood, temporality, and moral responsibility. Bringing together interdisciplinary perspectives from sociology, philosophy, media studies, an...

24/08/2026

🆕 New week, new digest! Enjoy this selection of newsletters from the ISA research networks:

🗞 RC20 Comparative Sociologyhttps://www.isa-sociology.org/sites/default/files/2026-08/rc20newsletter-august-2026.pdf
🗞 RC44 Labour Movementshttps://www.isa-sociology.org/sites/default/files/2026-08/rc44newsletter-july-2026.pdf
🗞 RC48 Social Movements, Collective Action and Social Changehttps://www.isa-sociology.org/sites/default/files/2026-07/rc48newsletter-july-2026.pdf
🗞 RC52 Sociology of Professional Groupshttps://www.isa-sociology.org/uploads/imgen/2590-rc52newsletter-june-2026.pdf
🗞 RC53 Sociology of Childhoodhttps://www.isa-sociology.org/uploads/imgen/2592-rc53newsletter-june-2026.pdf
🗞 RC55 Social Indicatorshttps://www.isa-sociology.org/sites/default/files/2026-07/rc55newsletter-july-2026.pdf

20/08/2026

ℹ️ Call for chapters for edited book “Understanding and Challenging the Digitalized World: Labyrinths of Digital Alienation” RC36 Alienation Theory and Research

🗓️ Deadline for abstracts: 15 September 2026
🔗 https://talkingalienation.wixsite.com/talk/s-projects-basic

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