“Rethinking Feminist Sociologies in the Era of Global Pandemics – Part Two”
Roberta Villalón, President
Program Committee: Veronica Montes, Erika Busse-Cardenas, Alexis Grant-Panting, MaryAnn Vega, Tracy Ore
Submissions due: May 17th, 2022 (by 11:59 EDT)
2022 Summer Meeting Submission System
https://sws.memberclicks.net/2022smsubmission
The global pandemic unleashed by COVID-19 exacerbated pre-existing social inequalities while simultaneously generating intersecting issues across socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, gender, sexual, geopolitical lines worldwide. As feminist sociologists, we were able to identify the inequalities that were intensified and were also ready to join forces with the many social movements devoted to dismantling systems and practices of oppression. However, we were frustrated with the arbitrariness of local, national, regional and international policy-making, the widespread resistance to be informed by science and the persistence of disciplinary and partisan fragmentation and mutual distrust, all of which delayed or prevented the imperative need of bridging across differences to collectively address a global threat to humanity. Moreover, we were puzzled with the ontological and epistemological crisis that the coronavirus presented: assumptions about the form and nature of social reality as well as existing theories of knowledge and research methodologies were put into deep questioning.
In our 2022 Hybrid Winter Meeting, we began to reflect on how this complex crisis challenges feminist sociologies. In panels, roundtables, workshops, pleanaries and other sessions, SWS members discussed the following questions: How should we rethink the way we do social science as feminist sociologists? How can feminist sociologists be more effective in advancing equity across geographical, political, economic, and intersecting social and cultural borders? How can feminist sociologists work together and learn from/with social movements activists and public forces? How can we best understand and also contribute to collective solidarities? How can feminist sociologies do better to restore current and prevent future crises?
In this new historical time – one that has been described as the real beginning of the XXI century and labeled as ‘The Era of Global Pandemics’ by thinkers like Boaventura de Sousa Santos – we must urgently dismantle the forces that shaped history: from colonialism and capitalism (with its intimate accomplices, classism, racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, ageism and more) to the anthropocene. How can we update our feminist sociologies so that, instead of reacting to the inconsistencies of a new era, we can imagine a different future by shaping it proactively and creatively in the present? How could we engage with critical interdisciplinary and humanistic traditions to further enhance our modes of thinking and theorizing? In short, how can we imagine liberatory feminist sociologies in our times?
Join us this Summer to continue the conversations we started in the Winter so that we can ensure that the relevance of feminist thought and practice becomes key to turning the page, end the era of extreme inequalities, and build alternative futures.
We welcome submissions for:
- Panels (new ones and sequels of the ones held during the Winter Meeting)
- Workshops (new ones and sequels of the ones held during the Winter Meeting)
- Papers addressing the ASA 2022 Annual Meeting theme, “Bureaucracies of Displacement” from a feminist perspective
- Papers and works in progress for Roundtables
- 2021 & 2022 publications (books, edited volumes, chapters or articles) to be displayed in the SWS meeting rooms and have a scheduled time for authors to be present and have informal conversations about their research, writing and publication process.
- Themed Conversation Tables to be scheduled in the SWS Hospitality Suite to have the chance to freely talk about specific topics with SWS members (such as job applications, graduate student life, dealing with toxic environments, balancing work and personal time, etc.)
Moreover, we accept self-nominations to become a roundtable moderator, which we will accommodate according to the total number of roundtables organized.
Please be reminded that SWS Summer Meetings are held in tandem with the ASA Annual Meeting. As per a long-standing agreement between SWS and ASA, SWS Summer Meeting attendees must be registered for the ASA 2022 Annual Meeting.
We recognize that meeting costs add up, therefore, 50 complimentary ASA Annual Meeting Registrations will be granted to SWS Summer Meeting participants. All SWS Summer Meeting participants are invited to apply for these complimentary ASA Meeting Registrations, but we will prioritize student members who do not have institutional support to participate, such as those who submitted papers to ASA, but were rejected and are unable to count on potential institutional funding. Moreover, SWS will subsidize the cost of Summer 2022 Meeting Registration by 30%, 20% or 10% by those who request funds, and will offer the opportunity for members to add 30%, 20% or 10% to their registration fees if they can pay more.
The cost of registering for the SWS Summer Meeting is $75 for higher income members, and $40 for students and retired members as well as members with an annual income lower than $40,000. Registration includes the Awards Banquet to be held on Sunday evening at the LA Convention Center. SWS members will also be able to watch the portions of the SWS Summer Meeting program that will be livestreamed for a suggested donation of $10.
Regarding Covid-19 protocols, all SWS attendees must comply with ASA Health Regulations.