` Social Problems and Global Issues SSSP Global Division Newsletter Fall 2009/Winter 2010 FROM THE GLOBAL DIVISION CHAIR This year?s SSSP Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia will focus on the theme of ?Social Justice Work?. For the Global Division, this theme provides us with an opportunity to build on the principles so eloquently articulated in Fuyuki Kurasawa?s The Work of Global Justice (Cambridge University Press, 2007), which we recognized with last year?s Best Book on Globalization Award. We also have an opportunity to strengthen our Division?s own critical voice amidst the burgeoning and varied discourses of public sociology that, far too often within the constraints of methodological nationalism, are shaping the concept and work of social justice. We are sponsoring and co-sponsoring a total of eleven sessions at this year?s meetings. These sessions have been selected with a critical eye toward advancing alternative visions and practices of global justice. We also will continue to sponsor competitive awards for the Best Book on Globalization, and the Best Graduate Student Paper, and the Best Undergraduate Student Paper. Please submit your work, or nominate the work of your students or colleagues for these awards. On behalf of the Global Division, thank you to our session organizers, chairs of the award committees, and co-sponsoring divisions for your work so far, and for your continuing commitment in the coming new year. This Fall, we launched a new Global Division social networking site. If you have not already done so, please go to http://ssspglobal.ning.com/main, and be sure to register and sign in. Please me send any suggestions for improving the site: jdale@gmu.edu. I look forward to seeing you in Atlanta in August 2010. John G. Dale Chair, Global Division Assistant Professor of Sociology George Mason University GLOBAL DIVISION CALL FOR PAPERS -- Atlanta, GA, August 13-15, 2010 DEADLINE: All papers must be submitted to session organizers by midnight (EST) on January 31, 2010. Global Division Sponsored Sessions Session 64: Engaging the Hegemonic Aspects of International Human Rights Norms: Progressive Practices for Fighting Secondary Marginalization -- THEMATIC Co-organizers: John Dale jdale@gmu.edu and Richard A. Dello Buono ricardo.dellobuono@manhattan.edu Session 65: Global Justice after "the Market Crisis": Identifying New Opportunities for Alternative Organizer: Seth Feinberg seth.feinberg@wwu.edu Session 66: Globalization and Rights to the City Organizer: Tony Samara tsamara@gmu.edu Session 67: Globalization and the Work of Social Justice (Papers in the Round) Co-organizers: John Dale jdale@gmu.edu and Howard Lune hlune@hunter.cuny.edu Global Division Co-Sponsored Sessions Session 15: Global Intersections: Inequalities, Conflict, and Environmental Justice Organizer: Julie Andrzejewski jrandrzejewski@stcloudstate.edu Session 16: Gender Issues in Globalization, Resistance, and Social Change Organizer: Ligaya Lindio-McGovern lmgover@iuk.edu Session 59: Transnational Families Organizer: Nancy Mezey nmezey@monmouth.edu Session 68: Global Health and Social Justice Co-Organizers: Elizabeth Gage elizabeth.gage@roswellpark.org and Debra Street dastreet@buffalo.edu Session 69: Cross-Border Organizing: Labor's Global Alternatives Organizer: Jon Shefner jshefner@utk.edu Session 70: Globalization's Impact on Mental Health: Policy and Practice Organizer: Teresa Linnea Scheid tlscheid@uncc.edu Session 71: The Global Sex Industry and Social Justice Organizer: Laura Agnich lagnich@vt.edu GLOBAL DIVISION AWARD COMPETITIONS GLOBAL DIVISION UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT PAPER COMPETITION Deadline: May 3, 2010 The Global Division announces its 2010 Undergraduate Student Paper Competition. The goal is to encourage critical scholarship in the area of social problems that contains a global perspective. Suggested paper topics include but are not limited to the following themes being featured at the 2010 Annual SSSP meeting: - Engaging the Hegemonic Aspects of International Human Rights Norms: Progressive Practices for Fighting Secondary Marginalization; - Globalization and Rights to the City; - Global Justice after ?the Market Crisis?: Indentifying New Opportunities for Alternative Globalizations; - Gender Issues in Globalization, Resistance, and Social Change; - Global Intersections: Inequalities, Conflict, and Environmental Justice; - Cross-Border Organizing: Labor?s Global Alternatives; - Transnational Families; - Global Health and Social Justice; - The Global Sex Industry and Social Justice; and - Globalization?s Impact on Mental Health: Policy and Practice. Jointly-authored papers are accepted, but all contributing authors must be current undergraduate students or have graduated not prior to January1, 2010. The award recipient will receive student membership in the SSSP, conference registration at the 2010 Annual SSSP Meeting in Atlanta, GA, a ticket to the SSSP awards banquet and a $100 prize (this award has been made possible in part by support from the Sage Journal Critical Sociology). Award recipients are expected to present their paper at the 2010 Annual Meeting. Papers must be submitted electronically in a format compatible with MS WORD and authors should ensure that they receive a confirmation of receipt for their submission. Undergraduates may receive the award for this competition only once. Papers of up to a maximum length of 30 double-spaced pages may be sent beginning on January 31, 2010 but no later than May 3, 2010 to both Co-Chairs of the 2010 SSSP Global Division Undergraduate Student Award Committee: Dr. Tony Samara, tsamara@gmu.edu, and Dr. Ricardo Alan Dello Buono, ricardo.dellobuono@manhattan.edu. GLOBAL DIVISION/CRITICAL SOCIOLOGY GRADUATE STUDENT COMPETITION Deadline: May 5, 2010 The Global Division in cooperation with the Sage journal Critical Sociology announces its 2010 Graduate Student Paper Competition. The goal is to encourage critical scholarship in the areas of global studies and social problems. Suggested paper topics include but are not limited to the following themes being featured at the 2010 Annual SSSP meetings: - Engaging the Hegemonic Aspects of International Human Rights Norms: Progressive Practices for Fighting Secondary Marginalization; - Globalization and Rights to the City; - Global Justice after ?the Market Crisis?: Indentifying New Opportunities for Alternative Globalizations; - Gender Issues in Globalization, Resistance, and Social Change; - Global Intersections: Inequalities, Conflict, and Environmental Justice; - Cross-Border Organizing: Labor?s Global Alternatives; - Transnational Families; - Global Health and Social Justice; - The Global Sex Industry and Social Justice; and - Globalization?s Impact on Mental Health: Policy and Practice. Jointly- authored papers are accepted, but all contributing authors must be current graduate students or have graduated not prior to January 1, 2010. The award recipient will receive a monetary prize of $460, student membership in the SSSP, conference registration at the 2010 SSSP Annual Meeting in Atlanta, GA, and a ticket to the SSSP awards banquet. Award recipients will be expected to present their paper at the 2010 Annual Meeting. Papers must be submitted electronically in a format compatible with MS WORD and authors should ensure that they receive a confirmation of receipt for their submission. Although faculty sponsorship is not formally required to enter the competition, participants are invited to request a note from a faculty member or independent scholar that speaks to the academic quality of the submission and they should be emailed directly to the addresses below. Note: Previous winners of this award are ineligible to compete. Papers of up to a maximum length of 30 double-spaced pages may be sent beginning on January 31, 2010 but no later than May 5, 2010 to both Co-Chairs of the 2010 Global Division Graduate Student Award Committee: Dr. Tony Samara, tsamara@gmu.edu and Dr. John G. Dale, jdale@gmu.edu. Winning papers will be invited to submit their paper for publication in Critical Sociology. GLOBAL DIVISION OUTSTANDING BOOK AWARD Deadline: April 5, 2010 The Global Division of the Society for the Study of Social Problems is pleased to announce its 2010 Outstanding Book Award. Given the massive growth of interest and research in the areas of global studies and social problems over the last decade, the Award is intended to recognize published work of exceptional quality in these areas and to encourage further critical scholarship about them. Accordingly, books on a variety of topics and themes will be considered for the Award, including but not limited to: alternative models of globalization; global dynamics and forms of resistance to neoliberalism (including the post-Washington Consensus era in Latin America, Asia, Africa, or the Middle East); transnational social movements; human rights struggles and global activism (around gender, indigeneity, migration, peace, social justice, etc.); transnational communities and cultural politics; global cities. We are particularly interested in books that link critical politics and activism with analytical and theoretical rigor. To be eligible for consideration, books must have been published within 3 years of the meeting (2007-2010 for this year?s award). Single or multiple-authored books will be accepted. At least one of the authors must be a member of the SSSP in order to qualify for the Award, although they will not be not required to present a paper at the 2010 Annual Meeting. The award recipient(s) will receive one or two tickets to the SSSP awards banquet, at which the Award will be announced. Nominations can be made by members of the Global Division as well as from publishers; self-nominations are also welcomed. Nominees should send full publication information and a paragraph explaining why this book is recommended. If available, contact information for the author should be included. Authors will be requested to facilitate with their publishers that copies of the nominated book be sent to each of the Award Committee Co-Chairs. Nominations must be received no later than April 5, 2010. To nominate a book for this award, please send your message to all three Co-Chairs of the 2010 Global Division Outstanding Book Award Committee: Howard Lune Department of Sociology Hunter College 695 Park Avenue, 1601HW New York, NY 10065 USA Fuyuki Kurasawa Department of Sociology York University 2088 Vari Hall, 4700 Keele St. Toronto, ON M3J 1P3 Canada Jon Shefner Department of Sociology 901 McClung Tower University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN 37996 USA For further information, contact Howard Lune at hlune@hunter.cuny.edu GLOBAL DIVISION RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF BURMA/MYANMAR At the 2009 Annual Meeting in San Francisco this past August, the Global Division submitted the following resolution in support of Burma?s (Myanmar?s) movement for democracy and human rights. The SSSP Executive Committee adopted this resolution and in September wrote a letter to U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice urging her to call for an investigation. Below are copies of the Resolution and the Letter to Ambassador Rice. Resolution: UN Commission of Inquiry into Human Rights Violations in Burma From: Global Division WHEREAS a team of researchers at Harvard Law School released a major report in June, 2009, commissioned by five of the world's leading judges -- some of whom served at the International Criminal Tribunals on Rwanda and Yugoslavia, that concludes there is sufficient evidence to launch an official investigation by the UN Security Council into crimes against humanity committed by Burma's military regime; AND WHEREAS similar investigations, known as "Commissions of Inquiry" have already been carried out in reference to the situation in Darfur, Sudan; the former Yugoslavia; and Rwanda; AND WHEREAS numerous human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have concluded that war crimes and crimes against humanity are indeed taking place under the rule of Burma's regime, which is led by General Than Shwe; AND WHEREAS these abuses include the conscription of tens of thousands of child soldiers, rape of ethnic minority women, extrajudicial killings and torture, modern-day slave labor, and the flight of at least one million refugees and internally displaced persons; AND WHEREAS Than Shwe's regime in Burma is incarcerating over 2,100 prisoners of conscience, including the world's only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi,; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED the Society for the Study of Social Problems strongly condemns these violations of international human rights and humanitarian law; AND BE IT RESOLVED that the Society for the Study of Social Problems send a letter to the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, urging the United States to propose the establishment of an official investigation by the UN Security Council into crimes against humanity committed by Burma's military regime; AND BE IT RESOLVED that the Society for the Study of Social Problems send a letter to the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, urging the United States to propose a global ban on weapons sales to Burma's military regime. Dear Ambassador Rice: I am writing to you on behalf of the Society for the Study of Social Problems (SSSP) concerning the finding of several humanitarian organizations that human rights abuses are occurring in Burma under the military regime of Than Shwe. At our August 7-9, 2009 annual meeting, the members of the SSSP passed a resolution asking the SSSP to urge you to call for a United NationsÕ Security Council investigation into possible crimes against humanity committed by Burma?s military regime. The SSSP is an organization of over 1,600 social science scholars and practitioners whose mission is scholarship in pursuit of a just society. A copy of the resolution is enclosed. A team of researchers at Harvard University?s Law School this summer released a report in which they compiled evidence that the United Nations itself has already documented warranting such an investigation. Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and other organizations have concluded that has committed serious human rights abuses which also qualify as crimes, including rape, extrajudicial executions, torture, slave labor, and the conscription of tens of thousands of children as soldiers. Burma?s military regime also has forced over a million refugees and internally displaced persons to flee the country. Over 2100 individuals have been incarcerated for their political views. Among them is the only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Aung San Suu Kyi. In addition to calling for an investigation of these acts, the SSSP urges the United States to call for a global ban on weapons sales to Burma?s military regime. We support and admire your efforts and the stated intentions of President Obama to restore the United States? standing in the world. These events in Burma provide the United States with an excellent opportunity to show the world that our belief in human rights is unequivocal and unconditional, and that we are prepared to back up this belief with action. We know that you are very busy, but if you, or a member of your staff, can respond to this letter, to assure us that it was read and our request considered, we would appreciate it very much. Thank you and best wishes as our ambassador to the United Nations. Sincerely, Dr. Hector L. Delgado Executive Officer RECENT PUBLICATIONS OF GLOBAL MEMBERS Books Ansley, Fran and Jon Shefner, eds. 2009. Global Connections and Local Receptions New Latino Immigration to the Southeastern United States. University of Tennessee Press. Articles and Book Chapters Samara, Tony Roshan, Forthcoming 2010. ?City Improvement: Producing Race and Policing Neoliberal Spaces?, Ethnic & Racial Studies, 33, n.4. Samara, Tony Roshan. Forthcoming 2010. ?Policing Development: Urban Renewal as Neoliberal Security Strategy?, Urban Studies, 47, n.1. Shefner, Jon. ?People, Place, And Time: How Structural Fieldwork Helps World-Systems Analysis?. Journal of World Systems Research, Volume XV, Number 2, 2009. Xu, Fang. ?Governance on the Production of Identity: Western High-Cultural Consumption in Contemporary Shanghai.? The International Journal of Humanities, 2009, Volume 7, Issue5, pp.19-32. Xu, Fang. ?Western classical music concert-goers in Shanghai: to applaud or not to? A question of identity and governance,? in China and the Humanities: At the Crossroads. ed. Kang Tchou. Melbourne: The University Press-Common Ground Publishing. (Forthcoming) June 2010. Book Reviews Dale, John G. 2009. ?Book Review of Fuyuki Kurasawa?s The Work of Global Justice: Human Rights as Practice.? Mobilization: An International Quarterly Review of Social Movements, Protest, and Contentious Politics Vo. 1, No. 4 (December). Pp. 517-518. Dale, John G. (Forthcoming, January, 2010). ÒBook Review of Edward RoyceÕs Poverty & Power: The Problem of Structural Inequality.Ó Contemporary Sociology. INVITED PRESENTATIONS John Dale was invited to serve as moderator and presenter at a U.S. Congressional panel hearing on ?Burma: Addressing the Challenges Ahead?. The panel was sponsored by Harvard Law School?s International Human Rights Clinic and Indiana University Maurer School of Law in conjunction with U.S. Campaign for Burma, Genocide Intervention Network, and American Jewish World Service. (U.S. Capitol, Senate Room 6 (SC-6), Washington, DC. May 15, 2009). On November 7th, Dale was invited to give a lecture on ?Burma, the International Community, and Advocacy? at the national ?Pledge2Protect? Conference in Washington, DC. The Conference was sponsored by Genocide Intervention Network, Save Darfur Coalition, and the Enough Project. In March, Dale will be traveling to Russia where he has been invited to deliver five, 2-hour lectures on a variety of topics concerning ?The Politics of Human Rights? at the State University -- Higher School of Economics, in Moscow, and then returns later that month to present an invited lecture on ?Human Rights Activism and South-South Relations in Burma,? at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, in Washington DC, at the Center for Global Studies Annual Conference. Tony Samara presented a paper titled, ?Transnational Urban Governance and the Mega-event: A comparative study of Cape Town, New Delhi and Shanghai?, at the International Conference on Globalization, Innovation, and Urban Regional Development, in Shanghai, China, June 19-20, 2009. AWARDS Howard Lune, associate professor of sociology at Hunter College, CUNY, has received the 2009 Outstanding Book in Nonprofit and Voluntary Action Research award from ARNOVA - The Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action - for his book Urban Action Networks: HIV/AIDS and Community Organizing in New York City (Rowman & Littlefield, 2007). IN THE NEWS John Dale, Assistant Professor of Sociology at George Mason University, a member of SSSP, and chair of the SSSP Global Division was recently interviewed about the significance of the United States Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell's visit to Burma (Myanmar) last week. He was quoted on November 6th in the Wall Street Journal http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125743509528831035.html and on November 7th by the Agence-France Presse http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iy5_1hyE0QKkj_lz0VMLPGhL-Z4g. Dale was also interviewed on President Obama?s meeting with Burma?s Prime Minister General Thein Sein at the APEC Summit, and was quoted on November 15th on the front page of The Washington Times http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/nov/15/obama-to-meet-with-myanmar-rulers//print/ And on November 19th in The Irrawaddy News Magazine (covering Burma and Southeast Asia) http://www.irrawaddy.org/print_article.php?art_id=17251. JOB ANNOUNCEMENT The Department of Sociology at the University of Tennessee invites applications for an open-rank, tenure-track position in areas relevant to Africa, Africans, and African-Americans. We are particularly interested in candidates who can contribute to the Department's strength in social justice (http://web.utk.edu/~utsocdep/). The Sociology search is part of a larger College-wide/Africana Studies call for applications. The College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Tennessee invites applications for four open-rank tenure-track positions from individuals whose research agendas encompass scholarship and creative activity related to the continent and/or peoples of Africa, the African diaspora, and/or the African-American experience. Individuals appointed to these positions will have a tenure home in one of the College's 21 Departments or Schools (www.artsci.utk.edu) and will also be expected to make substantive contributions to the mission of the College's Interdisciplinary Program in Africana Studies (web.utk.edu/~africana), including teaching undergraduate Africana Studies courses. We seek applicants who will be able to contribute in meaningful ways to the diversity-related and intercultural aspects of the University's educational mission. Applicants must demonstrate promise of distinguished scholarship and creative activity and a commitment to excellent teaching. Appropriate terminal degree required at the time of appointment. Appointment will be made at a rank commensurate with an individual's level of experience. Review of applications will begin on December 1, 2009. Positions will remain open until filled. Send electronic application, including letter of application, curriculum vitae, three letters of reference, a research prospectus, and a teaching statement to africanasearch@utk.edu. Letters of reference may be submitted under separate cover and should be sent to the same email address. Applications will be acknowledged. The University of Tennessee is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA institution in the provision of its education and employment programs and services. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, or covered veteran status. SSSP Global Division Chair: John G. Dale, jdale@gmu.edu SSSP Global Division Executive Committee: Bhavani Arabandi, baza@virginia.edu Richard A. Dello Buono, ricardo.dellobuono@manhattan.edu John G. Dale, jdale@gmu.edu Daniel Egan, Daniel_Egan@uml.edu Seth Feinberg, seth.feinberg@wwu.edu Bernadette Garam, bernadette,garam@manhattan.edu Ligaya Lindio-McGovern, lmcgover@iuk.edu Howard Lune, hlune@hunter.cuny.edu Tony Samara, tsamara@gmu.edu Jon Shefner, jshefner@utk.edu David Smith, dasmith@uci.edu David Steele, steeled@apsu.edu Editor of Social Problems and Global Issues: John G. Dale, jdale@gmu.edu