Social Problems Theory Division
Business meeting 
Friday August 7 2026 at 12:30 PM 

Minutes


* Agenda
o Recognize Awards
* SPA
* OBA
* Junior Scholar Award
* Committees
o Budget
* Review
* Newsletter update
o Nominations
o Next Years Committees
o Session Planning
o New Business
* Division identity/merge?
o Incoming Chair
____________________________________________________________________________________
* Award winners recognized for their accomplishments
o Student Paper Award – 
o Outstanding Article Award – 
o Junior Scholar Award
* Changes to budget
* $600->$400
o SSSP THEORY DIVISION PROJECTED BUDGET 2026 
Budget Item Requested 
Amount 
Justification 
Cash award to the Division’s student paper competition 
$200 
We request a $200 honorarium to help cover the student’s expenses associated with attending the meeting 
Plaque for the Division’s outstanding scholarship award winner + shipping (if needed) 
$80 
We request $80 to pay for a plaque and shipping (if the winner does not attend the annual meeting) for our Division’s outstanding scholarship award. 
Stipend for social media manager / newsletter editor 
$170 
We request $170 (or $14/month) for the dual role of social media manager and editor of the Division’s newsletter. Managing the Facebook and X accounts well requires significant work. 
Division-sponsored reception at the annual meeting 
$150 
We would like to contribute $150 toward the co-sponsored reception with other SSSP divisions. 
Total 
$600 
 

o SSSP THEORY DIVISION PROJECTED BUDGET 2027
Budget Item Requested 
Amount 
Justification 
Cash award to the Division’s student paper competition 
$200 
We request a $200 honorarium to help cover the student’s expenses associated with attending the meeting 
Plaque for the Division’s outstanding scholarship award winner + shipping (if needed) 
$80 
We request $80 to pay for a plaque and shipping (if the winner does not attend the annual meeting) for our Division’s outstanding scholarship award. 
Student paper award winner dues. 
$129
We request $129 to cover dues and meeting registration for our student paper award winners. 
Total 
$409
 

* Membership
o We currently have 103 members 
* Committee Volunteers
o Student Paper
*  Mellissa Horner-Petrone (mmh2p9@missouri.edu)
*  Lily Ivanova (lily.ivanova@ubc.ca)
*  Joshua Stout (jhstout@ilstu.edu)
o Outstanding Article
*  Clara Mey (csmey@udel.edu)
*  Sione Lister (sionelister@asu.edu)
*  Dave Lane (dclane1@ilstu.edu)
o Mid-Career
*  Three members to identify
*  
*  
* Session Planning
* Theme: Building Communities for Radical Change
o Two division
* New directions
* Chair: Clara Mey
* Radicalizing Social Problems Theory
o Four cosponsored
* Ideas and organizers
* Community/Change:
* Social Welfare
* Mental health/crime and delinquency/SPT/drinking & drugs 
* Global – Change for who and where? 
o Pre-Conference Workshop
* City in a Garden: A Collaborative Field Inquiry into Community, Everyday Life, and Social Change in Chicago, Illinois
o Institutional Ethnography Division
o Social Problems Theory Division
o Sport, Leisure, and the Body Division
* New Business
o The division discussed strategies to grow membership. One suggestion was to send a survey to members to explore hosting working groups/workshops outside of the regular meeting, focusing on connectivity among members.
* Incoming chair – Morena Tartari