December 2022 Newsletter Page 2 Message from the Chair by Thomas Pi–eros Shields Formal Call for Nominations for CRD Division Chair!! Get Involved with the Division Page 3 2023 Annual Meeting Program Theme by President Shirley Jackson Page 4 Report on the 2022 Annual Meeting in Los Angeles Graduate Student Paper Award Page 5 Community Research Paper Award Page 6 2023 Community Research and Development Sponsored Conference Sessions * Community Based Participatory Action Research- One Day Workshop Page 7 * Announcements * Applications deadline January 15, 2023: Action Research Summer Camp Short Course, Suttner UniversitŠt (Innsbruck, Austria), June 11-18, 2023 * UMASS Lowell Tenure Track Job Announcements Message from the Chair By Thomas Pi–eros Shields, Ph.D., Division Chair, SSSP Community Research and Development UMASS-Lowell I am writing this on the eve of the 2022 hibernal solstice when the Northern Hemisphere of the planet tilts furthest from the Sun so we experience more darkness and less light than on any other day of the year. Traditional holidays at this time of year celebrate with lights and new beginnings during the winter months. Before celebrations begin, however, I am sending out our Fall/Winter division newsletter. In this newsletter, I am inviting you to use this time of year to reflect on next yearÕs conference theme in which SSSP President Shirley Jackson confronts empty rhetoric and meaningless actions to address inequities and social injustices by issuing a Òcall for sociologists to embark upon deep introspective research into where we are, where we have been, and how we might truly progress structurally and culturally as we engage the future.Ó Please read her call and reflect on next yearÕs SSSP Conference theme Same Problem, Different Day: Recognizing and Responding to Recurring Social Problems. As chair of the Community Research and Development division, I invite you to join me in responding to this call for serious and introspective work by asking us to interrogate who we are and what we are doing? Our current mission statement states: The Community Research and Development Division is for scholars, activists, researchers, practitioners, students, and other individuals who are interested in supporting social justice efforts in communities. Our focus on social justice at the group level leads us to ask questions about the determinants and consequences of inequality in communities. We also address the collective identities and lived realities of communities, and how those identifications and experiences affect everyoneÕs well-being and quality of life. We focus on urban, rural, suburban, and other place-based communities as well as identity, cultural, and interest-based communities. Does this reflect our work or the world today? Are we prepared for tomorrow? At our annual meeting in August, we formed an ad-hoc committee to interrogate and possibly re-think our division and its mission. Join me in Please email me Thomas_PinerosShields@uml.edu if you would like to join this conversation as part of this ad-hoc in February and March to rewrite our mission. The ad-hoc committee will propose revisions to the division the Annual Meeting in August 2023. Formal Call for Nominations for the Next Chair! We are looking for nominations to be the next Division Chair of Community Research and Development Division (Term to begin at Annual Meeting in August 2023)!! Graduate students and early career welcome! Please email me Thomas_PinerosShields@uml.edu with your interest or questions. Deadline for candidates: January 1, 2023. Get involved in the Division We are still accepting committee members for Graduate Paper Awards Committee, Community Partner Awards Committee, Mission Statement Ad-hoc Committee and Newsletter Editor. Check us out our Facebook group: SSSP Ð Division of Community Research and Development Same Problem, Different Day: Recognizing and Responding to Recurring Social Problems By Dr. Shirley A. Jackson, SSSP President 2022-2023, Portland State University On August 28, 1963, just days before the SSSPÕs annual meeting with the theme ÒToward a Unity of Theory, Research, and Action,Ó the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous ÒI Have a Dream SpeechÓ at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Dr. King affirmed the many trials and tribulations that had been experienced by African Americans attending the March. He reassured them that they should return home where they experienced severe oppression Òknowing that somewhere this situation can and will be changed.Ó Over the last several years, conversations about how the world is changing have been accompanied by the revelation that we seem to be going backwards rather than forwards or that things are changing too quickly, or are changing for the worse. Protests and counter-protests abound in response to mobilization related to Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ rights, immigration, vaccines, Critical Race Theory (CRT), and abortion, to name just a few. Sociologists study the negative and positive ramifications of social change, but are we doing enough to share this information with non-sociologists, particularly those who might benefit today as well as in the future? What once appeared to be a society that was willing to embark upon protests that were in support of equality, the U.S. is now a place where legislation designed to ensure the oppression of groups and ideas has been enacted. In 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation abolished slavery. Yet, the U.S. incarcerates more people than any other country in the world. In 1873, the Comstock Laws were passed to prevent the publication of works that were considered Òobscene, lewd, or lasciviousÓ and anything Òdesigned, adapted, or intended for preventing contraception or producing abortionÓ (Federal Criminal Code, Section 211, 1873). The Comstock Act was finally overturned by Griswold v. Connecticut in 1965 as unconstitutionally restricted birth control and a right to privacy. The 1963 March on Washington was followed one year later by the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 1965, the Voting Rights Act was signed into law. Today, however, voter suppression laws, absence of jobs with a living wage, and the inhumane treatment of immigrants crossing the southern border ensures that freedom remains elusive. In 1973, in Roe v. Wade the Supreme Court ruled that women had the freedom to decide whether to end their pregnancies. In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Roe decision. In 2003, in Lawrence v. Texas, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that same-sex sexual activity was no longer illegal. Nonetheless, hate crimes and violence against those who are anti-LGBTQ continue. At the start of 2013, President Barack Obama, the first Black president of the United States was inaugurated for his second term while by the end of that year, Nelson Mandela, the former President of South Africa who had worked diligently to dismantle South AfricaÕs system of apartheid passed away. And ten years ago, the Black Lives Matter Movement began. Today, it is all too clear that steps taken to move society in the direction of true equity and inclusion by acknowledging the existence of social, cultural, and political divides and working to address them are being systematically impeded. Steps towards repression and oppression have gained traction. Responses to inequities are filled largely with rhetoric rather than meaningful action. This includes responses by those who consider themselves to be progressive and staunch advocates of social justice. We are now witnessing weak attempts to implement diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies without sufficient institutional support and resources. Unlike Dr. KingÕs vision in his ÒI Have a Dream SpeechÓ speech where he says, Òeven though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dreamÓ, I am less confident today than I once was in the realization of the promise conveyed by these magnificent words and the dream and actions they so eloquently advocated. There is a sharp decline in my hope for the future as deep divides in every corner of society threaten to dismantle any real ideas of equality and justice. Therefore, this yearÕs conference is a call for sociologists to embark upon deep introspective research into where we are, where we have been, and how we might truly progress structurally and culturally as we engage the future. If we are serious about engaging in public sociology, then we must reach out and speak out to the media on topics and in arenas where we have been absent or silent. It is fortuitous that our meeting this year is in Philadelphia. Indeed, the name of this city derives from the Greek words phileo (love) and adelphos (brotherly), meaning the City of Brotherly Love. The city in which the American Anti-Slavery Society was first organized 190 years ago and where the Liberty Bell with its inscription, ÒProclaim Liberty Throughout all the Land Unto All the Inhabitants thereofÓ and prominent crack through the word ÒLibertyÓ gives us pause to reflect upon their significance today. As members of SSSP, who study social problems, let us not limit ourselves to producing knowledge for our peers but share it outside of the disciplines and in our diverse communities. Report on the 2022 Annual Meeting in Los Angeles Minutes from our annual business meeting can be found on our divisionÕs SSSP page. In particular, IÕd like to thank again everyone who participated in this meeting to prepare the 2023 Conference agenda and thank everyone who participated in our divisionÕs sponsored sessions. Overall, the 72nd Annual meeting was a success! The Community Research & Development (CRD) division sponsored the Community Based PAR pre-conference workshop, which was again well-attended with 25 paid participants! Congratulations to Jessica Lucero, Felicia Sullivan and Sarah Stanlick for another successful CBPAR workshop! Our division also sponsored eight sessions at the 2022 meeting. The attendance count is listed. Thank you to everyone who organized, presented, moderated or attended sessions this past year! 2023 Graduate Student Paper Award The Community Research and Development Division announces its 2023 Graduate Student Paper Competition. Paper topics can focus on various aspects of communities, including their capacity, development, renewal, and relationship with other social issues or problems. Qualitative and quantitative empirical analyses, applied research, and theoretical papers are welcome. To be eligible for submission, a paper must not be published nor accepted for publication. Papers must be student-authored; they may be authored by a single student or co-authored by more than one student, but may not be co-authored by a faculty member or other non-student. Papers must not exceed 25 double-spaced pages (including all notes, references, and tables), and should include a brief abstract. To be eligible for the award, the author(s) must make a commitment to present the paper at a session during the 2023 SSSP Annual Meeting in Philadelphia. To be considered, submit: a. a copy of the manuscript, b. a cover letter specifying that the paper is to be considered in the Community Research and Development Division Graduate Student Paper Competition, and c. a short letter from each authorÕs advisor certifying the personÕs status as a student and including some brief comments about the research. All materials must be submitted electronically to the annual meeting Call for Papers on the SSSP conference website by January 15, 2023 and also sent to the Committee Chair, Felicia Sullivan, fsullivan@jff.org. Please note that students may only submit to one division. The winner will receive a $100 cash award, a one-year student membership to SSSP, conference registration fees, and a plaque of recognition at the conference awards ceremony. 2023 Community Partner Paper Award The Community Research and Development Division announces its 2023 Community Partner Paper Competition. Consistent with our divisionÕs mission, this paper award is intended to recognize rigorous academic work that has practical implications for members of marginalized communities and specifically, to celebrate community-engaged work. Paper topics can focus on various social issues and problems related to community, such as the causes and consequences of communitiesÕ exclusion or marginalization from processes and resources, the capacities and strengths of communities and community movements, and the development and changes within communities. Qualitative and quantitative empirical analyses, applied research, and theoretical papers are welcome. The following criteria for this award were developed based on standards of Community Based Research. Although papers do not need to meet all of these criteria, greater consideration will be given to research that demonstrates more of these criteria: * Research questions and/or focus reflects priorities of community partners; * Research encourages involvement of community in all aspects of research design including data collection methods to incorporate language, perspectives and experiences of participants; * Research encourages involvement of community in analysis and writing of paper, including co-authorship with community; * Research process provides member access to one anotherÕs expertise, demonstrating an appreciation of academic and local community knowledge; * Results are ÔownedÕ by the community; * Research has consequences for guiding social action, policy or program change for community; * Research democratizes and decolonizes the knowledge creation process by re-imagining relationships between researchers and subjects of research. To be eligible for submission, a paper must not be published or accepted for publication. Papers may be coauthored by more than one faculty member, community member and/or student. Community partners are characterized by any community-based entity or representative that is outside of the academy. Papers must not exceed 25 double-spaced pages (including all notes, references, and tables), and should include a brief abstract. To be eligible for the award, the author(s) must make a commitment to present the paper at a session during the 2023 SSSP Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, PA. To be considered, submit: a. a copy of the manuscript, b. a cover letter specifying that the paper is to be considered in the Community Research and Development Division Community Partner Paper Competition, and c. a brief letter from the community partner commenting on their role in the paper. All materials must be submitted electronically to the annual meeting Call for Papers on the SSSP conference website by January 15, 2023 and also sent to the Committee Chair, Annette Mackay, amm0065@mix.wvu.edu. The winner will receive a $100 cash award and a plaque of recognition at the Community Research and Development Division business meeting. Community Research and Development 2023 Conference Sessions Philadelphia, PA, August 18-20, 2023 Contested Places: Community Responses to Place-Based Harms-THEMATIC Thurber, Amie [ athurber@pdx.edu ] Community Research and Development Division Sponsored Sessions Power to the People?: Community Power and Community Decision-Making-THEMATIC Halverson, Susan M. [ shalver2@pdx.edu ] Whose City is it Anyway? Spatial Development and Design Johnston, Michael O. [ johnstonmo@wmpenn.edu ] CRITICAL DIALOGUE: Activist CafŽ: Community Activists and Scholars in Dialogue-THEMATIC Pineros-Shields, Thomas P. [ Thomas_Pinerosshields@uml.edu ] Ridzi, Frank [ frankridzi@gmail.com ] CRD and Conflict, Social Action, and Change and Institutional Ethnography Locating Education Change in Community-THEMATIC Pineros-Shields, Thomas P. [ Thomas_Pinerosshields@uml.edu ] Strong, Myron [ mstrong2@ccbcmd.edu ] CRD and Educational Problems Environmental Activism Eastwood, Lauren [ eastwole@plattsburgh.edu ] CRD and Environment and Technology Understanding Community through Visual Images Ferraro, Amanda Rin [ ferraro@ou.edu ] CRD and Family Challenges of Organizing in the 'New Normal'-THEMATIC Sherifali, Sue [ sue@suesherifali.com ] CRD and Labor Studies CRITICAL DIALOGUE: An Unequal Patchwork of Rights: How State Policies Apply Federal Laws Unequally-THEMATIC Mackay, Annette M. [amm0065@mix.wvu.edu ] CRD and Law and Society Racial Reparations at Community Level-THEMATIC Muia, Keisha [ muia@pdx.edu ] CRD and Poverty, Class, and Inequality Post-Conference Workshop Community-Based Participatory Action Research (limit 50)Ê Monday, August 21st, 2023, 8:45amÐ4:30pm (Eastern Time) Location: Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown 201 North 17th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, 19103 Registration Fee: $75 for employed registrants or $25 for unemployed/activist/student registrants The Community Research and Development Division is hosting an interactive workshop for researchers who use or are interested in community-based participatory action research. CBPAR empowers communities to tackle social problems and find solutions that are tailored to their self-identified needs as co-equal partners in the research process. The workshop will (1) offer a foundational orientation to the purpose and process of CBPAR, (2) equip attendees with equity and justice frameworks, and (3) provide a context within which CBPAR scholars, both new and old, can learn from each other and build a stronger network. This one-day workshop will be divided into two sections. In the morning, Section I will cover the following topics: (1) What is CBPAR and Why Do It?; (2) Building Partnerships and Centering Community Voice; and (3) CBPAR Methodologies.Ê In the afternoon, Section II will cover the following topics: (1) Data Dissemination: To Whom, How, and Where; (2) Publishing and Funding: Challenges and Opportunities; and (3) Moving Your CBPAR Work Forward. We will also consider the shifts and adjustments that are required in the context of shocks and disruptions like the recent pandemic. The workshop will be collaboratively delivered by Drs. Jessica Lucero and Sarah Stanlick. The workshop will be interactive in nature and provide opportunities for attendees to discuss their CBPAR research ideas and receive feedback. The workshop will be tailored for a variety of levels of familiarity with CBPAR.Ê All are welcome. Action Research Summer Camp Applications deadline extended to January 15, 2023: Action Research Summer Camp Short Course, Suttner UniversitŠt (Innsbruck, Austria), June 11-18, 2023. A few slots are still available! Participatory and community-based forms of social problem analysis are core elements of empowerment and change Òfrom belowÓ around the globe. Related processes and methodologies have proven effective in fighting social inequalities and finding useful and sustainable solutions leading towards progressive social transformation. The course with a one-week in-person meeting at its core (Jun 11 to 18, 2023) invites students, activists, academics, unionists, community workers, members of non-government organizations and governmental entities alike to build a community of practice in Participatory Action Research. Together with our social partner in Innsbruck, Austria, we learn about and reflect on participatory problem analysis and political action. Positions and Opportunities Tenure-Track Assistant Professor Ð Sociology, University of Massachusetts-Lowell. This position is part of a cluster hire initiative in Social & Health Policy. The Department of Sociology at the University of Massachusetts Lowell seeks applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position. We are seeking a candidate who regularly uses quantitative methods in their scholarship and is enthusiastic about teaching and mentoring undergraduate students in quantitative methods. Area of specialization is open, but we are particularly interested in candidates who can add to our concentrations in Racial Equity and Inclusion or Policy and Social Problems. We are a social justice- oriented department and value scholars whose work connects to communities and/or social policy and takes an intersectional approach.ÊÊ Newsletter Editor for SSSP CRD Division! The Community Research and Development Division is hiring a newsletter editor for our Spring 2023 newsletter. $100 stipend. If interested, please contact Thomas_PinerosShields@uml.edu. 7