Calls for Papers, Conferences, and Events

If you wish to have a conference announcement posted, please send an email to ssspgra@utk.edu (Microsoft Word files and PDFs preferred). Please include a URL for more information, if available.

There is no charge to place an announcement on this website. Calls for papers will be posted until the submission deadline. Conference announcements will be posted until the date of the conference has passed.   

Calls for Papers and Articles
Call for Participants
Call for Proposals
Call for Applications
Call for Chapters
Ongoing Calls
Conferences and Events
Virtual Events
Other Opportunities
Fellowships and Scholarships

Calls for Papers and Articles

SVRI Forum

Submission Deadline: 30 January 2026

The Call for Abstracts for the SVRI Forum 2026closes at the end of this month, on 30 January 2026! Don’t miss your chance to present your research at the largest conference on violence against women, violence against children, and other forms of violence driven by gender inequality. We welcome two types of abstracts:

  • Research/Programme/Practice-based Abstracts: Stand-alone submissions that describe a piece of research, a programme, or a practice-based initiative.
  • Panel Abstracts: Group submission that must include multiple linked abstracts that together explore a shared theme, issue, or question.
  • Format tips:
  • Abstract length: Up to 350 words
  • Working title: Up to 25 words
  • Languages: English, Spanish and French.

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Gaming Asia: Asian Nationalism Through the Lens of Video Games
National University of Singapore @ KRC, 28-30 April 2026

Submission Deadline: 6 February 2026

Marking the tenth anniversary of the agenda-setting call for Regional Game Studies, this workshop invites papers that critically examine the evolving nexus of video games, nationalism, and geopolitics across and beyond Asia, past and present. It aims to investigate Asian nationalism through the lens of video games, offering a nuanced perspective on the proliferation of new gaming materialities, modalities, and mobilities, and their intricate entanglements with national politics in Asia. The workshop asks how gaming technologies and data infrastructures shape whose nations gain visibility, and how national trends across Asia, in turn, influence the supposedly apolitical landscapes of digital technology. On the one hand we focus on how games reflect and actively shape (geo)political, historical, and cultural dynamics. On the other hand, by approaching games as assemblages of economy, technology, history, infrastructure, and emotion that generate geocultural power for diverse Asian actors, we welcome papers that rethink the trans-Asian linkages and disjunctures produced through gaming practices, along with the competing concepts of “Asia” and “nation” they bring into being.

This workshop welcomes submissions on (but not limited to) topics that address the intricacies of video games and nationalism in Asia, including:

  • (Counter-)memory, history, and heritage
  • State regulation, platform governance, and/or unintended consequences
  • Banal nationalism and video games
  • Video games as transmedia cultural complex, ACG
  • Esports, military simulation, and “patriotic” play
  • Gaming communities, Cross-border fandoms; translation/localisation politics; streamer economies
  • Platform capitalisms and regional infrastructures (payments, cloud, broadband, app stores)
  • Labour, outsourcing, and supply chains in Asian game production; modding and grey markets
  • Diasporic and translocal play
  • Preservation, archiving, and platform death
  • AI, AR/VR, Serious Games
  • Methodological interventions: regional game studies, comparative/relational approaches, multi-sited ethnography, platform studies, inter-Asian referencing

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Queer Ecologies Across Socialisms
University of Regensburg, 15-16 October 2026

Submission Deadline: 15 February 2026

We invite academic and artistic contributions from Environmental Studies, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Life Sciences, Literary Studies, Visual and Performance Studies, Cultural Studies, and related fields for Queer Ecologies Across Socialisms. We especially welcome interventions from Indigenous Studies and work grounded in environmental justice. Possible topics include (but are not limited to):

  • queer ecological readings of literature, visual art, and performance created under state socialisms
  • trans* ecologies and trans-corporealities: embodied transitions, technoscience, and queer materialisms
  • reproduction, health, disability in their environmental entanglements
  • anti-queer mobilizations and backlash politics
  • housing, labor, leisure, and their more-than-human ecologies
  • archives, institutions, popular science, education
  • ecosocialist, proto-degrowth imaginaries: utopian/dystopian imaginaries and alternative models of planetary care, including transnational solidarities and activism
  • comparative, transnational, and decolonial approaches to “state socialism” as a global formation

Please send an abstract (250-300 words) and a short bio of about 150 words (both as one PDF document) to martyna.miernecka@ur.de and pawel.matusz@ur.de by 15 February 2026. Notification of acceptance will follow by mid-March 2026.

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"Beyond Methodological Nationalism: Rethinking Space and Connection in Bangladesh Studies" 
Special Issue of the Journal of Bangladesh Studies

Submission Deadline: 15 February 2026

This special issue aims to move beyond the nation as the taken-for-granted frame of analysis in the study of Bangladesh. To think beyond methodological nationalism is not to discard the nation-state altogether, but to treat it as one among several possible vantage points—to situate it historically, question its analytical dominance, and open inquiry into the multiple spatial, temporal, and epistemic configurations that shape social and political life. We propose to reimagine Bangladesh not as a bounded or self-contained entity, but as a relational and dynamic field continually formed through mobility, ecological entanglement, infrastructural transformation, affective connection, and imaginative world-making.

Bangladesh has always been part of broader and intersecting trajectories—from premodern, precolonial connectivity (i.e., trade, travel, religious) and colonial-era infrastructural, administrative, and extractive linkages, followed by partition and displacement, migration and labor circulation, ecological transformation, climate change, multispecies relations, digital connectivity, identity formation, and shifting global economies of care and capital. Yet, much scholarship continues to reproduce national boundaries as the implicit frame of reference. This special issue asks what new insights emerge when we trace the flows, assemblages, and relational encounters through which “Bangladesh” comes into being, is contested, and takes shape across scales.

We welcome contributions that engage with these questions through theoretical innovation and methodological experimentation—work that traverses disciplinary boundaries and attends to the connections between local experiences and global processes. Submissions may draw from anthropology, geography, history, archaeology, economics, media and cultural studies, environmental studies, climate change, political ecology, or feminist and decolonial theory. We especially invite interdisciplinary contributions from any field engaging critically with questions of space, connection, and methodological reimagination within and beyond Bangladesh.

The Journal of Bangladesh Studies considers both short communications and full-length articles. A full-length original research article is typically 6000–9000 words, including references and footnotes. Shorter articles which are typically analyses of recent developments or comments on specific issues can be 2000–4000 words, including references and footnotes. Please indicate the word count on the title page.

Submissions to be sent to h.j.shewly2@uva.nl, h.w.vanschendel@uva.nl and jbs@bdiusa.org.

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Restorative Justice Practices Within Higher Educaiton and the Arts: Addressing Complex Legacies of Harm
Special Issue of Social Sciences

Submission Deadline: 20 February 2026

This Special Issue is informed by restorative justice practices, the scholarship of feminist decoloniality, and the histories of higher education and the arts, and we locate discussions of universities confronting their past within social movements for educational equity and the arts and the agency of creators and learners who demand their rightful place. Articles submitted to this Special Issue will examine the experiences of groups that have been marginalized in higher education and the arts, with authors exploring whether complex legacies of harm—along the lines of race, culture, citizenship, state and tribal sovereignty, globalization, and disability—require both personal and institutional reflexivity to unveil the multidimensional experiences of both perpetrators and survivors. We aim to provide guidance to those willing to move beyond acknowledgment to correcting harm in higher education and the arts. Read the full call.

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Dear Higher Education: Letters from the Social Justice Mountain 

Submission Deadline: 28 February 2026

Dear Higher Education: Letters from the Social Justice Mountain has opened its call for submissions for a Special Issue on Women of Color in the Academy: Being the Lonely Only. We invite letters that speak to the experiences of:

  • Navigating multigenerational caregiving while building a career.
  • Journeying through migrations—of geography, identity, and belonging.
  • Rising with brilliance unmeasured by metrics as a scholar marked by "less, under, micro."
  • Wrestling with imposter syndrome, only to realize the system was built to cast shadows, not reflect light.
  • Feeling the burden of a salary differential wrapped in politeness and policy.
  • Being the “outsider” who stays.

Contributions should fit within one of the following categories:

  • Why we come to the Mountain: raising broad, systemic issues related the shared experiences of women of color in the academy
  • Why we need to be heard: raising unique voices of intersectional identities of being the Lonely Only.
  • Why we believe transformation is possible: raising up visions of hope and courage for the future of higher education made possible by women of color in the academy.

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Subjugated Knowledges, Secrecy and Society Volume 4, Issue 1

Submission Deadline: 15 March 2026

Since January 2025, the Trump administration has undertaken a large-scale purge of federal data and information. For example, more than 8,000 web pages and approximately 3,000 datasets from US government websites are impacted. This purge targeted public health, education, and climate change data and resources such as the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey, EPA's Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool, and HIV surveillance tools. In this special issue of Secrecy and Society we invite researchers, journalists, those in the non-profit policy sector, and others working in the area of history, policy, ethics, sociology, and politics to explore the disappearance of facts and data and their replacement by the superficial. We also encourage contributors to delve into how the removal of data, information, and knowledge as a form of ungoverning leads to a “dumbing” down – indeed “gaslighting” – where false or distorted narratives overturn historical understanding, and with it, diminished trust and veracity and encourage submissions from scholars and other researchers considering comparative approaches and all national contexts. We term this special issue “subjugated knowledges” as it has much in common with concealment, censorship, and power that maintain certain perspectives as superior by excluding other accounts. Read the CFP. Email secrecyandsociety@gmail.com for further information. 

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Sixteenth International Conference on Health, Wellness & Society
University of Guadalajara, Mexico + Online, 9-11 September 2026

Submission Deadline: 9 June 2026

Founded in 2011, the Health, Wellness, & Society Research Network is brought together by a common concern in the fields of human health and wellness, and in particular their social interconnections and implications. We seek to build an epistemic community where we can make linkages across disciplinary, geographic, and cultural boundaries. As a Research Network, we are defined by our scope and concerns and motivated to build strategies for action framed by our shared themes and tension. Learn more about registration and submission. 

2026 Special Focus—Nourishing Societies: Bridging Nutrition, Wellness, and Sustainability for a Healthier Future

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Call for Applications

"Seeing Each Other: Sharing Journeys across China and the U.S." Application Form
Submission Deadline: 9 February 2026
 
Join us to participate in a unique opportunity to explore storytelling through photography in the U.S. and the People's Republic of China. This is a exchange between UCI and Fudan University, located in Shanghai, China and one of the leading universities in Asia. 10 UCI and 10 Fudan students will: 
  • develop local photo stories under the mentorship of award-winning documentary photographer Mark Leong 
  • visit each other's countries
  • share stories and collaborate with each other 
  • create digital and physical exhibitions
The UCI students also will work with Judy Tzu-Chun Wu (associate dean in the School of Humanities, faculty director of the Humanities Center, and professor of History and Asian American Studies), Phuc To (doctoral student in Ethnic Studies at UCSD) and Joo Hoon Sin (program manager of the Humanities Center and MFA in Photography).
The selected students will serve as cultural ambassadors for UCI. Through this collaborative program, we will share aspects of our own identities, communities, and cultures and also learn from and befriend students from China. This program is being supported by the Cyrus Tang Foundation. Learn more and apply.

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Canada Impact + Research Chairs Program

The Canada Impact + Research Chairs program is a one-time initiative designed to support institutions in attracting world-leading researchers whose work addresses critical national and global challenges. The program puts an emphasis on tangible impacts that are expected to move beyond discovery to generate social, economic and policy impacts, working in close collaboration with partners across various sectors. There total competition budget is ~$1 Billion which is anticipated to be distributed across the councils: NSERC: up to $530 million, CIHR: up to $340 million and SSHRC: up to $198.5 million. It is anticipated that ~100 chairs will be awarded. Full details of each of these areas can be found on the program website and the attached flyer.

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Call for Participants

Teaching About Race
Dr. Sarah Friedman, Senior Lecturer of Sociology at Georgia State University, is recruiting participants for a study about experiences instructors have when they teach about race in Introduction to Sociology classes to gain information about teaching challenges to better understand pedagogical needs.
 
If you have taught an introductory sociology course at a US college or university within the past 5 years, and are at least 18 years old, you are eligible to participate. Participants will complete an online anonymous survey that asks about your teaching background, classroom environment, and bigger institutional context. The survey takes approximately 15-20 minutes.
 
If you are interested in participating, please use this link to learn more and to begin the survey.
 
Qualitative Research Survey

Dr. Rebecca Hanson (University of Florida) and Dr. Patricia Richards (University of Georgia) invite you to participate in a survey exploring the experiences researchers encounter while conducting qualitative research that may be awkward, uncomfortable, or even dangerous. We are particularly interested in understanding how these experiences are shaped by researchers' identities. Please note that the survey is designed for anyone who has conducted qualitative research, not only for those who identify as qualitative researchers. 

This study is part of a research project led by Dr. Rebecca Hanson and Dr. Patricia Richards. The project has been designated exempt by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at both universities. Your participation is completely anonymous, and you will not be asked to provide any identifying information.

We have prepared two versions of the survey: 

The survey takes approximately 5 to 20 minutes to complete, depending on your experiences. If you have any questions or concerns about the survey, please contact Dr. Rebecca Hanson at r.hanson@ufl.edu.

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Call for Proposals

Call for Chapters

“Reconstructing Gotham: Crime and Safety as a Reflection of the Built Environment”
Reconstructing Gotham: Crime and Safety as a Reflection of the Built Environment explores the contemporary applications of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED).  As a theoretical construct, CPTED asserts that criminal offending can be influenced and, to a certain degree, controlled through the manipulation, control, and design of the built environment in which offending might otherwise occur.  CPTED began to emerge as a crime prevention strategy during the 1960s and 1970s and was strongly associated with the early work of Jane Jacobs, C. Ray Jeffery, Oscar Newman and other pioneers in the field.  Since that time, efforts to control criminal propensity through manipulation and control of the physical environment have been successfully implemented in a wide variety of different settings and contexts. 
Reconstructing Gotham: Crime and Safety as a Reflection of the Built Environment is the latest in the Interdisciplinary Built Environment series, which attempts to examine the built environment through a multidisciplinary lens.  Prior volumes in the series focused on topics as diverse as ethics in environmental design, participatory space in contemporary cities, and environmental design for health and wellbeing.  Reconstructing Gotham: Crime and Safety as a Reflection of the Built Environment will continue the series tradition of taking a multidisciplinary approach to understanding the built environment.  However, this volume will also expand the series by venturing into an evaluation of the role and purpose of the built environment in ameliorating participation in criminal activity and the broader harm caused by such participation. Read the full call for chapters.

Ongoing Calls

Spark Magazine

Spark Magazine is now accepting pitches for essay ideas on a rolling basis. Spark offers essays grounded in research that can inform readers to make decisions for themselves, their families, and communities. The essays are meant to spark curiosity — whether by encouraging deeper questions about society, challenging taken-for-granted ideas, or inspiring greater empathy and support for marginalized communities. Submit a pitch.

Sociology of Race and Ethnicity

The Sociology of Race and Ethnicity series provides a venue for international, pioneering scholarship that moves our understanding of race, racism, ethnicity, and ethnic oppression forward. The series features books that engage in contemporary social issues in a meaningful way, advocating intervention and action in social justice and social transformation. While theoretically and empirically grounded in sociology, books in this series intersect a wide array of social sciences (geography, history, political science, anthropology, philosophy). We seek book proposals that accomplish the dual goals of speaking to the public square and pushing the intellectual conversation forward. To inquire about publishing in the series, please contact Mick Gusinde-Duffy at mickgd@uga.edu.

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Bedside Books Column in Sociological Review

Editor Emma Craddock is seeking contributions to our Bedside Books column, which offers readers’ short takes on books of all kinds: old and new, fiction and non-fiction, academic and general interest. Read the latest Bedside Books column. Contribute your own short review.

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Sociological Fiction in Sociological Review

Editor Ash Watson is currently inviting submissions of creative short fiction that is sociological in style, scope and sensibility. Read our new short stories by John D. Boy and Lara Monticelli. Learn more about what we publish.

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Sociology of Race and Ethnicity

The Sociology of Race and Ethnicity series provides a venue for international, pioneering scholarship that moves our understanding of race, racism, ethnicity, and ethnic oppression forward. The series features books that engage in contemporary social issues in a meaningful way, advocating intervention and action in social justice and social transformation.  

While theoretically and empirically grounded in sociology, books in this series intersect a wide array of social sciences (geography, history, political science, anthropology, philosophy). Aimed at both academics and practitioners through thought-provoking and teachable manuscripts, we are particularly interested in “engaged scholarship.” We encourage theoretical perspectives (and methods and methodologies) that are intellectually engaged, rigorous, and critical. Such perspectives include, but are not limited to, Du Boisian analysis, Afrocentrist/-futurist, and Latinx critical theory, as well as other intersectional epistemologies.  

We seek book proposals that accomplish the dual goals of speaking to the public square and pushing the intellectual conversation forward.  

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Conferences and Events

Diversity Scholars Network Lunch and Learn
Sessions will be small with ample time for questions and individual attention. This professional development opportunity is perfect for scholars pursuing grants and other funding opportunities as well as those currently working toward tenure. Seating is limited, so we encourage you to register early. Lunch will be provided. Click here to register.
 
Save the date for future Lunch and Learns:
  • Thursday, February 12, 2026 -- Noon to 1:30pm.
    • Advocating for your project - In person
  • Tuesday, April 7, 2026 -- Noon to 1:30pm.
    • Crafting Research Impact Statements - Hybrid

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Twentieth International Conference on Design Principles and Practices
Sapienza University of Rome, Italy + Online
25-27 February 2026

The Twentieth International Conference on Design Principles & Practices offers an interdisciplinary forum to explore the meaning and purpose of design. Our aim is to build an epistemic community where we can make linkages across disciplinary, geographic, and cultural boundaries. The 20th anniversary of DPP provides a valuable opportunity to assess how well our principles and practices have performed and to envision how Design must adapt to meet the challenges of the near future. This moment invites us to reinforce Design’s cultural role as a catalyst for meaningful, lasting change. We call on researchers across all domains of Design to explore the concept of Time, reflecting on its influence in any aspect of Design practice or research. What changes would you advocate for in the next 20 years? Learn more about registration.

2025 Special Focus—Design Across Time

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Southern Sociological Society (SSS) Annual Meeting
Jacksonville, FL, 8-11 March 2026

The SSS annual meeting is constructed entirely out of member submissions. Submissions are considered from the breadth and depth of the discipline, regardless of the theme of the 2026 Annual Conference. There are six submission types: individual papers, poster presentations, full session proposals, flash talks, roundtables, and special sessions. To submit to SSS 2026, please visit our membership portal. The 2026 Annual theme, Empowered Sociologists: Agency and Action towards Social Change, is a call to action for empowered thought leaders to uphold the ethical mission of the Southern Sociological Society. Sociologists are well-positioned to lead through times of rapid social change with our collective action. In an era when many feel disempowered, this call serves as a reminder of the strength of sociology and the contributions of sociologists. It is also a reminder of the Society’s mission to apply our knowledge and training to address and resolve societal problems. Learn more about registration.

2026 Special Focus—Empowered Sociologists: Agency and Action Towards Social Change

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Media Trainings
The Diversity Scholars Network is hosting three Faculty Media Trainings in October and three Advanced Media Trainings in March.

The media trainings held in October are designed to help faculty prepare for and feel confident conducting print and broadcast interviews. While the media trainings offered in March build on our previous sessions and will include mock interviews. Each of these trainings will be led by Fernanda Pires of Michigan News at U-M. Click here for more information on these training sessions. 
  • Advanced Media training 
    • March 10th, 11th, and 12th from 12:00pm - 1:30pm. 
    • 412 Maynard Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109

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Applied Anthropology (SfAA) 86th Annual Meeting
Alburquerque, New Mexico, 17-21 March 2026

The Society for Applied Anthropology (SfAA) invites abstracts (sessions, papers, posters, and videos) for the Program of the 86th Annual Meeting in Albuquerque, NM, March 17-21, 2026. The theme of the Program is “Everyday Practice of Applied Anthropology.”

The 2026 SfAA Annual Meeting offers researchers, practitioners, and students from diverse disciplines and organizations the opportunity to discuss their work and consider how it can contribute to a better future. SfAA members come from a host of disciplines -- anthropology, geography, sociology, economics, business, planning, medicine, nursing, law, and more. The annual meeting provides a fertile venue in which to trade ideas, methods, and practical solutions, as well as an opportunity to enter the lifeworlds of other professionals. The deadline for abstract submission is October 15, 2025. For additional information on the theme, abstract size/format, and the meeting, please visit our web page and click on annual meeting. 

Theme-Everday Practice of Applied Anthropology

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Midwest Sociological Society Annual Meeting
Chase Park Plaza Royal Sonesta in St. Louis, Missouri, 26-29 March 2026

The MSS invites submissions for the 2026 Annual Meeting beginning August 1, 2025. MSS Program Chair Michael Haedicke has selected an important theme for reflection for this year's conference: "Care and the Sociological Vocation: Learning About, Through, and With Care." More information can be found at the conference website.

2026 Special Focus—Care the the Sociological Vocation

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2026 Conference on Discrimination in the 21st Century: Fostering Conversations Across Fields
Chicago, IL, 28-29 April 2026

The 2026 Conference on Discrimination in the 21st Century: Fostering Conversations Across Fields welcomes submissions. This year’s conference will be held April 28–29, in Chicago, Illinois.This conference will bring together researchers from different fields to discuss crucial themes around discrimination. Experts from economics, sociology, law, behavioral sciences, healthcare, artificial intelligence, and more will interact with each other through presentations and open panel discussions. The organizing committee welcomes submissions on the broadest range of themes. All interested researchers are invited to send submissions for consideration by January 16, 2026, using the link below.

If you have any questions, please contact bfi-events@uchicago.edu. Learn more.

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CfP: 16th International Conference on the Constructed Environment
Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain, 14-15 May 2026

The Sixteenth International Conference on The Constructed Environment invites participants to explore the intersections between spatial design, human experiences, and contemporary global challenges. Under the theme From the Home to the City: Designing Spatial Experiences, this conference addresses how thoughtfully designed environments—from intimate domestic interiors to expansive urban landscapes—can foster human well-being, community connection, and environmental sustainability.

At the domestic scale, we examine how homes shape daily routines, emotional health, and social interactions, highlighting the critical role of design in creating spaces of care, comfort, and dignity. Amidst ongoing global shifts such as remote work, aging populations, and housing crises, we invite research to consider both technical dimensions—including sustainability, adaptability, and healthy materials—and sensory experiences involving spatial form, natural light, and tactile qualities. Echoing architect Kazuo Shinohara, we reflect on how domestic spaces are deeply embedded in human identity and cultural expression.

At the urban scale, we aim to understand how cities can cultivate inclusive, resilient, and engaging environments amidst rapid urbanization, climate change, and socio-economic disparities. We invite contributions investigating participatory urban planning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and empathetic design practices that foster safety, accessibility, and belonging. As urbanist Jan Gehl observed, thriving cities are spaces of joyful human interaction designed for lingering, sharing, and meaningful connection.

Additionally, we welcome research on intermediate scales—such as shared community spaces, transitional interiors, neighborhoods, and collective housing—that bridge private and public realms. These environments represent thresholds of care and encounter, requiring responsive design strategies that address complex and overlapping needs.

Proposals are invited across disciplines including architecture, urban planning, interior design, engineering, environmental psychology, and interdisciplinary fields. We particularly encourage submissions aligned with the following four thematic areas:

1. The Design of Space and Place: Exploring how spaces are defined not only by physical boundaries but by rituals, memory, and emotional connections, emphasizing the choreographic role of design in fostering meaningful inhabitation.
2. Constructing the Environment: Examining the role of everyday objects and material systems in shaping human experiences, from small-scale domestic artifacts to flexible, adaptive structures that support both rootedness and mobility.
3. Environmental Impacts: Investigating how the built environment mirrors and influences our ecological relationships, emphasizing aesthetics and sustainability as interlinked values guiding ethical design practices.
4. Social Impacts: Reflecting on how spatial design can promote inclusivity, equity, and social justice, addressing critical questions of belonging, care infrastructures, and community visibility in built environments.

We invite innovative, multidisciplinary contributions that critically engage with these themes, advancing the discourse on designing resilient, empathetic, and sustainable spaces for contemporary life.

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Twenty-First International Conference on the Arts in Society
Department of Theatre Studies, School of Philosophy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece, 10-12 June 2026

We are pleased to share with you the Call for Papers for the Twenty-First International Conference on the Arts in Society, to be hosted by the Department of Theatre Studies, School of Philosophy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece, 10-12 June 2026.

All presenters are also encouraged to submit their paper to the companion journal collection The Arts in Society Journal Collection. Find out more about the journal collection.

2026 Special Focus—Modeling Life Systems: Art, Algorithms, Ecologies

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Seventeenth International Conference on Sport & Society
University of Inland, Norawy, 11-12 June 2026

As societies confront accelerating crises such as ecological instability and political fragmentation, sport stands at a critical juncture. Can it remain a progressive force, or is it increasingly outpaced by societal transformation? We invited contributors to the conference to explore how the future of sport hinges on its ability to confront tensions between innovation and control, inclusion and exclusion, care and commerce. More information can be found at the conference website.

2026 Special Focus—Innovation, Transformation, Contestation: Can Sport Keep Up with Society’s Future?

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Eleventh International Conference on Tourism and Leisure Studies
Department of Tourism Management, University of Patras, Greece, 15-17 June 2026

The tourism and leisure sector, a vital part of global economies and cultural exchange, faces rapidly evolving challenges. The conference, "Pathways to Resilience: Sustainable Practices in Tourism and Leisure," will highlight the need for transformative, resilient approaches to address emerging mega-trends in tourism. Climate change, geopolitical instability, and shifting traveler expectations—particularly the demand for responsible experiences—call for a shift beyond mass tourism. This shift involves embracing alternative models, such as ecotourism and community-based tourism, emphasizing environmental protection, local empowerment, and cultural preservation.

The conference will examine the social dimensions of sustainable tourism, exploring ways to foster inclusive growth and community well-being. In addition, it will address the role of technology, including AI, in shaping tourism’s future through personalized experiences and sustainable resource management. The conference aims to bring together academics, industry professionals, policymakers, and local communities to showcase innovative strategies that minimize environmental impact, maximize socio-economic benefits, and enhance the visitor experience. Participants will discuss cutting-edge research, best practices, and emerging trends, contributing to a more resilient and responsible future. This global forum will tackle critical issues such as overtourism, resource depletion, cultural commodification, equitable benefit distribution, and the ethical implications of AI. By integrating sustainable practices and transitioning toward alternative tourism models, the sector can navigate uncertainties, enhance long-term viability, and contribute to a more equitable, environmentally conscious society. Learn more. 

2026 Special Focus—Pathways to Resilience; Sustainable Practices in Tourism and Leisure

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Work and Family Researchers Network
Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, 17-20 June 2026

The next Work and Family Researchers Network Conference will be held June 17-20, 2026 at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. The conference theme is Centering Care Across the Life Course. More than 500 stakeholders in the work-family field are anticipated to attend, with a dynamic program focused on meaningful exchanges. Submissions open in July and close November 1, 2025. More information can be found at the conference website.

2026 Special Focus—Centering Care Across the Life Course

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Sixteenth International Conference on Religion & Spirituality in Society
Universidad Antonio Ruiz de Montoya, Lima, Peru and Online, 22-23 June 2026

Founded in 2011, the Religion in Society Research Network explores the relationship between religion in society and the changing nature of spirituality. We seek to build an epistemic community where we can make linkages across disciplinary, geographic, and cultural boundaries. As a Research Network, we are defined by our scope and concerns and motivated to build strategies for action framed by our shared themes and tensions. Learn more about submission and registration.

2026 Special Focus—Indigenous Spiritualities in Global Perspective

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Twenty-First International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences
University of Galway, Galway, Ireland + Online, 15-17 July 2026

In an era defined by globalization, transnational interdependencies, and rapid change, the importance of cooperation across academic, civic, and community spheres has never been more urgent. Bridging Boundaries— Collaborative Solutions to Complex Social Issues in an Interconnected World invites perspectives on how social scientists, policymakers, practitioners, and community members can work together across borders to address today’s most pressing global challenges. As economic, political, and technological forces reshape societies, how can we develop solutions that transcend national and disciplinary silos to confront systemic inequality, climate change, political polarization, digital transformation, and the evolving nature of work on a global scale?

We seek papers investigating how interdisciplinary research, participatory engagement, and policy development can align to foster lasting and inclusive approaches to complex global issues and societal well-being. Contributions from scholars in sociology, psychology, political science, anthropology, economics, law, education, international relations, global studies, and related fields are encouraged, with an emphasis on fresh insights and tangible examples of transnational and globally networked approaches. We welcome both empirical studies and theoretical reflections that push the boundaries of conventional thinking. By bridging boundaries—between disciplines, nations, and sectors—this conference aims to set an agenda to advance our collective understanding of today’s urgent social problems and illuminate pathways to transformative solutions that promise lasting, positive impacts on communities worldwide. Learn more.

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Criminal Justice Association of Georgia (CJAG) Annual Conference
Albany State University, Albany, Georgia, 25-26 September 2026

We welcome proposals for research presentations, roundtables, panels, workshops, and student-led sessions.
Submit your abstract here. CJAG’s official peer-reviewed journal, The Pursuit, is currently accepting manuscript submissions. Presenters and non-presenters alike are encouraged to submit original research, practice-based articles, and scholarly essays related to criminal justice, criminology, or public safety. More information found on the website.

2026 Special Focus—The Future of Criminal Justice: Navigating the New Normal

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Seventeenth International Conference on the Image
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore + Online, 1-2 October 2026

This year’s special focus examines how visual media serve as agents of cultural dialogue, activism, and change, particularly within complex and pluralistic societies. Images do more than reflect the world; they intervene in it. Whether mobilised to document injustice, amplify marginalised voices, reframe dominant narratives, or inspire solidarity, images hold or possess the capacity to advocate. As technologies evolve and the circulation of images intensifies, so too does the need to critically assess how they shape public consciousness and cultural meaning. This conference invites an exploration of how visual forms, across analogue, digital, and emerging mediums, operate as tools of advocacy within their own cultural contexts and in dialogue with others, placing an emphasis on practices that are situated, responsive, and ethically engaged. We ask: What are the possibilities and limits of the image as advocate? How does visual advocacy operate across linguistic, societal and cultural thresholds? And what pedagogies, platforms, or ethics are needed to support such work? In gathering diverse voices, we aim to cultivate a conversation on how images not only represent but also actively shape the cultures from which they emerge. More information can be found at the conference website.

2026 Special Focus—The Image as Advocate: Shaping Cultural Conversations

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Sixteenth International Conference on Food Studies
University of Osaka, Osaka, Japan, 10-12 October 2026 and Online 

The Sixteenth International Conference on Food Studies will be held in Osaka, Japan—a city whose identity, culture, and cuisine have been shaped by water for centuries. Known historically as the “Kitchen of the Nation,” Osaka flourished as a hub of trade and food distribution, made possible by its extensive river and canal networks. Today, this rich heritage offers a powerful context for exploring the conference’s special theme: Living with Water: Food and Life.

In Osaka, water is more than a resource—it is a foundation for food culture, daily life, and ecological understanding. From the soft water used to make dashi, to the thriving markets that once received goods from across Japan, the city embodies a deep connection between water systems and sustainable food traditions. As global food and water crises intensify, Osaka offers a compelling site to examine how local knowledge, urban infrastructure, and culinary heritage can inform more resilient and equitable food futures.

Along with our papers that speak to our annual themes, we invite proposals that explore food sustainability, water security, health and nutrition, and the politics of food systems, especially about urban ecologies and historic foodways. Join us in Osaka to reflect on the past and reimagine the future of food in a world increasingly defined by its relationship to water. Learn more about registration.

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Aging & Social Change: Sixteenth Interdisciplinary Conference
Akdeniz University in Antalya, Turkey, 15-16 October 2026

Care environments for aging populations must move toward more individualized, person-centered models. Yet across diverse national contexts, many systems remain fragmented or under-resourced, with gaps at the intersections of medical, social, and familial care arrangements. At the same time, promising new approaches are emerging around the world—ranging from dementia care innovations and age-friendly community programs to lifelong learning institutions for older adults.

This international dialogue will be hosted in Turkey, a country that both reflects these global challenges and serves as a site of experimentation in gerontological practice and policy. The conference offers an opportunity to exchange cross-national insights, share institutional innovations, and collaboratively reimagine the social contract across generations. Learn more about registration. 

2026 Special Focus—Demographic Futures: Political and Social Transformations

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Virtual Events

Sociology of Race and Ethnicity Meet the Editor Meetings

The Sociology of Race and Ethnicity series provides a venue for international, pioneering scholarship that moves our understanding of race, racism, ethnicity, and ethnic oppression forward. The series features books that engage in contemporary social issues in a meaningful way, advocating intervention and action in social justice and social transformation.  This semester we are offering four (4) MEET THE EDITORS Zoom meetings for anyone who wants to meet us, chat through ideas, discuss the series, anything! These will be on the 2nd Thursday of each month, February-May, during the 2:00 to 3:00pm (EST) window. The dates for these are:

  • February 12
  • March 12
  • April 9
  • May 14
All are welcome. Join these free sessions via Zoom.
Emotion-First Theory & Practice
Dr. Cherise Fanno Burdeen and Public Defender Alison Bloomquist are excited to share that this webinar marks the launch of their new book, Emotion-First Theory & Practice. The book grew out of a simple but uncomfortable question: Why do equity, wellness, and client-centered reforms so often fail to hold—even when people are committed and well-intentioned? In this conversation, they will introduce the core ideas behind the book and explore what it means to treat emotional intelligence as infrastructure, not an add-on, in public defense and other justice-oriented systems. They are joined by Ieshaah Murphy, Assistant Professor of Law at Howard University, whose work studying and leading antiracist training in public defense offers a critical, practice-based perspective on what works, what doesn’t, and what remains unresolved.

Register for free here!

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Virtual Writing Retreats
The Diversity Scholars Network is hosting monthly writing retreats via Zoom. These events are co-sponsored by the Anti-Racism Collaborative and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Writing retreats are scheduled throughout each month on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. We are offering writing sessions designed for faculty, staff, and graduate students. We hope you drop in for silent writing with optional breakout rooms for discussion and feedback.
 

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Other Opportunites

 
Scholars at Risk and Amnesty Course
 

Scholars at Risk and Amnesty International have released a new, free, 90-minute course titled “Dangerous” Questions, Why Academic Freedom Matters. Created with input from academic and legal experts, this self-paced course explores what academic freedom means, how it connects to human rights and higher education values, and why it matters for scholars, students, and society. You’ll leave with the tools to defend academic freedom in your classroom, institution, or community and to stand up for education spaces that are free, inclusive, and open to all. Learn more and enroll.

 

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Call for Work and Family Researchers Network Predoctoral Preconference Applications

On June 17, 2026, the Work and Family Researchers Network will hold a Pre-Doctoral Preconference at Concordia University in Montreal Canada during its 8th Biennial Conference. The Predoctoral Preconference will provide workshops intended to help graduate students form meaningful connections with diverse scholars, learn about publication strategies, as well as how to engage with stakeholders such as organizational leaders or policy advocates. Questions can be directed to organizers Wen Fan (wen.fan@bc.edu) and Jaeseung Kim (jkim1203@o365.skku.edu). Space is limited. Applications close January 15, 2026. Those selected to attend the preconference will be notified in February 2026. Information about the 2026 WFRN conference and the preconference application can be found on the website. 

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Book Drive in collaboration with the Trotter Multicultural Center
NCID is conducting a book drive in collaboration with the William Monroe Trotter Multicultural Center. We are asking members of the DSN to donate books (new and gently used) to assist in creating an independent in-house library at Trotter, which will center books addressing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility topics and/or banned books. We would welcome, and are especially interested in, books that you have authored or edited. 

We see this book drive as an opportunity to extend your reach as scholars and to place your books directly in the hands of students interested in the topics you research. In addition, we would like to use this book drive to offer the students who frequent the William Monroe Trotter Multicultural Center with words of inspiration, affirmation, and guidance. 

To that end, we invite those who donate to write a note of inspiration to the students inside the cover of your donated text… to say the words that you would have loved to hear as a student, to present students with messages of hope, to explain what you got out of reading the book to persuade someone to read it as well, or to offer what you (as the author of the text) hope a reader would gain from reading it.

Anyone interested in donating can bring their books to the William Monroe Trotter Multicultural Center front desk or send their books to Trotter, which is located at 428 S. State Street in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The center is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and closed on the weekends through the summer. You can find continued communication about this event here.