SSSP 2025 Annual Meeting
Date: Saturday, August 9
Time: 7:15 AM - 8:15 AM
New Member Breakfast
Room: Crystal Room
Date: Saturday, August 9
Time: 8:30 AM - 10:10 AM
Anti-Harassment Committee, 2024-25 & 2025-26
Room: Medinah Parlor
Date: Saturday, August 9
Time: 8:30 AM - 10:10 AM
Session 031: Shared Identity Making and Social Perceptions
Room: Indiana Room
Sponsor: Disability, Mental Wellness, and Social Justice
Organizers: Douglas J. Engelman, University of North Carolina Wilmington
Melinda Leigh Maconi, Moffitt Cancer Center
Lily Ivanova, University of British Columbia
Presider: Melinda Leigh Maconi, Moffitt Cancer Center
Discussant: Lily Ivanova, University of British Columbia
Description: What is the role of social perceptions in how communities construct their identities? This session explores the complexities of shared identity-making, especially in contexts where certain identities are stigmatized, heightened, de-coupled, or otherwise influenced by social landscapes and expectations. Papers in this session focus on how people experience identities of disability, mental illness, morality, migration, and gender, in contexts of multi-dimensionality, stigma, and visibility to society at large. The session aims to foster a lively discussion about the ins-and-outs of identity, social context, and how shared meanings conform to and resist societal interpretations.
Papers:
“Navigating Diverse Disability Identities in Canada,” Danielle Landry, Karen Soldatic and Flavia Novais, Toronto Metropolitan University and Line Melbøe, Arctic University of Norway
“The Intersection of Mental Illness and Queerness: A Quantitative Study,” Jennie Benjamin, Georgia State University
“‘My Feeble Human Brain’: Overcoming Emotion and Constructing a Stoic Morality in Effective Altruism,” Kyle Hulburd, University of Southern California
“Seeing Migration via Vernacular Landscapes,” Jerome Krase, Brooklyn College, CUNY
“An Examination of the Role of Social Essentialist Explanations on Motivating Transgender Double Consciousness,” Caroline M. Hale, University of Washington
Date: Saturday, August 9
Time: 8:30 AM - 10:10 AM
Session 032: Emerging Threats and Responses to an Increasingly Dangerous, Adulterated Drug Supply
Room: Kimball Room
Sponsor: Drinking and Drugs
Organizer &
Facilitator : Alexander S. Bennett, New York University
Description: Papers in this session will engage how people who use drugs and other stakeholders mitigate and respond to drug-related harms associated with the toxic drug supply. Papers examine policy, practice, and gaps in research and service delivery.
Papers:
“‘I Don’t Want to Disappoint My Parents’: Examining the Influence of Parental Involvement and Social Bonds on Alcohol Abstinent Behaviors among College Students in Botswana,” Tebogo B. Sebeelo, University of Botswana
“Beyond ‘Employed’ and ‘Unemployed’: Examining Heterogeneity in the Employment Trajectories of Socioeconomically Marginalized People Who Use Drugs,” Allison Laing, Anita Minh, Deb McCormack and Lindsey Richardson, The University of British Columbia
“Neoliberalism’s Effect on the Opioid Crisis in Appalachia,” Jamison Colors Futrell, Southeastern Louisiana University
“What Characteristics and Experiences Correlate with Long-term MMT Participation,” David Frank, Alexander S. Bennett, Luther Elliott and Charles M. Cleland, New York University and Joy D. Scheidell, University of Central Florida
“Written Off: People Who Use Drugs in a Neighborhood of Organized Abandonment,” Leslie L. Wood, Kent State University; Northeast Ohio Medical University
“Developing a Harm-reduction Intervention with a Community Collaborative Board: Challenges and Lessons Learned,” Ellen Benoit, North Jersey Community Research Initiative, Alexis Jemal, Hunter College and Liliane Windsor, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Date: Saturday, August 9
Time: 8:30 AM - 10:10 AM
THEMATIC
Session 033: CRITICAL DIALOGUE: Transformative Justice: Theory and Research in Pursuit of Emancipatory Power, Agency, Community, and Peacemaking
Room: Wilson Room
Sponsors: Community, Research, and Practice
Conflict, Social Action, and Change
Global
Social Problems Theory
Organizer: Caroline M. Schöpf, University of the Philippines Diliman
Presider/Discussant: Loretta E. Bass, The University of Oklahoma
Description: This session focuses broadly on theories and research on/in transformative justice praxes: for communities, peacemaking, and agency addressing root causes of violence and inequality, fostering community and solidarity, and realizing emancipatory power and healing. Submissions discuss justice for the Global Majority/Global South, restorative practices, community-engaged work, Indigenous, post-colonial, and grassroots justice models, intersectional approaches to justice and power, political praxis and transformation, social justice and social change, practicing and teaching transformative justice, and approaches to and strategies for transformative justice research.
Papers:
“Climate Resilient Development in the Post-pandemic, Post-conflict Era: The Case of Isabela de Basilan,” Diana Therese Montejo Veloso, De La Salle University
“Cripping the Undercommons: Towards Crip of Color Critique in Abolitionist Medical Education,” Mustafa Baqai, Coalition for Abolition Medicine at University of California, San Diego
“Longing for the State: Women Grassroots Activists and Local State-building in Colombia,” Maria Ximena Davila, The University of Texas at Austin, Winner of the Global Division’s Student Paper Competition
“Space, Ethnorace, y Los Que Mandan: Cultivating Vibes for Musical Belonging in Greater LA,” Brandon D. Saucedo Pita, University of Southern California
“The Power of ‘Real’: Creative Writing and Everyday Restorative Practice,” Sophia Lindner, Yale University
“Transnational Transformative Justice: Case Studies in Community-Based Responses to Gendered Harm,” Melanie Brazzell, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University
Date: Saturday, August 9
Time: 8:30 AM - 10:10 AM
THEMATIC
Session 034: Families in Crisis
Room: Buckingham Room
Sponsors: Family, Aging, and Youth
Law and Society
Organizers: Tia M. Dickerson, Columbia University
Michael Branch, Hartwick College
Presider: Tia M. Dickerson, Columbia University
Description: This session examines the legal, social, and economic forces shaping family crises today. From shifting family structures and reproductive rights to aging populations and child welfare, panelists will explore how legal and social structures shape family survival and adaptation in times of upheaval.
Papers:
“‘It Was a Risk, but it Was One I Was Willing to Take.’ The Experiences of Moving to be Closer to an Incarcerated Loved One,” Christopher Dum, Kent State University
“‘No es Justo’: Latina Immigrants Navigating Racialized-gendered Reproductive Labor, Transnational Care, and Support during COVID-19,” Alejandra G. Lemus, Susana Echeverri Herrera, Bianca Ruiz-Negrón, Julia M. Hess and Jessica R. Goodkind, The University of New Mexico
“‘Where Will My Family Go?’ The Financial, Housing, and Health Challenges of Families Facing Eviction,” Natalie J. Cholula, Alex Farrington and Lisa K. Bates, Portland State University
“Excluding the Involved Father: Having a Child during the COVID Pandemic in Iceland,” Sunna Simonardottir and Asdis Arnalds, University of Iceland
“Familismo, Involuntary Return, & Substance Use among a Sample of Involuntarily Returned Migrants to Mexico City,” Esme Ramirez, The University of Texas, Nefertari Rincon-Guerra, University of Southern California, Alice Cepeda, Arizona State University and Avelardo Valdez, University of Southern California
“Family Ties in Hard Times: Exploring the Role of Grandparent Coresidence in Household Economic Resilience,” Jayla Gray-Thomas, Rutgers University
Date: Saturday, August 9
Time: 8:30 AM - 10:10 AM
Session 035: CRITICAL DIALOGUE: Teaching Social Problems through Institutional Ethnography
Room: Chicago Room
Sponsors: Institutional Ethnography
Teaching Social Problems
Organizers: Elizabeth L. Brule, Queen's University
Morena Tartari, Northumbria University
Presider/Discussant: Laura Parson, North Dakota State University
Description:
Papers:
“‘I Swear I Was Playing it Right in Practice’: Student Health and the Discourse of ‘Preparation’ in Post-secondary Music Education,” Jeffrey Sabo and Christine Guptill, University of Ottawa
“A Comprehensive Literature Review of an Institutional Ethnography of Graduate Student Enrollment and Retention,” Doriane E. Paso, Fredricka R. Saunders, Isaac Mensah, Laura Parson, Emily C. Schubert, Abby Griffin and Francisca Nyarko, North Dakota State University
“Navigating Academia and Motherhood: An Institutional Ethnography of International Graduate Student Mothers,” Fredricka R. Saunders, North Dakota State University
“Queering Institutional Ethnography: Designing a Conceptual Framework for Equity,” Kelley A. Larson, North Dakota State University
“Teaching Institutional Ethnography through Autoethnography,” Laura Parson, North Dakota State University
Date: Saturday, August 9
Time: 8:30 AM - 10:10 AM
Session 036: New Books of Interest to SSSP cosponsored by Gender, Sexual Behavior, Politics, and Communities
Room: Grant Park Parlor
Sponsors: Gender, Sexual Behavior, Politics, and Communities
Program Committee
Organizers: Assata Zerai, The University of New Mexico
Pallavi Banerjee, University of Calgary
Presider: Pallavi Banerjee, University of Calgary
Discussants: Freeden Blume Oeur, Tufts University
Kathleen J. Fitzgerald, University of North Carolina
Michael O. Johnston, William Penn University
Onwubiko Agozino, Virgina Tech
Description: The SSSP Program Committee and the Division on Gender, Sexual Behavior, Politics, and Communities are co-sponsoring a session to feature new books of interest to SSSP. These include:
Panelists:
Sharon M. Quinsaat, Grinnell College
Nora Gross, Barnard College, Columbia University
Date: Saturday, August 9
Time: 8:30 AM - 10:10 AM
Session 037: Mobility, Affluence, and the Aspirational Class in a Time of Crises
Room: Spire Parlor
Sponsor: Poverty, Class, and Inequality
Organizer, Presider &
Discussant: Judith R. Halasz, SUNY New Paltz
Description: In a historical moment of numerous crises including high inflation, widespread gentrification, unaffordable housing, overtourism, pandemic and AI-fueled employment shifts, mass migration, and attacks on democracy, understanding the effects of inequality and contemporary class dynamics demands research on both poverty and privilege. Complementing sessions on poverty, class, and inequality, this panel provides an opportunity to share research on affluence, mobility, and the aspirational class. What roles do affluence and mobility play in current crises? Focusing on elite spaces and gentrification, precarious privilege and work, and educational institutions, these papers examine how the affluent use their resources and status to influence communities, culture, and social institutions; view themselves, their status, and their role in inequality; and influence aspirational behavior and attitudes.
Papers:
“The Spread of Elite and Aspirational Spaces as a Spillover Effect of Super-gentrification,” Judith R. Halasz, SUNY New Paltz
“The Limits of Co-Ethnic Solidarity: The Role of Elite Ethnic Organizations in Urban Redevelopment,” Victoria Tran, University of California, Los Angeles
“Navigating Precarity through Life Investment: Gendered Dynamics of Digital Creative Labor and Financial Practices in Contemporary South Korea,” Sojin Lee, Yonsei University
“Bridges of Precarity, Borders of Privilege: How Indian Immigrant Tech Workers in the U.S. Engage in Boundary Work,” Rianka Roy, Wake Forest University
“Are the Elites the Exception? First-generation Student Social Mobility Experiences across Highly-selective and Regional-public Campuses,” Melissa Osborne, Western Washington University
Date: Saturday, August 9
Time: 10:30 AM - 12:10 PM
Membership and Outreach Committee, 2024-25 & 2025-26
Room: Medinah Parlor
Date: Saturday, August 9
Time: 10:30 AM - 12:10 PM
Conflict, Social Action, and Change
Room: Marshfield Room
Date: Saturday, August 9
Time: 10:30 AM - 12:10 PM
Session 038: Community Approaches to Mental Health: Educators, Policy-Makers and Social Identities
Room: Indiana Room
Sponsors: Disability, Mental Wellness, and Social Justice
Educational Problems
Organizers: Douglas J. Engelman, University of North Carolina Wilmington
Lily Ivanova, University of British Columbia
Melinda Leigh Maconi, Moffitt Cancer Center
Presider: Lily Ivanova, University of British Columbia
Discussant: Melinda Leigh Maconi, Moffitt Cancer Center
Description: How do communities, experts and researchers come together to understand, support and frame community mental health and wellbeing challenges? This session will explore the innovative ways communities are collaborating to solve complex community health challenges, including schools navigating safety in a climate of school shootings, educational institutions supporting students with disabilities and across socio-economic barriers, and academics and activists resisting social framings of health. Papers will share insights about best practices, successful partnerships, and ongoing barriers to holistic solutions.
Papers:
“Community-based Approaches to Increase Safety and Socio-Emotional Resilience in K-12 Settings: A Courageous Conversation,” Angie P. Mejia, Research in Action, Camila Bagley, University of Illinois Chicago, Noah Shore, Cradle 2 Career, Paul Sambanis, Casey Callas, Emily Bouchie and Hugh McCorkle, University of Illinois Chicago
“The Impact of Active Shooter Drills on Student Health and Wellbeing,” Anthony A. Peguero, Arizona State University
“Disability and Visibility: Perceptions of Disability Accommodations among Students at Southeastern Louisiana University and its Efficacy,” Leah R. Peevy, Southeastern Louisiana University
“Digital Dreams and Dilemmas: Perspectives from Students and Teachers,” Upali Bhattacharya, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
“Insurgent Sociology against the Scientific Appeal,” Marquisele Mercedes, Brown University and Monica Kriete, Fatty MPH, LLC
Date: Saturday, August 9
Time: 10:30 AM - 12:10 PM
THEMATIC
Session 039: Category Crisis: South Asian Immigrant Experiences in the US
Room: Kimball Room
Sponsor: Critical Race and Ethnic Study
Organizer, Presider &
Discussant: Rafia Javaid Mallick, Georgia State University
Description: This session explores the complexities of South Asian immigrant life in the U.S., addressing challenges like the Census category labeling crisis, which often misrepresents their identities. It highlights the struggles immigrants face in balancing cultural heritage with the expectations of their new homeland. Through personal narratives and scholarly insights, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of assimilation—the tension between preserving roots and integrating into American society. This discussion offers an enlightening and empowering platform for South Asian voices, fostering awareness and understanding of their multifaceted experiences within a broader audience.
Papers:
“Dating and Courtship Preference: Do Children of Muslim Bangladeshi Immigrants Want Traditional Partners?” Fatema Zohara, Loyola University Chicago
“Indian Tech Workers’ Identity Discourses in Activism in India and the United States,” Rianka Roy, Wake Forest University
“The Gulabi Stories Initiative: Exploring Identity, Healing, and Resistance through South Asian Diaspora Narratives,” Meghna Bhat, Independent Scholar and Consultant
“Understanding the Experiences of South Asian Immigrants in the United States: A Multifaceted Theoretical Analysis,” Rafia Javaid Mallick, Georgia State University
Date: Saturday, August 9
Time: 10:30 AM - 12:10 PM
Session 040: Current Issues of Anti-DEI Rhetoric in the United States
Room: Wilson Room
Sponsors: Bristol University Press | Home of Policy Press
Program Committee
Organizer &
Presider: David G. Embrick, University of Connecticut
Description: The session is an open invitation to discuss the current anti-DEI politics, policies, and practices as they relate to research and publishing. The panel is a wide collection of folx who have extensive experience in research and publishing and will start by discussing what is currently happening in their spaces and how they are approaching the new reality(ies). However, the session is expected to be a communal one in that we hope for full participation by all who attend.
Panelists:
David Brunsma, Virginia Tech
Marlese Durr, Wright State University
Angie Beeman, Baruch College, CUNY
Kasey Henricks, University of Illinois Chicago
Emily Ross, Bristol University Press
Date: Saturday, August 9
Time: 10:30 AM - 12:10 PM
THEMATIC
Session 041: Insurgent Sociology in Health Care
Room: Buckingham Room
Sponsors: Health, Health Policy, and Health Services
Sociology, Social Work, and Social Welfare
Organizer: William Cabin, New York University Silver School of Social Work
Presider: Loretta E. Bass, The University of Oklahoma
Description: The session focuses on new views on health care policy and social policy that appear insurgent in their direction.
Papers:
“‘The Proof is in the Pudding’: A Qualitative Examination of the Weight-inclusive Healthcare Delivery from the Perspective of Weight-inclusive Healthcare Practitioners,” Gabby Gomez, Oklahoma State University, Winner of the Health, Health Policy, and Health Services Division’s Student Paper Competition
“Architecture of Care: The Value of Studying Hospitals as Walk-Through Machines,” Joseph Renow, Illinois Institute of Technology
“Comparing the Impact of the Trump Presidential Eras on the Medicare for All Movement,” Lindy Hern, University of Hawaii at Hilo
“DIY HRT Usage among Transgender and Non-Binary Young Adults in a Restrictive Climate,” Estefany Londono, Dahlia Wrubluski, Shannon K. Carter, Lindsay Taliaferro, J. Scott Carter, Eric W. Schrimshaw and Elena Cyrus, University of Central Florida
“Recovery Capitalism: How Does Alberta’s Recovery Model Put Together the Social Problem of Drug Use and its Solutions?” Graham George Macdonald, University of Toronto, Humber River Health and Leigha Comer, Western University
“Revolutionizing Heart Health: Applying Insurgent Sociological Approaches to Understand Black Men Perceptions on Cardiovascular Health Risk Reduction,” Carlos N. Chapman II, Junior R. Hopwood and Stephanie L. Compton, Grambling State University
Date: Saturday, August 9
Time: 10:30 AM - 12:10 PM
Session 042: CRITICAL DIALOGUE: Intersecting Technological, Healthcare, and Social Relations
Room: Chicago Room
Sponsors: Environment and Technology
Institutional Ethnography
Organizers &
Presiders/Discussants: Laura Parson, North Dakota State University
Alex Megelas, Concordia University
Description: Exploring intersecting technological, healthcare and social relations through institutional ethnography, ethnography, and qualitative methods.
Papers:
“A Hundred Years of Teaching Experience Confronts Generative AI Unprovoked,” Patricia Lengermann and Gillian Niebrugge-Brantley, The George Washington University
“Algorithmic Scores as Boundary Objects: Risk Assessments and the Uses of Professional Authority in US Pretrial Hearings,” Sino V. Esthappan, Northwestern University
“Impact of Communication Technology on Social Interaction in a University Environment: An Ethnography Study,” Adetola A. Ajayi, University of West Georgia
“McDonaldization and Artificial Intelligence,” J. Michael Ryan, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú
“‘I Still Can Feel the Sickness’: Withdrawal Experiences of People on Methadone Maintenance Treatment,” David Frank, Alexander S. Bennett, Luther Elliott and Charles M. Cleland, New York University, Beth E. Meyerson, Harm Reduction Research Lab, University of Arizona, Suzan M. Walters, New York University, Danielle M. Russell, Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Caty Simon, North Carolina Survivors Union and Joy D. Scheidell, University of Central Florida
Date: Saturday, August 9
Time: 10:30 AM - 12:10 PM
Session 043: Social Problems Theory and Decarceration/Abolitionist Movements in Prison Studies
Room: Grant Park Parlor
Sponsors: Crime and Justice
Social Problems Theory
Organizer: Michael Adorjan, University of Calgary
Presider: Christopher Dum, Kent State University
Description: From Mathiesen’s (1974) The Politics of Abolition to contemporary, critical theorizing regarding ‘e-carceration’ (Arnett, 2019-2020), social movements within and beyond academia have aimed to ameliorate the caustic impacts of mass incarceration, especially in the United States. This session invites consideration of how social problems theorizing informs decarceration movements and abolitionist thinking and action. In what ways do critical approaches inform efforts and understandings regarding decarceration and/or abolitionism? What are the strengths and possible limitations of these frameworks? Rather than explicate trends in decarceration per se, this session foregrounds the role of theory in relation to the goals and outcomes of decarceration and/or abolitionism movements.
Papers:
“Addressing Mass Incarceration through the Abolishment of Criminal Records,” Casey Bohrman, West Chester University and Margo Campbell, Widener University
“Carceral Feminist Failures: Unpacking the Punitive Approaches to Gender-based Violence and Their Consequences,” Clarissa M. Punla, University of California, Irvine
“Complicating Conceptualizations of Anti-racism within the Abolition Movement through Monoracism and Black/White Multiraciality,” Alizé B. Hill, The University of Chicago
“Nigerian Asuwada Theory, Mass Incarceration, and Restorative Justice Frameworks,” Shawn Dougherty, The Graduate Center, CUNY
“Prison Abolition in New York State: A Comparative Study of Attica and Rikers Island,” Shaneya Nyasia Simmelkjaer, Syracuse University
“Supervising the Margins: Probation Practices, Racialized Governance, and the Expansion of Surveillance in California’s Community Supervision System,” Amalia Mejia, University of California, Irvine
Date: Saturday, August 9
Time: 10:30 AM - 12:10 PM
Session 044: Universities Confronting their Past: Social Justice Approaches to Confront and Address Complex Legacies of Harm
Room: Spire Parlor
Sponsor: Program Committee
Organizer &
Presider: Assata Zerai, The University of New Mexico
Description: Growing numbers of insurgent social scientists are pursuing decolonial approaches to confront epistemicide, extraction, and marginalization in higher education. This session explores this issue in settings in which legacies of harm may involve race, ethnicity, culture, citizenship, state and tribal sovereignty, and international dimensions, among others that must be addressed simultaneously in university settings. These concerns are often complex given that they are numerous, multidimensional, intertwined, and often clashing. Both personal and institutional reflexivity are required, as all have occupied spaces as perpetrators, targets, and survivors. This is especially relevant in the context of the colonial legacies of the westernized university. Presenters are invited to address the above topic from the point of view of researchers, activists, and/or scholar-activists.
Papers:
“Epistemic Justice in Social Science Research: An Asian American Feminist Perspective,” Melissa Luong, Vanderbilt University
“Lessons from Designing a Summer Intensive Undergraduate Research Program for Cultural Responsivity,” Tryphenia B. Peele-Eady, The University of New Mexico, Tahira Reid Smith, Penn State University and Meeko Oishi, The University of New Mexico
“Reclaiming Authenticity in Translation: A Re-examination of Pliny E. Goddard’s Jicarilla Apache Texts,” Mariann Skahan, The University of New Mexico
“The Digital Divide in Higher Education: Online Course Investments at Minority-Serving vs. Predominantly White Institutions,” Kea Saper, University of California, San Diego
“The University of Illinois Black Student Enrollment Project,” Jessica Ballard-Lawrence, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
“Unpacking the Performativity of Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Designation: Holding the University of New Mexico Accountable and Developing a Call to Action,” Florence Emily Castillo, Texas Christian University, Angeles Rubi Castorena, University of California, Irvine and Nancy López, The University of New Mexico
Date: Saturday, August 9
Time: 12:30 PM - 2:10 PM
Budget, Finance, and Audit Committee, 2025-26
Room: Medinah Parlor
Date: Saturday, August 9
Time: 12:30 PM - 2:10 PM
Session 045: Workshop: Building Communities of Praxis: Insurgent Sociology at the Center CANCELLED
Date: Saturday, August 9
Time: 12:30 PM - 2:10 PM
Session 046: Immigration and Transnational Blackness
Room: Indiana Room
Sponsor: Transnational Initiatives Committee
Organizer, Presider &
Discussant: Jamella N. Gow, Bowdoin College
Description: This session will explore the way Blackness as a racial, political, and cultural embodiment of belonging/non-belonging becomes transnational through immigrant pathways, intergenerational cultural and familial practices, social movements, and cultural production. By centering how Blackness is understood by communities and nations in and from the Global South. This session also highlights how immigration, race, and racisms converge around Blackness to reveal past and present traces of colonialism, capitalism, and imperialism that situate nations and diasporas in the present.
Papers:
“‘We are Here, but Our Hearts are in Haiti’: Temporal and Racialized Emotive Existences of Ethnically Identified Haitian Americans,” Vadricka Etienne, University of Nevada, Reno
“Belonging Gone Foreign: Reclaiming Jamaican Citizenship in Wake of US Migration,” Marcelle Medford, Bates College
“Black Caribbean Immigrants and the Educational Legacies of Empire,” Derron Wallace, Brandeis University
“Damning the Planet: Feeding White Supremacy’s Delusion with the Blood of Blackness,” Vilna Bashi, Northwestern University
“Racialized Im/mobility and Travelling Blackness: Transnational Organizing across Black Migrant Communities,” Jamella N. Gow, Bowdoin College
Date: Saturday, August 9
Time: 12:30 PM - 2:10 PM
THEMATIC
Session 047: Reparations, Reckoning, and Regeneration from Global and Local Contexts
Room: Kimball Room
Sponsors: Community, Research, and Practice
Critical Race and Ethnic Study
Organizer, Presider &
Discussant: Sarah E. Stanlick, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Description: Reparations for traumatized communities have been long advocated for by historians, social scientists, and community activists. Yet, the realization of reparations has not yet come to pass. In the US, conversations have focused on financial reparation to descendants of racial slavery. However, from a broader and transnational perspective, reparations extend beyond financial into practices and processes that fall into 5 distinct categories as put forth by the United Nations: restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, satisfaction, and guarantees of non-repetition. At the same time, there are formal and informal bodies that have successfully implemented reparations from whom we can learn. In this session, we seek to highlight these emerging movements and practices, as well as the burgeoning research around reparations and their impact.
Papers:
“Grappling with Change in Grixdale Farms: A Community Research Partnership,” Paul J. Draus and Koby Buford, University of Michigan-Dearborn
“Holding Police Accountable in California: Citizen Complaints against Police and Challenges of Data Collection,” Alexandra Hiropoulos, California State University, Stanislaus
“Towards Intentional Racial Reconciliation: Digital Tools for Practical Dissemination and Application of Oral Histories, Archives, and Artifacts of Racial Truths in Classroom and Communities,” Florence Emily Castillo, Sanjana Chowdhury Cohn and Amiso George, Texas Christian University
Date: Saturday, August 9
Time: 12:30 PM - 2:10 PM
Session 048: PAPERS IN THE ROUND: Reproductive Autonomy, Justice, and the Law
Room: Marshfield Room
Sponsors: Health, Health Policy, and Health Services
Law and Society
Organizer: Virginia Kuulei Berndt, McDaniel College
Description: Reproductive autonomy and justice encompass the ability to have children, not have children, and to care for families and communities in safety and with dignity. This session features work on the impact of policies and law on reproductive autonomy and justice at local, national, international, and global levels.
Roundtable #1 Title: Reproductive Autonomy, Justice, and the Law
Presider & Discussant:
Virginia Kuulei Berndt, McDaniel College
Papers:
“Abortion Stigma: The Mother of All Deviance?” Darci K. Schmidgall, The University of Oklahoma
“Community Organizing: Alternatives to Assist Undocumented Communities Experience with Intimate Partner Violence,” Leticia Morales, Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work
“On Maternity Leave Policies in the United States,” Samantha (Sammie) Hailey Seymour, The George Washington University
“State of Change: Emotional, Physical, and Political Dimensions of Providing Abortion Care in Arizona After Roe,” Reagan E. Warner, Northern Arizona University
“Evaluating the Sustainability of the Delaware Contraceptive Access Now (DelCAN) Intervention: Implications for Reproductive Autonomy,” Virginia Kuulei Berndt, McDaniel College, Jamie Manzer, Access Community Health Network and Ann V. Bell, University of Delaware
Date: Saturday, August 9
Time: 12:30 PM - 2:10 PM
Session 049: WORKS IN PROGRESS: ”Bring Your Own Brilliance”: Sharing our Ideas That Have Been Successful in Teaching
Room: Marshfield Room
Sponsor: Teaching Social Problems
Organizers: Jacqueline M. Zalewski, West Chester University
Janelle M. Pham, Oglethorpe University
Description: In this session, presenters are invited to bring their most innovative and successful teaching strategies, techniques, and ideas to the floor. Participants can share insights, experiences, and best practices that have enhanced learning in their higher education classes. Presenter could showcase their unique approaches, from engaging pedagogical methods, creative use of technology, strategies for ensuring inclusivity and supporting student well-being, to writing practices to improve the class's contents. This session is an excellent opportunity to learn from each other's brilliance and build a collective resource of teaching excellence. Participants can be seasoned educators or junior scholars who desire to share their experiences.
Roundtable #1 Title: WORKS IN PROGRESS: ”Bring Your Own Brilliance”: Sharing our Ideas That Have Been Successful in Teaching
Presider & Discussant:
Jacqueline M. Zalewski, West Chester University
Papers:
“A Process-oriented Approach to Teaching Critical Thinking in Sociological Criminology,” Jacqueline Johnson, Adelphi University
“AI Challenges: Artificial Intelligence vs. Authentic Insights,” Ronald E. Bulanda, Miami University
“The Perfect is the Enemy of the Good: The Enduring Value of Textbooks,” Ira Silver, Framingham State University
“The Power of Storytelling: A Creative Tool for Faculty, Scholars, and Students in Navigating Academia,” Meghna Bhat, Independent Scholar and Consultant
“Upending Virtual Learning Spaces: Community Engagement, Critical Consciousness, and Project-based Learning in Online Social Problems Classes,” Sara Sutler-Cohen, Independent Scholar
Date: Saturday, August 9
Time: 12:30 PM - 2:10 PM
Session 050: Racial Disparities in CJ/CL System
Room: Buckingham Room
Sponsors: Crime and Justice
Sociology, Social Work, and Social Welfare
Organizer, Presider &
Discussant: Christopher Dum, Kent State University
Description: This session examines issues of racial disparities in the criminal justice and criminal legal system.
Papers:
“‘The Way This System Is’: Exploring the Sources of Racial Disparities in Drug Courts in Ohio,” Additti Munshi, Tasha Perdue, Lydia Applin, Dexter Ridgway, Krystel Tossone and Alex Fraga, The Ohio State University and Sadé Lindsay, Cornell University
“Black Women’s Experiences with State Violence: An Analysis of Complaints against Police,” Miltonette Olivia Craig, Sam Houston State University
“Race, Racism, and Racial Systems: Assessing the Cost of the Cradle to Prison Pipeline,” Rodney D. Coates, Miami University
“Racial Alienation and the U.S Carceral State: A Structural Public Health Critique,” Redha Qabazard, Columbia University
“The Unresolved Blind Spot: Barriers to Policing Gender-based Violence in South African Immigrant Population,” Emeka E. Obioha, Walter Sisulu University
Date: Saturday, August 9
Time: 12:30 PM - 2:10 PM
THEMATIC
Session 051: Insurgent Sociological Theory
Room: Grant Park Parlor
Sponsor: Social Problems Theory
Organizer &
Presider: Joshua H. Stout, Illinois State University
Discussant: David C. Lane, Illinois State University
Description: This session explores how theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches can challenge the status quo and provide avenues for generating social change, emphasizing critical theory, constructionist frameworks, and their application.
Papers:
“A Categorical Problem: How Rigid Classifications Lead Us Astray in Defining and Responding to Social Problems,” Brian Monahan and Dale Sheptak, Baldwin Wallace University
“Beyond Public Sociology: Navigating Tensions between Theory Building and Epistemic Justice,” Molly Clark-Barol, University of Wisconsin-Madison
“Collective Somnambulism and Fascinated Receptivity in the Insurgent Sociology of C. Wright Mills,” Stephen Pfohl, Boston College
“Measuring Carcerality in an Increasingly Datafied World,” Amelia Roskin-Frazee and Christine Head, University of California, Irvine
“The Latent Social Structure of a Narrative of Success: The Father of the Year,” Keith R. Johnson, Retired Scholar
Date: Saturday, August 9
Time: 12:30 PM - 2:10 PM
Session 052: Engaged Sociology and Activism: Crisis Narratives, Lived Experiences and Poverty Abolition
Room: Spire Parlor
Sponsor: Poverty, Class, and Inequality
Organizers: Sara Maani, University of Milan-Bicocca
Tracy L. Vargas, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
Presider &
Discussant: Tracy L. Vargas, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
Description: This session critically examines the narratives constructed around crisis, focusing on their impact on our understanding of poverty, class, and inequality. Welcoming scholars, activists, and practitioners, it explores the everyday experiences of poverty, particularly housing struggles, the relationship between work and poverty, and the geographic dimensions of inequality. The session also highlights the work of poverty abolitionists, offering insights from grassroots movements and activist efforts aimed at dismantling the structural roots of economic injustice. Through these discussions, participants aim to challenge dominant crisis narratives and engage in a dialogue that bridges sociological theory and activism, fostering new approaches to eradicating poverty.
Papers:
“Dollar Store Crises, Class Inequality, and Grassroots Groups Challenging Corporate,” Tracy L. Vargas, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
“How Americans Evaluate Fairness in the Housing Market: An Experimental Approach,” Angela He, Stanford University
“Urban Development Induced Displacement in the Case of Addis Ababa City Administration Corridor and River Front Development,” Piniel T. Tessema, Fayyaa Integrated Development Organization
“Why Incarceration?” Stephanie Southworth and Sara Brallier, Coastal Carolina University
“Why So Angry: Understanding Resentment among Majority Populations,” Jeffry Will, University of North Florida Center for Community Initiatives
Date: Saturday, August 9
Time: 2:30 PM - 4:10 PM
THEMATIC
Session 053: CRITICAL DIALOGUE: Right to Resist I - Insurgent Counter-Hegemony and Agency of the Unapologetic, Emancipatory, Revolutionary, and Transformative Kinds
Room: Crystal Room
Sponsors: Conflict, Social Action, and Change
Critical Race and Ethnic Study
Organizers: Watoii Rabii, Oakland University
C. Michael Awsumb, Northwest Missouri State University
Presider/Discussant: Watoii Rabii, Oakland University
Description: The first of two sessions exploring themes around the framing of resistance, particularly the notion resistance should be orderly and easily ignored. This session interrogates the political and symbolic struggles against state, institutional and interpersonal violence, like racism, war, genocide, structural violence and the implicit demand that those who are oppressed suffer quietly and gratefully. The session concept is engaging the question of who gets to determine the “right” or “acceptable” way to resist your oppressor?
Papers:
“Gender as a Determinant of Political and Symbolic Struggles against the State: Findings from the U.S. Capitol Riots Project,” Stephen J. Morewitz, San Jose State University; Forensic Social Sciences Association
“‘Women’s Rights are under Attack’: The Discursive Role of Abortion and Reproductive Freedom in Democrat Electoral Politics,” Saphronia Carson, Emory University and Shannon K. Carter, University of Central Florida
“‘I Felt the Power of Everyone There and a New Strength to Take on the World’s Challenges’: Emotionality Of Black Mages during Black Lives Matter Protests and Women’s March Protests,” Jalia L. Joseph, James Madison University
“Black Gun Ownership: Does Perceived Racial Threat Affect Black Americans’ Gun Ownership?” Amber K. Burrell, University of Washington
“Girls with Guns,” Adriana Leela Bohm, Delaware County Community College
“Discipline, Disparities, and Regions: Analyzing Racial Inequities in U.S. School Expulsions,” Tanjida Islam and Syeda Erena Alam Dola, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
“Dispossession and Indigenous Resistance in Chicago,” Peter Kent-Stoll, University of Massachusetts Amherst
“State Violence, Colonialism, and the Control of Narrative: War, Resistance, and Terrorism in Palestine,” Isabella Markendorf Marins, Universidade Federal Fluminense
Date: Saturday, August 9
Time: 2:30 PM - 4:10 PM
THEMATIC
Session 054: Pushed to the Brink: Insurgencies, Emergency Responses, Societal Neglect and Vulnerability of People with Disabilities
Room: Indiana Room
Sponsor: Disability, Mental Wellness, and Social Justice
Organizer, Presider &
Discussant: Muhammed Faisol Olaitan, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology
Description: In the world of insurgencies where opportunities and safety have become a nightmare, people with disabilities are often encountered and confounded with multiple victimizations and jeopardies. They are bedeviled with the tragedy of contemporary realities and particularly susceptible to vulnerabilities as they are exposed to different kinds of realities during insurgencies. They are faced with difficulties in accessing necessary social protections despite efforts to live dignified lives. They remain invisible and not given priority in the state emergency responses. They, therefore, find themselves grappling with unimagined hardships, voice muted, and have been pushed to and/or left at the fringes of society.
Papers:
“A Voice to the Voiceless Refugees with Disabilities and Language Divide in Terms of Accessing Braille and Rohingya-friendly Sign Language through an Inclusive Justice System,” Natasha Israt Kabir, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
“The Impact of Urban Development on People with Disabilities: The Case of Corridor Development in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,” Liku Menberu Ferede, Fayyaa Integrated Development Organization
“Toward Disaster Justice: Centering Disability in Disaster Response Planning,” Rachel Springer, Portland State University
“Victimization Experiences and Coping Strategies of Women with Disabilities in Lagos State,” Muhammed Faisol Olaitan, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology
“Women with Disabilities as ‘Abirun’: Their Exclusion from the Social and Financial Protection in COVID-19 Pandemic Emergency Responses in Lagos, Nigeria,” Muhammed Faisol Olaitan, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology
Date: Saturday, August 9
Time: 2:30 PM - 4:10 PM
THEMATIC
Session 055: Regulating Risk: Law, Crime, and Social Control in Uncertain Times
Room: Kimball Room
Sponsor: Law and Society
Organizer: Michael Branch, Hartwick College
Presider &
Discussant: To Be Determined, TBD
Description: This thematic session critically examines how legal systems define and regulate crime, risk, and social belonging. Panelists in this session will explore the complexities of these systems, along with strategies for navigating and resisting these systems. In particular, panelists will focus on the politics of illegality, the criminalization of survival strategies, and the transformation of debt and surveillance.
Papers:
“Faulty Measures and Failed Promises: Crime, Risky Behavior, and Body Modifications.,” David C. Lane, Illinois State University and Whitney DeCamp, Western Michigan University
“Meanings of Illegality: Everyday Durkheimian Approach to the Politics of Lawbreaking and Group Construction,” Jesse Yeh, Northwestern University
“Oklahoma Foragers and the Commons: Is Food Access a Right or a Privilege?” Olivia M. Fleming, Transylvania University and Tamara L. Mix, Oklahoma State University
“Parasites of Predation: When Bankruptcy Turns Debts into Assets,” Kasey Henricks, University of Illinois Chicago, Ruben Ortiz, Acacia Center for Justice and Nicole Sroka, University of Illinois Chicago
“Recognizing ‘Camera Cues’: Policing, Cellphones, and Citizen Countersurveillance,” Brandon Alston, The Ohio State University
Date: Saturday, August 9
Time: 2:30 PM - 4:10 PM
Session 056: CRITICAL DIALOGUE: Precarity, Contingency, and Non-Standard Relations of Labor
Room: Wilson Room
Sponsor: Labor Studies
Organizers: Seth Kahn, West Chester University
Jacqueline M. Zalewski, West Chester University
Presider/Discussant: Jacqueline M. Zalewski, West Chester University
Description: Six short discussion-starters in this session raise issues of precarious and/or contingent relations of labor across a variety of workplaces and locations. Presenters each describe a different problem emerging from a different non-standard employment situation. Taken together the presenters raise issues ranging from ambiguous understandings of professionalism to class construction in unemployment claims to consequences of remote work for workers, and more. Each presenter will speak for 6-7 minutes, with plenty of time for participants to draw and/or challenge connections.
Papers:
“Career Advising for Non-standard Employment,” Jacqueline M. Zalewski, West Chester University and Lauren M. Donovan, Delaware County Community College
“Checked Out: Coping and Cashiering in Retail Grocery Work,” Katherine L. Mott, Syracuse University
“Job Loss and Unemployment Relief in Precarious Times: The Foundational Role of Legal Status in Producing Inequality,” Ewa Protasiuk, Temple University, Winner of the Poverty, Class, and Inequality Division’s Student Paper Competition
“Navigating the Future of Work and Societies: The Role of AI in Shaping Job Market Dynamics Globally,” Waris Ahmad Faizi, Virginia Tech Graduate School
“On Contingency and Professionalism in U.S. Higher Ed: Why So Many Calls to ‘Save the Profession’ Don’t Work and What Might Work Better,” Seth Kahn, West Chester University
“Stagnation Anxiety: The Hidden Costs of Security in a Culture of Enterprise,” Sejin Um, New York University
Date: Saturday, August 9
Time: 2:30 PM - 4:10 PM
THEMATIC
Session 057: Issues in Caretaking and Care Work
Room: Buckingham Room
Sponsors: Family, Aging, and Youth
Sociology, Social Work, and Social Welfare
Organizer, Presider &
Discussant: Ami MH Frost, The University of Oklahoma
Description: This session is focused on the multiple caregiving crises that are currently occurring, different responses to them, as well as evaluations of their success. Qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods research or evaluation-related abstracts are welcome. They may pertain to paid or unpaid care to recipients of any age or condition (e.g., eldercare, childcare, care for people with disabilities, injuries, or chronic conditions).
Papers:
“Women’s Oppressed Reproductive Labor and Marxist Feminism’s Solutions: Challenges to Achieving Gender Equity,” Ziding Shen, University of Georgia
“Housewives’ Invisible Contributions and Labor: The Caregiving Crisis Embedded in Domestic Work,” Biyang Chen, The George Washington University
“Working Together for the Kids: Egalitarianism, Maternal Employment, and Adolescent Life Satisfaction,” Ami MH Frost, The University of Oklahoma
“Balancing Public and Private Care: An Analysis of Taiwan’s Long-term Care Legal Framework,” Bi-Chu Tsai, University of Tokyo Faculty of Law and Graduate Schools for Law and Politics
“Bipartisanship amid Polarization? The Curious Case of Elder Care in Connecticut,” John O'Connor and Christina Barmon, Central Connecticut State University
Date: Saturday, August 9
Time: 2:30 PM - 4:10 PM
Session 058: Teaching about Conflict and Inequalities in Challenging Times
Room: Chicago Room
Sponsors: Crime and Justice
Poverty, Class, and Inequality
Teaching Social Problems
Organizers: Stephani Williams, Northern Arizona University
Kasey Ragan, St. Edward's University
Jessica S. Pearce, University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Presider &
Discussant: Jessica S. Pearce, University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Description: This session explores the various issues related to teaching, pedagogy, and student engagement and learning outcomes whether teaching difficult topics or just given the challenging times that we live in.
Papers:
“Critical Pedagogies and Transformative Possibilities for the Insurgent Sociologist,” Melissa Luong, Madeleine Lewis, Ellen Parks, Shayda Azamian, Megan McCormick and Hannah Morris, Vanderbilt University
“Empowering Agents of Change: Student-Led Research and Practical Experience Courses for Teaching Social Change,” Carlos N. Chapman II and Junior R. Hopwood, Grambling State University
“Exploring Strategies for Successful Classroom Engagement,” Stephani Williams, Northern Arizona University
“Realizing the Promise,” Angela E. Fillingim, San Francisco State University and Casey Tokia, Arizona State University
“Violent Crime of New Orleans Youth,” Lindsey G. Grace, Southeastern Louisiana University
Date: Saturday, August 9
Time: 2:30 PM - 4:10 PM
Session 059: Workshop: The Insurgency will not be De-Radicalized: Resisting Counterinsurgent Forces Inside and Outside the University
Room: Grant Park Parlor
Sponsor: Program Committee
Organizer &
Presider: Rahsaan H. Mahadeo, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Discussant: David Stovall, University of Illinois Chicago
Description: This workshop is designed to help participants identify counterinsurgent threats to radical political thought and praxis. Electoral politics, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (D.E.I.) regimes, liberal anti-racisms, and even subfields like Critical Race Theory are complicit in suppressing radical action aimed at bringing about transformative change. Similarly, public intellectualism/scholarship, including public sociology, represent a key threat to radical thought and praxis in the university. What many of these intellectual movements have in common is the capacity to distract, dilute, and dismiss. This workshop will center those with experience negotiating counterinsurgent pressures (e.g., political, financial) alongside insurgent impulses. Together, we will discuss ways to maintain principled positions and resist the urge towards concessions under the guise of “compromise.”
Panelists:
Andy Clarno, University of Illinois Chicago
Xanat Sobrevilla, Organized Communities Against Deportations (OCAD)
Chez Rumpf, Love and Protect
Ryan Oto, University of Minnesota
Date: Saturday, August 9
Time: 2:30 PM - 4:10 PM
Session 060: We All Play: Unequal Recognition of Human in Sport and Leisure
Room: Spire Parlor
Sponsor: Sport, Leisure, and the Body
Organizer &
Presider: Michael O. Johnston, William Penn University
Description: Social play refers to human behavior and interactions that occur in everyday life. It may be relaxed and spontaneous, planned, or compulsive. Playful activities are self-chosen, self-directed, and intrinsically motivated. All bodies are able to engage in play. This includes bodies of all abilities, ages, ethnicities, genders, race, mental health, and so on. The act of play occurs for its own sake and may involve social play, symbolic play, parallel play, cooperative play, or collaborative play.
Papers:
“A Forgotten History: The Social Construction of Place and Identity in Two Historical Districts,” Michael O. Johnston, William Penn University
“Constructing Space: Adolescents Growing up in the Redlight Areas of Kolkata,” Anuneeta Chatterjee, University of Calgary
“Kayfabe Kisses on the Padded Turnbuckle: Racialized Trans Feminine Professional Wrestlers,” Daniel Uy, University of Toronto, Winner of the Sport, Leisure, and the Body Division’s Student Paper Competition
“Policy and Politics: How Equity and Title IX Is Shaped by Rhetoric,” Karolina Staros, Dominican University
“The Proliferation of Driver’s License Suspensions in North Carolina,” Kevin Dahaghi, Rutgers University
“Localization of Sex Testing: Transnational Knowledge Production of Sex,” Jinsun Yang, University of Oregon
Date: Saturday, August 9
Time: 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM
PLENARY
Session 061: Presidential Address
Room: Monroe Room
Sponsor: Program Committee
Introduction: Barbara Ransby, John D. MacArthur Chair and Distinguished Professor, University of Illinois Chicago
Presidential Address: Title: Insurgent Sociology: Toward Emancipatory Theory and Action under Racial Capitalism
Rose M. Brewer, University of Minnesota
Date: Saturday, August 9
Time: 5:45 PM - 7:00 PM
PLENARY
Session 062: Awards Ceremony
Room: Monroe Room
Sponsor: Program Committee
Facilitator: Rose M. Brewer, University of Minnesota
AWARDS TO BE PRESENTED
• SSSP Division Awards: Winners of the Student Paper Competitions
• Arlene Kaplan Daniels Paper Award
• Beth B. Hess Memorial Scholarship
• C. Wright Mills Award
• Doris Wilkinson Faculty Leadership Award
• Indigenous Peoples’ Social Justice Award
• Joseph B. Gittler Award
• Kathleen S. Lowney Mentoring Award
• Lee Founders Award
• Racial/Ethnic Minority Graduate Fellowship
• Thomas C. Hood Social Action Award
Date: Saturday, August 9
Time: 7:15 PM - 8:15 PM
Division-Sponsored Reception
Room: Chicago/Price Rooms
