1st Annual Public Sociology Conf deadline

Sunday, May 15, 2011 1:00 PM EDT
TBA

Public sociology is an approach to the discipline that transcends the academy and engages
wider audiences. It is not aligned with any particular theory, method, or subject. Rather, it
leverages the tools and topics of professional sociology while reaching beyond the audience of
professional sociologists, taking into consideration the perspectives, frameworks, and struggles
of diverse publics without diluting rigor or content.

This conference seeks varied submissions on sociological topics, including but not limited to
age, race, gender, class, sexualities, work, communication and media, education, families,
organizations, institutions, collective behavior, social justice, human rights, and political,
economic, and civil societies.

In addition to an abstract, submitters should include a reflexive statement describing how their
papers engage with public sociology. Possible forms of reflexive statements include:
• How research findings inform public debates, including proposed or implemented
policies, media narratives, and social problems.
• How concepts or findings might be used to empower affected groups and promote more
equitable social relations.
• How concepts or findings might be made accessible to more diverse publics in a manner
that takes into account their languages, cultural practices, and perspectives.
• How papers relate to authors’ personal commitments to one or more subject matters
therein, including political or activist causes.

Abstracts and reflexive statements of no more than 500 words each and a current CV
should be sent to gmusocgrads@gmail.com with “Conference Proposal” in the subject
line by May 15, 2011. Please include the title, presenter’s name, institutional
affiliation, contact information, A/V requests, and any special needs required.
Abstracts and statements should be sent as Word documents (.doc).
Sponsored by the Graduate Student Sociological Association, Public Sociology Association, and
Department of Sociology and Anthropology at George Mason University. GMU is located just
outside of Washington, DC in Fairfax, VA. This conference is the first in an attempt to allow
graduate students to engage their research in ways that move beyond the standard academic
setting. For more information, visit the conference website.

Hosted by Graduate Student Sociological Association, Public Sociology Association, and Department of Sociology and Anthropology at George Mason University.