Preconferences
Preconferences provide an opportunity for disciplinary peers to gather for an extended period to discuss their work related to a particular field of study, theory, perspective, question, controversy, or professional context. All preconferences are scheduled for Thursday, August 17. Registration is required.
Department Leaders Preconference
8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Registration Fee: $150 Department Affiliate/$180 Non-Affiliate includes refreshments
Session Organizer: Jeannie Haubert, American Sociological Association
Learn and share with other department chairs and directors of graduate and undergraduate studies as we tackle topics related to workload and productivity. The great resignation is impacting higher education as many faculty disengage and begin to burn out, and in these precarious budgetary times, lost lines may not be replaced making faculty retention all the more important. Graduate programs will also have to be intentional about retaining graduate students as many rethink their career paths and choices and demand a structural focus on their well-being. Department chairs and Directors are also likely to have been struggling themselves with feeling overworked, overwhelmed, or overcommitted; thus, it is everyone’s interest to work toward a more sustainable model. View full agenda.
Group Processes Preconference
8:00 a.m. – 4:45 p.m.
Registration Fee: $10 Students/$30 Faculty and Others
Session Organizers: Cecilia L. Ridgeway, Stanford University; Chelsea Rae Kelly, The Catholic University of America; John Skvoretz, University of South Florida; Yujia Lyu, University of Iowa; Tenshi Kawashima, University of Georgia
Group Processes is a long standing field of sociological social psychology that focuses on how people interact in groups, how such interactions are shaped by identities and cultural meanings, and give rise to emergent status hierarchies and other local structures that shape people’s outcomes in consequential institutional contexts such as schools and the workplace. At this preconference, researchers, students, and others interested in Group Processes will meet to share new theoretical and methodological developments in the field and present new work with the expectation of an engaged discussion. The goal is to encourage informed dialogue among perspectives and researchers and expose newcomers to the cutting edge of the field. The preconference is open to all interested in Group Processes.
This year, in conjunction with the theme of the 2023 ASA meeting, a special session of the preconference will be devoted to “Group Processes Research and the Educative Power of Sociology.” This session highlights presentations that apply group processes research to solve real world problems dealing with racial, gender, class, and sexual inequalities as well as problems of justice, trust, and cohesion within and between groups. Other sessions of the preconference highlight new developments in identity, emotion and culture in group processes as well as status processes and inequality. The preconference will include formal presentations, flash talks, and roundtable discussions. See the Group Processes website for more details.
The Social Transformation of the Sociology of Health Professions Education
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Registration Fee: $5
Session Organizers: Alexandra Vinson, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor; Kelly Underman, Drexel University; Lauren D. Olsen, Temple University; Tania M. Jenkins, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
Since the 1950s, the sociology of medical education has been an important part of medical sociology and sociology of professions, but the field’s limited focus on medical training and work has always incompletely reflected broader training and work processes in healthcare. In recent decades, the subfield has experienced a resurgence (Jenkins, Underman et al. 2021, Vinson 2021) and as part of that resurgence, the field’s focus has widened to include the sociological study of health professions more broadly. To both recognize and foster the recent expansion of the field, this ASA Preconference will create intentional cross- pollination between sociologists working in sociology, healthcare, and health professions education (HPE) settings.
In alignment with the theme of the 2023 Annual Meeting, this Preconference will illuminate and encourage the educative power of sociology of health professions education within—and beyond—the academy. Combining keynotes from leaders in the field, themed panels creating conversation around key topics in the field, and structured networking to foster connections among participants, colleagues working across sociology and healthcare will convene to celebrate the arrival of a new sociology of health professions education. View full agenda.
Sociology–Now More than Ever
9:00 a.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Registration Fee: $10 Students/$20 Faculty and Others
Session Organizers: Sarah Hoiland, CUNY Hostos Community College; Myron T. Strong, Community College of Baltimore County; Natascia Boeri, Bloomfield College; Michel Estefan, University of California-San Diego; Jordan Brown, University of Kentucky; Benjamin Gallati, Indiana University, Bloomington; Allana Gillis, St. Lawrence University; Stacey Livingstone, University of California, San Diego; Matthew McLeskey, State University of New York, Oswego; Brandon Moore, California State University, San Marcos; Sara Mason, University of North Georgia; Taryn Wield, Ball State University
Batool Zaidi, Western Washington University; Elizabeth Ziff, University of Indianapolis
Drawing on this year’s conference theme of “The Educative Power of Sociology,” the Section on Teaching and Learning’s Preconference Workshop explores the relevance of sociology to majors, non-majors, students taking sociology in a variety of institutional contexts, and to instructors themselves.
The goals of the preconference are to 1) engage deeply with the annual meeting theme through a pedagogical lens, 2) build community and network as colleagues passionate about teaching and learning, 3) provide concrete pedagogical takeaways with particular emphasis on graduate students and/or new faculty, 4) model principles of universal design, and 5) to engage and challenge participants to consider ways in which we can share pedagogy throughout the year.
The all-day preconference will include a keynote address, workshops, roundtables, structured networking opportunities, a book talk, and a session about the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) in ASA. View full agenda.
Self, Society Symposium
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Registration Fee: $5
Session Organizers: Lauren Langman, Loyola University-Chicago; Jeremiah Morelock, Boston College
For perhaps about the last 15 years, a small group of sociologists, and scholars from other disciplines such as philosophy, political science, and even humanities, have gathered together to share their ideas and latest research concerning the relationships of subjectivity broadly considered, and social order and social process. Many of these discussions represent the current generation of the Frankfurt School of Critical Theory, that emerged in the late 1920s to develop multilevel, interdisciplinary, dialectical approach to theory and research rooted in political economy/material conditions that were central to Marx, the rationality of modern society that informed Weber and the concerns with selfhood, subjectivity, and our identity rooted in the psychoanalytic theories of Freud. For sociologists, one of the primary legacies of this tradition began with the attempt to understand the rise of German fascism and the appeal of Adolf Hitler. One of the major contributions of this early period, has been the importance of authoritarianism as both an aspect of character and identity that, at times of social crises, and genders fear anxiety and anger that disposes people to embrace authoritarian ideologies, leaders, and movements. Moreover, there were among the first scholars to systematically study the political impact of mass media. Although the foundations of this approach largely began in the 30s and the 40s, many of their insights continue to inform a wide range of scholars attempting to understand the present times. For example, there have been thousands of studies of authoritarianism which has been clearly evident in the many movements of the right wing, arbitrarily beginning with the militia movements of the late 90s, the rise of the Tea Party and in the recent presidential elections, authoritarianism had more predictive power of voting for Trump that did the usual demographic factors of education, occupational status or even region. In the last few years, we have seen the establishment of a North American Erich Fromm Society and the International Herbert Marcuse Organization.
Given the enduring and growing concerns of this tradition, especially in light of current social conditions and political realities, broadly understood, this preconference attempts to bring together scholars whose work represents the cutting edges of these traditions. This year, 2023, it is an interesting coincidence that some of the larger concerns regarding the very future of American democracy will be taking place footsteps away from Independence Hall were American democracy began. For more information contact Lauren Langman at [email protected] or Jeremiah Morelock at [email protected]. View full agenda.
Research-Informed Community Empowerment Approaches in Race-Class Subjugated Communities
12:30 – 5:00 p.m.
Registration Fee: $5
Session Organizer: Sarah K. Bruch, University of Delaware
In the Annual Meeting theme for ASA 2023, President-Elect Prudence Carter invites practice comStatmunities of sociologists to engage in innovative and imaginative discussions that take us beyond the extant (and limited) nature of research evidence to conceptualize, simulate, and debate models of deeper social advancement in organizations, institutions, and society. This pre-conference seeks to engage in generative conversation about the connections between models of social advancement and research approaches that center the experiences and perspectives of people navigating race-class subjugated (RCS) communities (Soss and Weaver 2017). In particular, we focus on the connections between models of community empowerment and participatory, collaborative, and interpretive research approaches among young people and street-identified Black men and women living in two RCS communities with inglorious histories of racial subjugation, segregation, and divestment (Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware).
The purpose of the pre-conference is to identify the unique insights from ongoing research projects using different research approaches and methods to interrogate what we can learn to more transformatively address the crises of civic and political marginalization broadly, and police and gun violence specifically. The pre-conference will include formal presentations from each research team describing the connection between research methodology and community empowerment describing how the research approach influences each element of the project, and the study findings. In addition to gaining understanding of the promises and challenges inherent in these types of projects, the goal of the pre-conference is to engage in dialogue about what can be gained by looking across these different studies and approaches to inform local community empowerment. View full agenda.
New Directions in the Sociology of Antisemitism: Theoretical, Empirical, Pedagogical, and Practical (Organized by the American Jewish Year Book, the Association for the Social Scientific Study of Jewry, and the Berman Jewish DataBank)
1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Registration Fee: $5
Session Organizers: Chad Alan Goldberg, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Arnold Dashefsky, University of Connecticut
Following our first preconference on the sociology of antisemitism in August 2019, which was attended by about 35 colleagues and led to the creation of a network of about 75, we are organizing for the first time following the Covid pandemic a second such preconference. At the time of the first preconference four years ago, memories were fresh of the chant, “Jews will not replace us,” at the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, VA, in August 2017, and the mass murders at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA, in 2018. Now, memories are fresh of the hostage taking at the Texas synagogue in Colleyville, Texas in January 2022, and the mass shooting at the supermarket in Buffalo, NY, in May 2022 that killed ten Americans. (Although the victims were nearly all Black, the shooter’s manifesto promoted the “Great Replacement Theory” and called for the killing of Jews, showing the linkage between antisemitism and anti-Black racism.) The continuing manifestations of antisemitism suggest that it may not be easily dismissed as a latent phenomenon in the US that warrants only minimal scrutiny by social scientists.
In the 2023 preconference, we will assemble colleagues to address the 1) theoretical, 2) empirical, 3) pedagogical, and 4) practical directions for advancing the sociology of antisemitism. The preconference will feature two 90-minute sessions. The first session will be devoted to paper presentations followed by a Q&A and discussion. A second session, which will be organized as a guided roundtable, will examine the implications for future research, pedagogy, and practice in order to advance the study and utility of the sociology of antisemitism. The moderator will initiate a series of leading questions to stimulate an in-depth discussion of these issues. Participants in the preconference will gain a better understanding of the sociology of antisemitism, which expands on the theme of the annual meeting: “The Educative Power of Sociology.”
Courses
Courses are half- or full-day opportunities for sociologists to gain new skills and knowledge. Topics and content should reflect the training sociologists need and seek. All courses are scheduled for Thursday, August 17. Registration is required.
Application of Factor Mixture Model in Sociological Research
1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Registration Fee: $5
Session Organizer: Lujie Peng, University of Maryland, Baltimore
The factor mixture model (FMM) uses a hybrid of both confirmatory factor analysis and latent class analysis techniques, assuming the existence of both categorical and continuous latent variables in the population. The FMM is especially relevant to sociological research, since it assumes the possibility of the underlying latent structure of traits being simultaneously categorical and dimensional, especially when there is limited theoretical support. Given the lack of studies based on FMM in sociology, this course will discuss the steps in building an FMM, strategies for model comparison, and reporting guidelines based on real data.
Objectives. Upon completion of the workshop, participants will be able to: recognize how factor mixture model is relevant to confirmatory factor analysis and latent class analysis methods; demonstrate understanding of the steps of model building and comparison strategy for factor mixture models; and use Mplus to perform factor mixture models and evaluate the fit.
Content. Based on the pedagogical techniques of learning-science-by-doing-science and problem-based learning, this workshop aims to address the following content: summary of the strategies and assumptions of factor mixture model; a concise and systematic set of procedures to establish factor mixture models; application of factor mixture model in sociological research using a problem example based on real data; a step-by-step demonstration of evaluation, interpretation, and visualization of model fit using Mplus; and how to draw inferences and conclusions.
This course will encourage questions and comments throughout, and the pedagogical approach will exploit figures and illustrations to facilitate interpretation. All participants will receive a paper and/or electronic copy of a handout detailing the workshop content including slides, syntax, best practices, and a list of relevant resources. View full agenda.
SOLD OUT – Introduction to Intersectionality in Practice: Lens and Pedagogy
1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Registration Fee: $5
Session Organizer: Abby L. Ferber, University of Colorado-Colorado Springs; Andrea Herrera, University of Colorado Colorado Springs
New to the concept of intersectionality? Interested in exploring how it applies to your teaching and research? Committed to increasing student engagement and building a more inclusive course climate? Intersectionality has become an important framework in sociology, especially for those who research and teach about race, class, gender, sexuality, class, disability and inequity. For many, however, it may not be clear how it applies to the subject matter they teach; while for others, intersectionality may be introduced in a unit, as one among many theories or concepts. In this interactive introductory/refresher workshop we will explore intersectionality as both a lens and practice that applies to all subjects.
Infusing intersectionality throughout a course opens opportunities for all students to see themselves represented and feel seen. When students see the relevance of course subject matter to their own lives, they are more engaged, and retention increases. Intersectional practice is also key to increasing cultural responsiveness among educators and students alike. We will examine the basics of applied intersectional pedagogy, and specific tools that can be immediately implemented in the classroom.
Causal Inference with Observational Data
1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Registration Fee: $5
Session Organizer: Joerg Luedicke, StataCorp
Estimating treatment effects when the data are observational rather than experimental presents a challenge in many social sciences. This course provides an introduction into the problems of causal inference that arise in the context of observational data, and presents an overview of statistical methods and techniques to overcome these challenges. Commonly used techniques for estimating treatment effects such as regression adjustment, inverse-probability weighting, and propensity-score matching will be discussed. In addition, we will also present techniques for performing model checking and model selection. We will present a number of hands-on examples that demonstrate how to perform causal inference and treatment effect estimation. The examples are shown using the statistical software package Stata, but no prior knowledge of Stata is required. Attendees should be familiar with basic statistical methods and techniques such as regression modeling.
SOLD OUT – Introductory Network Analysis
2:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Registration Fee: $5
Session Organizer: Weihua An, Emory University
By shifting the research focus from individual units (e.g., people, organizations, or objects like words or concepts) to their connections network analysis brings both theoretical and methodological innovations. Interest in network analysis has EXPLODED especially recently, due to new advances in statistical modeling and the rapid growth of network data. This course introduces the basic methods for collecting and analyzing network data. Selected topics include survey designs, data collection and representation, network plots, measures of individual centrality (indegree, outdegree, betweenness, and eigenvector centrality), measures at the dyadic level (reciprocity, geodistance, and geopath), at the group level (cliques and components), and at the network level (density, centralization, and transitivity), and how these measures may be used as outcomes or predictors in regression analysis. Case studies and R code will be provided. Trainees will learn hands-on skills to conduct their own research. This course requires no prior knowledge of network analysis, except basic knowledge of R and logistic regression. The course will also provide directions for studying more advanced topics such as randomization test, the exponential random graph model for modeling network formation, meta network analysis, causal network analysis, dynamic network analysis, and social network-based interventions. weihuaan.net.
