- Professional Development Opportunities
- ASA on the Issues: Letter Supporting LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act
- A Resource You Can Use: Careers for Sociologists in Practice Settings Video Series
- TRAILS: Access Resources on Topical Themes for Course Development
Professional Development Opportunities
Student Members: Join ASA Presidents for a Virtual Discussion September 2
ASA has organized for its student members a special conversation with Prudence Carter, 2022-23 ASA President; Joya Misra, 2023-24 President; and Cecilia Menjívar, 2021-2022 President. The virtual event will be held September 2 at noon, and the three Presidents will share professional development advice and offer personal stories about how ASA membership has enriched their lives and careers. Register by August 31. You must be a current member to attend, so please ensure your membership has been renewed. Please share the event details with your friends.
Professional Development Videos and Webinars. ASA’s professional development videos and webinars, tailored specifically to sociologists, are a valuable starting point for members to learn about how to approach challenges and enrich their professional life at every career stage. The videos and webinars include a variety of topics such as careers for sociologists in practice settings; academic publishing; writing for clarity and impact; promoting the inclusion and empowerment of sociologists at HBCUs and HSIs, and more. Click here to access the entire suite; you will need to log in. Here are a few examples of recordings that might be of particular interest this summer:
- “Making the Most of the ASA Annual Meeting.” With the ASA 117th Annual Meeting fast approaching, hear Jessica Calarco (University of Indiana); James McKeever (Los Angeles Pierce College); Michael Rosino (University of Connecticut); and Mercedes Rubio (National Institutes of Health) discuss how to make the most of the Annual Meeting, particularly if you are a first-time attendee.
- “Funding Your Future: How to Get Grants for Sociology Research.” Do your summer plans include grant writing? The grant-seeking process can be overwhelming and time-consuming. Knowing which grants are available and which are best for your research are just two of the obstacles that prevent researchers from successfully obtaining funding. In this webinar, Juan Battle (City University of New York Graduate Center) shares his experiences securing a variety of national grants, overviews the basics of grant-seeking, and provides successful grant-seeking strategies.
- “Can Sociologists be Good Writers? Writing for Clarity and Impact.” Are you planning to spend some of your summer writing? Outside of the classroom or the conference site, sociologists mostly communicate ideas through writing. Yet, as readers, we have all encountered less-than-friendly sociological texts. And sociology graduate students’ professional training often does not focus on learning to write clear and compelling texts for a variety of audiences. Maxine Craig (University of California-Davis); Crystal M. Fleming (Stony Brook University); James M. Jasper (City University of New York Graduate Center); and Nancy Wang Yuen (Biola University)—all acclaimed sociologists who take writing seriously—discuss their definitions of good writing, the reasons that sociologists tend not to see themselves as writers, and how to improve writing.
ASA on the Issues: Letter Supporting LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act
ASA takes public positions on issues related to policy for which there is consensus in the sociological literature or related to matters concerning the well-being of the discipline and profession. Recently, we published a letter to Congressional leadership in support of the LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act. You can read about all our advocacy efforts here.
A Resource You Can Use: Careers for Sociologists in Practice Settings Video Series
ASA offer two video series focusing on careers for sociologists in practice settings. Click links to access the videos. You must be logged in to view them.
- Careers for Sociologists in Practice Settings. Featuring sociologists who work in government, industry, and non-profit organizations, the 9-part series provides knowledge and advice about how to search for jobs in practice settings, apply for these jobs, navigate the hiring process, and understand workplace culture. Lots of practical information is included, such as how to convert a CV into a resume, how to prepare for a job interview, and how to negotiate a compensation package.
- Careers in Practice Settings: Personal Narratives. Interested in learning more about pursuing a career in practice settings? Listen to personal narratives from sociologists working outside of academia who describe their professional experiences and career trajectories.
TRAILS: Access Resources on Topical Themes for Course Development
TRAILS is ASA’s peer-reviewed digital teaching resources library and is free to ASA members. Here are some of many syllabi on a variety of relevant topics that are available in the online library. You may find these useful as you prepare your courses for the upcoming academic year:
- Bibliography/Film Library for Race and Ethnic Relations by Yvette A. Jean
- Syllabus for Sociological Theory by Erin K. Anderson
- Mass Shootings Syllabus by Karen Gordon
- Syllabus: Women in the Social Structure by Kate K. O’Neill
- Global Social Problems by Danielle MacCartney
- Interdisciplinary Disability Studies Syllabus by Melinda Leigh Maconi
- Syllabus for Race and Ethnicity Course by Tanya Maria Golash-Boza
- Race, Intersectionality, and Inequality by Adrienne Milner and Zachary Simoni
- Bringing Text to Life: Enhancing Introduction to Sociology with the Memoir “I Am Malala” by Jamie Oslawski-Lopez
- Teaching the Hidden Curriculum by Kea Saper
