What Are ASA Communities?
ASA Communities are a member-generated organizational structure approved by the Council on the recommendation of the ASA Task Force on Membership. Communities differ from Sections and other ASA groups in three ways. They:
- Create new spaces for connection, belonging, and networking that transcend research foci, and also help members more easily answer the question “where are the people like me in ASA?”
- Provide new avenues for professional development and mentoring that reflect the wide range of employment contexts and lived experiences of the many diverse groups within our membership.
- Provide a broader range of opportunities for engagement and leadership in ASA.
What Are The Current ASA Communities?
Starting in fall 2022, the ASA membership form and ASA online portal began to include a list of approved ASA Communities and provide the option of joining them at no additional charge. The form also provides a space to make a voluntary donation to an ASA Community to help support its activities. The current Communities are:
Community College Faculty Community. This Community seeks to build an enduring space for connection, communication, as well as sharing, promoting and celebrating the work of its members.
Community Engaged Scholars and Teachers Community. This Community supports scholars and practicing sociologists engaged in or interested in community engaged research and teaching (CERT) by providing opportunities for community, networking, support, and discussion.
Filipino Sociologists. Through the Filipino Sociologists Community, ASA is working to create a space for connection, belonging and networking for Filipino sociologists, including those in the diaspora and in the Philippines, and their allies and friends.
First-Generation and Working-Class Sociologists. Sociology is a field that includes many first-generation college attendees and people from working-class backgrounds. ASA is working to learn more about the interests and needs of this group, to foster inclusion and combat elitism, and to help first-generation/working-class sociologists connect with each other and with valuable resources.
Korean Sociologists in America. Through the Korean Sociologists in America Community, ASA is creating a new space for belonging and networking within the ASA and in the field of Sociology within the United States. The Community aims to support its members by promoting networking, mentoring, and collaboration and by providing opportunities for engagement and leadership.
Sociologists in Prison Education Community. Teaching sociology in carceral settings is a demanding, yet profoundly rewarding endeavor. This Community offers peer networking and support, professional development, and opportunities for advocacy.
Sociologists Working Everywhere. A lot of great sociology takes place outside of faculty positions and universities. ASA provides resources for students considering a career in non-profit, government, or corporate organizations, as well as ways for sociologists working in these settings to connect and expand their networks.
South Asian Sociologists. Through the South Asian Sociologists (SAS) Community, ASA seeks to provide opportunities for networking, mentorship, and the exchange of ideas among sociologists of South Asian/American/diaspora descent.
What Resources Do Communities Receive?
Each Community receives the following resources:
- A listserv for notifications and communication.
- A presence on the ASA website.
- One session at the Annual Meeting. This session may be used for activities such as a business meeting, professional development workshop or networking event. A panel with presentations of formal research papers would not be an appropriate use of the session.
- Opportunity to advertise off-site events, including receptions, in the Annual Meeting program.
- A baseline budget of $500 per year.
- Voluntary donations made by members.
How Can I Join a Community?
Members can join/leave a Community at anytime during their membership.
- Login into the ASA Member Portal at http://my.asanet.org.
- Once logged in, along the lefthand menu, click Profile.
- Scroll down through your contact, education, demographic, and interests information until you reach the Community Membership section.
- At the Community Membership section, you can check to add or uncheck to leave the boxes next to each Community name.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the Update Profile button to save your preferences.
How Can I Propose a Community?
The next deadline for proposals is June 1, 2025.
Any ASA member can submit a proposal for an ASA Community. Proposals will consist of a 1,000-word statement on the nature and purpose of the proposed Community, its planned activities, and the roles and titles for a six-person volunteer leadership team. The proposal must also include the names of 50 individuals committed to joining the Community if it is established. Please download and use this Community member information template to collect names of potential Community members. To be considered, completed proposals and the accompanying Community member information template must be submitted to [email protected] by the proposal deadline.
To pilot this new initiative, Council will approve up to 15 new Communities over the first two years. Communities can be proposed by groups of members with common professional backgrounds, such as sociologists employed outside the U.S., in community colleges, or sociology faculty in high schools. Communities might also be proposed by groups of members with a shared identity, such as Black sociologists or LGBTQ sociologists.
Have questions?
Please contact [email protected].
