Wayne State University is hosting an interdisciplinary research symposium on September 11, 2015, in Detroit, MI (USA), on the theme of "Social Institutions & Sustainability," and we invite you to submit 500-word abstracts for the same.
The deadline for submission is June 15, 2015, and authors of selected abstracts will be notified by July 1. Please email your submitted abstracts to ssf@wayne.edu.
Scope of the Conference
We define "social institutions" broadly-to include formal organizations that set societal agendas (e.g., government agencies, corporations, local and international nonprofits, media, community groups), and institutionalized best practices of the contemporary social order (e.g., governance, due diligence, scientific rigor, risk management). We encourage research that examines how existing social institutions may both restrict and enable the scope of sustainability; how they may be transformed by sustainable practices leading to newer, more adaptable institutions; and how sustainable solutions to specific environmental and social problems have been facilitated by incorporating social components into their approach. Submissions may be from a variety of academic disciplines, such as (but not limited to): sociology, political science, communication, economics, psychology, cultural studies, geography, engineering, health, law, history, literature, and fine arts. Theoretical and empirical papers (quantitative and/or qualitative) are welcome, along with performance pieces.
In conjunction with this research symposium, Critical Sociology will host an interdisciplinary Special Issue on the theme of "Social Institutions & Sustainability." Extended abstracts (up to 750 words) are invited for the journal, due September 1, 2015. A detailed call for papers for the special issue will be forthcoming.
Rahul Mitra, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Communication, Wayne State University