Call for Participation

2023 AACS Annual Meeting

"Significant Sociology: How Sociologists Make a Difference in Our World"

The 2023 Annual Meeting of the Association for Applied and Clinical Sociology will be held in Tampa, Florida from October 25 to October 29. Our theme for this year is: “Significant Sociology: Sociologists Advocating for a Better World.” The conference will be held in-person and will include regular paper sessions, professional development workshops, student-centered sessions, and poster sessions, as well as networking opportunities with clinical and applied sociologists. AACS invites paper abstracts, workshop ideas, and/or session proposals for consideration for the 2023 Annual Meeting. We welcome submissions from applied, clinical, and publicly engaged sociologists, as well as social and behavioral scientists employing a sociological lens in business, community, government, and academia. The submission deadline is September 1, 2023.

Please access the submission portal here by September 1, 2023:

https://tinyurl.com/2023-AACS-CfP

Message from AACS Executive Leadership
In Response to AACS Annual Meeting Location

On January 17, 2023, AACS engaged in a contract with the Floridan Palace Hotel in Tampa, Florida for the 2023 Annual Meeting to take place from October 25-29, 2023. Since then, Florida state legislature has introduced a series of policies that contradict fundamental rights. Such policies criminalize racial equity conversations and intensify the ban on books that stimulate conversations and engagement on historically marginalized groups in classrooms. Further, the state has also introduced policies that create a hostile environment for the LGBTQ community and restrict access to reproductive health care among other oppressive changes. In response, organizations such as the Florida NAACP and Equality Florida have issued a travel advisory.

In spite of these efforts to silence dialogue and create divisions based on differences, an effective and open exchange of ideas among diverse groups can promote connection and build the necessary momentum to drive social change. AACS Leadership recognizes that having an Annual Meeting in a state where legislators are criminalizing free speech introduces unnecessary challenges. As a leadership team, we have discussed this issue at length; and while the situation is dire, we still feel it is important to seize the opportunity to promote our organization’s mission - applying social scientific knowledge and methods to develop constructive solutions to social problems.

Thus, we have decided to keep Tampa as the site of our conference. We will maximize the opportunity for social engagement and the chance to speak openly about the oppressive policies in place by working with local organizations and activists to amplify their message. Our protest of this egregious legislative trend in the State of Florida is intended to ensure that applied and clinical sociological voices, and those of local communities harmed by policies, are being heard. Because we recognize that it will be challenging to be in this space, we will be circulating guidance for members most impacted.

AACS Leadership is working with sociologists and advocates in Florida to ensure that we are thoughtful about our presence in Tampa during the Annual Meeting. Accordingly, we will:

Spotlight Florida advocacy organizations’ initiatives before and during the Annual Meeting to increase public awareness and provide opportunities for members to support grassroots efforts
Facilitate invited panels with advocates from key organizations to engage with AACS members and connect research and policy to advance social justice
Partner with local organizations to align AACS’s approach with ongoing resistance efforts

The AACS Leadership team is planning a virtual AACS Member Town Hall to take place in June. The Town Hall will provide an opportunity for members to discuss how AACS can support advocacy efforts in Florida and share any suggestions for capitalizing on our members’ collective voices to support initiatives in Florida that defend fundamental constitutional rights and resist political injustices.

AACS is committed to sustained research, advocacy, and interventions that protect and improve the rights of all persons. AACS urges public officials and state legislators across the United States to restore access to knowledge and halt violations of academic freedom.

AACS President: Trenita Childers
Program Committee Chair: Mariam Seedat-Khan
Local Arrangements Committee Chair: Bruce Friesen

Deadline to Submit is September 1, 2023 at 11:59 pm EDT

Submit your Call for Participation proposal here:

https://tinyurl.com/2023-AACS-CfP

*Note that you must be a Current AACS Member to submit for the 2023 Annual Meeting*

Also, please note that we are only accepting submissions for in-person participation.

Information for submitting an Abstract/Paper/Session/Workshop:

When submitting an abstract, consider the topic with the proposed sessions. We welcome new topics aligned with the conference theme.

a. Title

b. A 250-word abstract /description of the proposed session/workshop.

c. Name, affiliation/organization and contact details.

List of Sessions

Equitable Evaluation

Culturally Responsive Research

Black history in the classroom

Migration and Refugee Resettlement

Social Justice and Social Movements

Citizen Scientists

Political structures and systemic inequality

Health Equity and Global Health

Gender, Race, and Class Intersections

LGBTQ+ rights

Education Access

Partnering with Communities for Research

Sustainable Living

Reproductive Justice

Building Clinical and Applied Careers in Sociology

Curriculum Development

Certification

Accreditation

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Organizations

Sessions aligned to the conference theme