Dear ~~first_name~~,
As July draws to a close (scary!), we have plenty of updates to keep you connected, informed, and maybe even a little inspired.
If you missed last week's TASA Thursdays event, with fellow member Simon Copland talking about The Male Complaint: Understanding the Manosphere & Online Misogyny, you can catch up with the recording here.
We're also delighted to share that one of our members has been awarded a Distinguished Professorship.
In this edition, you will also find a quick reminder that 4 of our TASA Awards close this Monday, July 28th, as well as member publications, including two recently released books, upcoming events, calls for chapters, and more opportunities to engage.
There's a lot happening, we invite you to read on.
| We extend our warm congratulations to fellow member Judith Bessant, from the School of Global, Urban and Social Studies at RMIT, for being awarded a Distinguished Professorship. An RMIT Distinguished Professorship is a high honour which acknowledges professors of exceptional distinction who have made outstanding contributions to their field and the University.
| | Welcoming our new Members
| Welcome to this week's new members, it's wonderful to see TASA grow and we are so glad that you are now a valued part of the TASA community. Welcome
- Safia Iftikhar
- Yvonne Simons
- Ramaneshwaran Subramaniam
- Rachel Tumminello
- Xiaoyan Wu
| | Calling for Career Stage Group Members
| Are you in the early stages of your sociology career?
We invite you to be part of an inaugural, supportive community that understands the unique challenges and opportunities that come with this exciting but often uncertain time.
Convened by fellow member Alexandra James, TASA’s Early Career Stage Group is a space for connection, collaboration, and support. Whether you're navigating the post-PhD transition, juggling multiple roles, developing your track record, or exploring work in different sectors, this group is here for you.
You can join the group anytime by logging into your TASA membership profile, navigate to the More Member Options box, click/tap on TASA Groups, then Add TASA Groups, and then scroll to the bottom of the group menu list and click on CSG Early Career. If you need help, we’ve put together some handy pictorial instructions to guide you through the process that are available here. You can also reach out to Ali Smith, TASA's Membership Director, for assistance (membership@tasa.org.au).
Let’s build a strong network together, your early career journey doesn’t have to be a solo one.
| As noted last week, the deadline for the following 4 TASA Awards was extended to 9am this coming Monday July 28th.
| Maslen, S. (2025) Learning to Hear: The Auditory Bases of Excellence in Practicing Medicine, Climbing Mountains, Making Music, and Communicating in Morse Code. Columbia University Press.
| | “Starting from the premise that hearing is an accomplishment, sociologist Sarah Maslen sought out a range of highly accomplished listeners—from musicians and physicians to mountaineers and Morse code operators—and trained her ethnographic ear on documenting their practice. This book is a source of a great many insights into the world of sound.”
--David Howes, author of The Sensory Studies Manifesto: Tracking the Sensorial Revolution in the Arts and Human Sciences
Learning to Hear examines vivid and varied cases, such as how doctors listen for a heart murmur, how musicians build the skills to play along with others, how adventurers sense dangers like melting ice or falling rocks while climbing, and how telegraph operators develop a feel for Morse code. A deeply original exploration of the cultivation of hearing, this book offers a new approach to embodied experience. Read on... | | | Henne, K., & Ventresca, M. (2025). Violent impacts: How power and inequality shape the concussion crisis. University of California Press.
| Concerns regarding brain injury in sport have escalated into what is often termed a “concussion crisis,” fueled by high-profile lawsuits and deaths. Although athletes are central figures in this narrative, they comprise only a small proportion of the people who experience brain injuries, while other high-risk groups—including victims of domestic violence and police brutality—are all too often left out of the story. In Violent Impacts, Kathryn Henne and Matt Ventresca examine what is and what isn’t captured in popular discourse, scrutinizing how law, science, and social inequalities shape depictions and understandings of brain injury. Drawing on research carried out in Australia, Canada, and the United States, they illustrate how structural violence centers certain bodies as part of the concussion crisis while pushing others to the margins. Read on...
You can save 30% ordering online using a code in this flyer.
A free ebook version of this title is available here. | | | Brosnan, C. (2025) ‘Negotiating knowledge: complementary and alternative medicine professions in the university’, in F. Collyer (ed) Research Handbook for the Sociology of Knowledge, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar: 284-302. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781800376649.00026
Johnson, B. & Hopman, J. (2025) Engaging scholarly imagination in place-based inquiry, in C. Hudson M. Jarldorn (eds) Tutorial Ideas for Educators on the Run: Innovative and engaging teaching activities. Springer.
Johnson, B. & O’Keeffe, P. (2025) “Crit-sessions” for peer learning: expanding the in-progress assessment learning experience, in C. Hudson M. Jarldorn (eds) Tutorial Ideas for Educators on the Run: Innovative and engaging teaching activities. Springer. | Yasmeen, F., Petersen, A., & Forbes-Mewett, H. (2025). Discrimination at Work? The Case of Pakistani Migrant Women in Australian Workplaces. Australian Feminist Studies, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/08164649.2025.2532054 (open access).
Fehlberg, B., Smyth, B. M., Campo, M., & Natalier, K. (2025). The Meaning of Home for Children and Young People After Parental Separation: Key Insights for Practice. Australian Journal of Social Issues. Online first https://doi.org/10.1002/ajs4.70033 (open access).
| | Pop by for a relaxed morning coffee with fellow postgrads at As You Like It, Street Theatre, ANU!
It’s the perfect opportunity to meet like‑minded researchers, share stories about your postgrad journey, and connect with others who understand the challenges (and victories!) that come with it. Whether you’re tackling a chapter or just starting out, this informal catch‑up is all about building connections, sharing support, and enjoying a well‑earned cup (or two).
Event Details:
Date: TODAY Thursday 24th July
Time: 10:30am – 11:30am
Venue: As You Like It, Street Theatre, ANU
| | | Call for Conveners for the term November 2025 - November 2027. | After four years at the helm of our Migration, Ethnicity and Multiculturalism (MEM) Thematic Group (TG), two of the convenors – Catriona Stevens and Cathy Martin – are stepping down this year (term finishes during TASA 2025). As such, there is an opportunity for two (or more) people to take on the convener role, with the support of Leah Williams Veazey who is happy to continue in the role and help the new Convenors find their feet. Note, conveners are also supported by TASA staff, Sally, Penny and Ali.
TG Convenors are responsible for managing the conference submissions for the MEM TG, organising the annual meeting, managing communications with members and organising events to meet the needs of the members. It is also a great opportunity to develop relationships within your scholarly community, raise your visibility in the field and demonstrate your leadership and service to your peers. Read on...
Please submit a brief Expression of Interest to admin@tasa.org.au with the email subject: “MEM Thematic Group Convenor EoI” (150-200 word about yourself and why you’re interested in the role) by 31 July.
| | The next round of TASA’s Thematic Group (TG) funding is now open, with applications due by September 1st.
While it's our amazing TG conveners who submit the applications, members are encouraged to reach out and share ideas for events, collaborations, or activities you’d like to see happen in your TG.
Now’s the perfect time to help shape your group’s plans for the first half of 2026! | | | The Urban Sociology Thematic Group invites scholars, practitioners, and students to join us on Wednesday, 9 October at The University of Sydney for an engaging symposium exploring the theme Knowing the City – Movements, Epistemologies, and Visions.
Event Details
Date: 9th October
Time: 9:00am - 5:00pm (AEDT)
Location: University of Sydney
Cost: In-person $30 | Online $20
| | | | A Time for Sociology - call for signatures
| At a moment marked by global crises, rising inequalities, growing intolerance, and threats to academic freedom, the International Sociological Association (ISA) has released a statement reasserting the values of a rigorous, independent, public, critical, and global sociology. In these challenging times, it is believed that critical interventions by social scientists are more essential than ever. The statement reaffirms the values and commitments at the core of sociologists' work as researchers, educators, and public intellectuals.
In support of the statement, the ISA has crafted a declaration "A time for sociology" and they invite all sociologists and social scientists to sign it. They are urging us to stand together for a sociology that builds a more just, livable, peaceful and sustainable future.
The link to endorse the declaration is available here.
Note, you can watch Geoffrey Pleyers's, ISA President, opening address at the recent World Sociology Forum here. | Research Assistant Professor
The University of Hong Kong
You would be involved in the research team of the Jockey Club End-of-Life Community Care Project (www.JCECC.hk) to work on cutting-edge research and evaluation studies in End-of-Life Care (EoLC).
Research Assistant Professor / Postdoctoral Fellow
Lingnan University, Hong Kong
Department of Sociology and Social Policy
| | Scholarship Opportunities | New: Queer Influencer Cultures in East Asia,
Jointly supervised by fellow member Hao Zheng (Co-Supervisor) & Crystal Abidin (Principal Supervisor)
The preferred candidate may be considered for an RTP scholarship.
Expressions of Interest deadline: 18 August. Read on...
Reproductive Justice PhD Scholarship
Melbourne Social Equity Institute, University of Melbourne
The candidate's research project proposal should be interdisciplinary in nature and include supervisors from at least two different disciplines (e.g. sociology and obstetrics and gynaecology) at the University of Melbourne. Cross-Faculty supervision arrangements are encouraged but not essential. Please get in touch if you would like some assistance in identifying a second supervisor.
Application deadline: August 11. Read on...
| | Other Events, News & Opportunities | New: Founding Stories, Forging Communities, Feminist Futures: Nurturing Feminist Histories in Precarious Times
A Joint Australian Women’s History Network Symposium and Celebration of the 40th Anniversary of Lilith: A Feminist History Journal
24th-25th November, University of Melbourne
Abstract submission deadline: August 29th. Read on...
| | Dominance, diversity and decoloniality: Changing media discourses on ‘religion’ in Australia
Online, July 29, 8pm Melbourne | 5pm Thailand | 12pm (Noon) South Africa | 11am UK
With presenter fellow member Enqi Weng and respondent Ishaya Anthony from the University of Johannesburg.
Note, Enqi is the new Managing Editor for the Journal of Religion, Media and Digital Culture.
The event will run for 90 minutes
| | | Ask Me Anything: the reality of homelessness
Online, Wednesday, August 6th, 12 - 1pm AEST
This Homelessness Week (4-10 August), Council to Homeless Persons (CHP) is bringing back another installment of their highly popular Ask Me Anything (AMA) webinar series, featuring their lived experience team sharing their stories and answering your questions on the reality of what it's like to experience homelessness.
To register, and to submit a question for the panel, read on...
| New: “Whose paradigm counts? The unheard experiences and strategies of CEALD mental healthcare professionals in providing culturally responsive and safe care to CEALD patients in Australia.”
The project aims to support and add insights through our voices, experiences and knowledge of how we (health professionals in the mental health space) provide culturally appropriate care strategies that could inform how to care for our culturally, ethnically, linguistically or racially diverse communities in Tasmania.
Calling for Tasmanian health professionals working in the mental health space from cultural, ethnically and linguistically diverse backgrounds. If you are interested in having a conversation to discuss the research and/or would like to participate in the individual online interview, please contact Anita via email: anita.ogbeide@utas.edu.au or call: +61 3 6430 5297. You will be compensated with a $30 e-voucher for participation in the research.
| | Fellow member Sarah Alzoubi is calling for participants for their PhD project that is investigating the impacts and experiences of Islamophobia on Australian Muslim women in Sydney while also analysing key demographic and geographic variations in that daily experience.
Participants need to be over the age of 18. The survey takes approximately 25 minutes to complete.
You can take the survey here.
| | | Supporting academics with inclusive & equitable curricula, teaching and learning
Call for Participation. A National Survey on Inclusive and Equitable Teaching in Higher Education
Academic teaching staff at Australian higher education institutions are invited to contribute to a national study exploring how institutions support inclusive and equitable teaching, learning, curriculum, and assessment.
The survey is open to academic teaching staff across Australian higher education institutions. It explores:
- Understandings of equity and inclusion in teaching and learning
- Inclusive curriculum and assessment practices, and
- Experiences with professional development related to equity and inclusion
Participation involves completing a short, anonymous 10-15 minute survey, available here.
| People Places Prize - Creativity & Innovation
The People Places Prize is about creative and innovative ideas for urban environments. The Prize is open to Australian citizens and residents aged 18 and over. The winner will receive $10,000 and their ideas featured in an exhibition and on www.peopleplaces.org.au.
Creative and innovative ideas for the Prize can be in any (or combination) of ffour areas:
- The Arts
- Green spaces
- Building design
- Disability access
Australian Human Rights Awards
The Awards honour and celebrate diverse human rights heroes and significant achievements in protecting and promoting human rights in Australia.
Paul Bourke Awards
The Paul Bourke Awards for Early Career Research honour Australians in the early part of their career who have achieved excellence in scholarship in one or more fields of the social sciences.
| Book Chapters - call for expressions of interest
| New: Working at the Margins: A Sociological Handbook
Following the British Sociological Association conference, the WEEL study group is proposing an edited collection 'Working at the Margins: a sociological handbook', exploring work and employment across elite/non-elite and formal/informal sectors, and various geographies – a contemporary take on Plutarch's parallel lives.
Abstract submission deadline: July 27th. Read on...
| New: Future of Work and Care (part of TASA SWLE thematic group)
Seeking proposals for empirical or theoretical papers that address the issues related to the future of work and care.
Please submit an abstract (250- 300 words, with 5 keywords) that briefly summarises the theoretical/methodological framework, foregrounding the overall argument and including some references to key works, along with a short biography (up to 100 words).
Abstract submission deadline: August 15. Read on...
| | Making zines: Critical feminist methods & pedagogies
Edited by fellow member Ash Watson, and colleagues Laura Rodriguez Castro & Sam Trayhurn (the team behind AKE Zine, the critical feminist art/research zine and workshop series. See francesstreetpress.com/ake-zine.)
Contributors for a new international edited collection on feminist zine-making for research and education are being sought. The editors are looking for chapters that offer a unique perspective and practical strategies for utilising zine-making as a vehicle for critical inquiry, art education and/or creative expression. They envision a radical new collection of international work on feminist zine-making that is scholarly and creative in content and form.
Expression of interest deadline: August 1st. Read on... | | | Cocktail Critique
The book will provide critical analyses of cocktails, and cocktail cultures, social contexts, and ingredients, considered historically and contemporaneously, and with material from around the world, and from a range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives, encompassing the social sciences and humanities.
Expression of interest deadline: July 31st. Read on...
| | New: Australian Women's and Gender Studies Association Seminar Series
Online, tomorrow, Friday July 25th, 12pm - 1pm (AEST)
Fellow member, and TASA Treasurer, Adrienne Byrt will be presenting on Applying feminist design sociology to co-create better support for mothers of premature infants.
| | | Newcastle Youth Studies Online Seminar Series
The Newcastle Youth Studies Centre is a collaborative group of researchers who work with young people to understand their lives, and the social, cultural, and economic forces they are living in. They have the following online seminars scheduled:
- Automating Everyday Life (July 30)
- New Possibilities: Young People and Democratic Renewal (August 20)
- The Political Dynamics of the Weird World of Wellness (September 24)
- The Materialities of Inequality: Mould, Acid and Glitter (October 8)
- The False Divide between Nature and Culture (November 5)
- ‘Your mum didn’t take selfies’: Youth and image cultures on social media (November 19)
For the details of each event, and to register, read on...
Digital Modernities: Why We Need to Think Historically About the Digital Age
Friday 1 August 2-4pm AEST. Followed by Light refreshments 4-5pm
ACU Melbourne campus & online
We are living in an era of digital modernity that amounts to a recursion of earlier periods of colonialism, hyper-capitalism, and great power competition. This talk will explore the implications of this, defining and then framing digital modernity in the context of post-Enlightenment history and pluralistic critical theory.
| Special Issues - call for proposals
| Journal of Sociology
The Journal of Sociology invites expressions of interest to guest edit a Special Issue for publication in 2027. Proposals are welcome on any sociological theme likely to appeal to our international readership, particularly those that showcase vibrant research from Australia and the Asia-Pacific. Guest editors will coordinate the call for papers, peer review process, and editorial work to a March 2026 submission deadline.
Proposal submission deadline: 15 September, 2025. Read on...
Sociological Research Online
Sociological Research Online welcomes proposals for the next special issue. The proposed special issue should offer an exciting contribution to emerging sociological debates by bringing together conceptually, empirically and/or methodologically innovative interventions within a specific topic area.
Proposal submission deadline: 24 September. Read on...
| Special Issues - call for submissions
| Revisiting Janet Wolff: Affinities between Art History and Sociology
Cultural Sociology’s special issue, inspired by the career and work of Janet Wolff, seeks to articulate the affinities between sociological and art historical approaches to the study of artworks and art making, such that a disciplinary divide holds.
Abstract submission deadline: 16 September. Read on...
The Normative Turn in Sociology. Opening the Black Box
Sociology’s special issue hopes to lay the groundwork for a sociology of normativity; that is, a form of sociology (be it “critical” or otherwise) which is expressly normative. Editors are looking for contributions, theoretical and/or empirical, that engage with the question of normativity in sociology.
Abstract submission deadline: 22 January 2026. Read on...
Earning while Learning: Experiences, patterns and the political economy of working students
Work, Employment and Society’s new special issue aims to interrogate and fundamentally reconceptualize the relationship between earning and learning, bringing together different disciplinary approaches to interrogate student work and the global political economy that shapes it.
Abstract submission deadline: 27 February 2026. Read on...
| Disability Studies Quarterly (DSQ)
The SDS Board of Directors seeks to appoint a new editor or editorial team for a term of four [2025-2029] years, ideally beginning on November 1, 2025 and ending April 1, 2029. This period includes a 6-month onboarding process under the current editorial team and a 6-month offboarding period with new editors appointed in 2028. The editor or editorial team will work with SDS and the DSQ Editorial Board, and collaborate with The Ohio State University Libraries team. The editor or editorial team will be responsible for putting together a new editorial board under their direction and with input from the SDS Board of Directors.
Expression of interest deadline: August 1st. Read on...
| Junior Fellowships 2026
Forum Basiliense, University of Basel
In 2026, the Forum will focus on the annual theme "Conflict and Cooperation", inviting interdisciplinary engagement with conflict dynamics and cooperative practices in times of global transformation.
Early Career Work and Family Fellowships
The goal of the program is to help promising young scholars establish career successes and integrate them within the WFRN research community.
| 75 Years of Sociology
British Sociological Association
8-10 April 2026
University of Edinburgh, UK
Abstract submission deadline: October 3rd. Read on...
2026 Centering Care Across the Life Course
Work and Family Researchers Network Conference
June 17-20, 2026, Concordia University Montreal Canada.
Abstract submission deadline: October 1st. Read on...
Predoctoral Preconference
Work and Family Researchers Network Conference
The Predoctoral Preconference will provide workshops intended to help graduate students form meaningful connections with diverse scholars, learn about publication strategies, as well as how to engage with stakeholders such as organisational leaders or policy advocates.
Refugee Trauma Recovery in Resettlement
Forum of Australian Services for Survivors of Torture and Trauma (FASSTT)
Bringing together leading researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and community advocates from across Australia and New Zealand, the conference will address the complex and critical needs of refugees who have experienced torture and trauma. The event will serve as a vital platform for sharing knowledge, fostering collaboration, and promoting best practices in the field of refugee mental health and psychosocial support.
Submission deadline: August 31st. Read on...
The Western Sydney University Challenging Racism Project (CRP) and University of Melbourne Anti-Racism Hallmark Research Initiative (ARHRI) are holding a cross-disciplinary one-day conference
Friday November 7th, Western Sydney University, Parramatta City campus
The conference will be free to attend.
This event will bring together researchers and practitioners who are undertaking work related to anti-racism. This will be an opportunity for us all to learn more about each other’s work, build networks, and explore the potential for future collaborations.
Abstract submission deadline: August 1st. Read on...
Development in Turbulent Time
20th Annual International & Interdisciplinary Conference of International Partners
University Luigj Gurakuqi Shkoder, ALBANIA
14-15 November 2025
Abstract submission deadline: 14 September. Read on...
Centering Care Across the Life Course
SAVE THE DATE
Concordia University in Montreal Canada
June 17-20, 2026
Submissions open in July and close November 1. Read on... | | Queer Temporalities
Online and in-person at Macquarie University 1-3 October
Exploring the theories and possibilities of queer lives unbeholden to normative narratives of time, memory, success, love, happiness, and family.
| | |  | The Jobs & Scholarships Board allows you to view opportunities that TASA Admin and fellow members have posted.
In 4 easy steps, you can upload job & scholarship opportunities from your member's profile screen. For instructions, visit here.
The Jobs & Scholarships Board is a public facing searchable feature of TASAweb.
|
 | TASA’s Executive Committee (EC) governs the Association and manages its daily business as outlined in the Constitution and by established policies. A call for nominations for the 2027 – 2028 Executive term will be disseminated on July 1, 2026.
The November 2024 - November 2026 Executive Team can be viewed on TASAweb here.
|
|
 | TASA was officially established under the name of the Sociological Association of Australia and New Zealand (SAANZ) in 1963, crystallising what was a long, and perhaps delayed process of the discipline’s development in Australia.
For the 50th anniversary celebrations in 2013, pages on TASA's history were added to TASAweb.
|
|
 | The more members TASA has, the stronger our association can be.
To help spread the word about TASA, you can quickly and easily gift a TASA membership to someone from within your TASA membership profile.
|
|
 | | TASA members have free access to over 90 peer-reviewed Sage Sociology full-text collection online journals encompassing over 63,000 articles. The image on the left shows you where to access those journals, as well as the Sage Research Methods Collection & the Taylor and Francis Full Text Collection, when logged in to TASAweb. If needed, here is a short instructive video on how to access the online resources. |
|
 | TASA currently has 27 thematic groups in operation and members can join up to 4 groups. This can be done quickly, and easily via your membership profile.
Watch the very short video (1:30) to learn how to join a thematic group/s.
|
 | TASA's Membership Directory allows you to search for members by country and state. It also has search functions for members of a particular thematic group, and members who are available for supervision and/or mentoring.
To learn how to search the Membership Directory, watch this very short video (1 min).
|
|
 | Via your membership profile, you can update many options including adding a secondary email address, and indicating if you are available for mentoring, supervising, consulting, and/or talking to the media, for example. If you are in a Tier 2, Tier 3 & Tier 4 membership category, you can also opt in or out of receiving a hard copy of the Journal of Sociology.
All of these changes can be done quickly and easily. To learn how, watch this video (1 min). |
|
 |
Personal pronoun preferences can be added to your profile. There are 9 combination options to choose from. Please let Sally in TASA Admin know if your preference/s is not on the list and we will have them added.
|
 | We encourage you to support your colleagues by sharing details of your latest publications with them via this newsletter. No publication is too big or too small.
Any mention of sociology is of value to our association, and to the discipline, so please do email through details of your latest publication/s (fully referenced & with a link, where possible), events, job adverts etc. for the next newsletter, to TASA Admin (right click to retrieve the email address). Usually, the newsletter is disseminated every Thursday morning. |
|
 | As part of the agreement with Taylor & Francis, TASA members are entitled to a 30% books discount. This discount is valid on any full priced CRC Press or Routledge book.
To access the book discount, click on the following link and then log in to TASAweb: book discount link. |
|
Admin (Sally): admin@tasa.org.au
Events (Penny): events@tasa.org.au
Membership (Ali): membership@tasa.org.au
Indigenous (John): indigenousmembership@tasa.org.au
Thematic Groups (Naomi): thematicgroups@tasa.org.au
Postgraduates (Molly): postgraduates@tasa.org.au | |