Dear~~first_name~~,
We extend a welcome to new members joining TASA this week. Recent and forthcoming events highlight the breadth of scholarship across our community. The latest TASA Thursday webinar featured Dr Sylvia Ang from Monash University’ title ‘Decentring migration scholars, centring paradoxes: Autoethnography as resistance’ is now available on TASA’s YouTube channel (watch here). Tomorrow, (October 3) the Sociology of Religion Thematic Group will convene a one-day symposium, ‘Non-religion, Spirituality & Secularism in Public’. Later in the week (October 8), the Newcastle Youth Studies Online Seminar Series will host an online webinar ‘The Materialities of Inequality: Mould, Acid and Glitter. Details of these, and other events, are listed below. And, it’s not too long to TASA 2025 Conference. By all means, explore the range of papers and sessions on offer.
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A very warm welcome to our new TASA Members. We are so happy to have you with us, and we are sure you're finding lots of useful information in this week's newsletter. Welcome to
- Oliver Frick
- Sandra Mackenzie
- Suzanne Muntz
- Sam Phung
- Brian Sengstock
| | TASA 2025 Conference Program is now live!
This year, we’re excited to launch our new interactive online program, making it easier than ever to plan your conference experience.
Search by day, track, thematic group, workshop, social function, or keynote, and even download a personalised program containing only the sessions you wish to attend.
Start exploring here:
| | | | Non‑religion, Spirituality & Secularism in Public
Hosted by TASA’s Sociology of Religion Thematic Group, this one-day symposium explores Australia’s rising 'nones' (38.9% of the population in 2021) through morning paper presentations, an ECR panel, a workshop on research tools and methods, and an afternoon roundtable and future-focused discussion. Registration is now open—join the conversation shaping the public significance of non‑religiosity.
Event Details
Date: TOMORROW Friday 3 October 2025
Time: 8:45 AM–5:00 PM
Location: The University of Sydney
Cost: TASA Members $35 | Non Members $35
| | | 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
| | | | Researching Migration Studies: A Symposium on Methodologies
This one‑day hybrid symposium will examine methodological innovation and reflexivity in migration research. Tackle complex lived experiences, systemic barriers, ethics, and the digital turn through digital ethnography and platform studies. This mentoring‑focused event invites early‑career researchers and PhD students to submit expressions of interest and attend.
Event Details
Date: Friday 21 November 2025
Time: 9:30am - 5:00pm
Location: Monash University City Campus
Cost: TASA Member In-person - $40 | TASA Member PG, Casual, unwaged In-person- $15 | Non Member In-person $40 | Online - Complimentary
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Social Studies: Why are young adults lonelier than older people?
Dan Woodman, Professor of Sociology, University of Melbourne
ABC Radio National: Life Matters 25 September. LINK
| 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:
- 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...
|  | | Critical Approaches to Researching Religion and Spirituality
Thursday 16 October, 12:30–2:00pm AEDT via Zoom
Religion and spirituality are deeply personal, and (as we often see in public debates) they are also deeply social and political. That's why how we study them matters, because it shapes not only what we learn about communities of faith, but also which stories are told, and whose voices are heard.
PhD candidate Larney Peerenboom will be hosting a seminar on Critical Approaches to Researching Religion and Spirituality with Deakin's Sociology and Social Change Collective to explore these ideas.
The seminar will be held online via Zoom on Thursday 16 October, 12:30–2:00pm AEDT.
We’ll hear from Dr Rosie Clare Shorter and Dr Enqi Weng, whose work engages with feminist and decolonial frameworks to unpack the ethical, political, and epistemological challenges of studying religion and spirituality today.
RSVP to l.peerenboom@deakin.edu.au to get the Zoom link.
Larney Peerenboom (she/her)
PhD Candidate
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Deakin University, Victoria 3217, Australia
www.deakin.edu.au
| | Australian Social Cohesion Summit 2025
Thursday 16 October
Monash College City Campus
750 Collins St, Docklands VIC 3008
Event description
The Australian Social Cohesion Summit 2025, hosted by the Scanlon Foundation Research Institute (SFRI), is a landmark biennial event set to take place in Melbourne, to bring a range of participants from across Australia together. Positioned as a key platform for addressing one of Australia’s most pressing challenges—maintaining and strengthening social cohesion—this summit will move beyond data presentation to actively drive dialogue, collaboration, and practical solutions. Through interactive discussions, and scenario-based activities, participants will gain actionable strategies to address social cohesion challenges at both local and national levels.
For Registration inquiries,
ahancocks@scanloninstitute.org.au
For a summary of some of the Scanlon Foundation Research Institute’s work on social cohesion in Australia click this link. | | | Towards Development of Mediatization Research IX:
Youth, Sports, and Media
Online 5 December 2025
Continuing our series of research meetings focused on specific issues in mediatization research — chaired in past years by eminent experts such as Göran Bolin (2017), Johan Fornäs (2018), Andreas Hepp (2019), Mark Deuze (2020), André Jansson (2021), Andrew Hoskins (2022), Kirsten Frandsen (2023), and Carlos A. Scolari (2024) — this year’s workshop will be held online on 5 December 2025.
It will be led by Michael Skey from Loughborough University.
The title of this year’s edition is: Youth, Sports, and Media.
We invite researchers who wish to discuss their current projects within a focused and closed group of media scholars, under the guidance of an expert.
Important dates:
27 October 2025 – Submission of abstracts
5 December 2025 – Closed online workshop
Details and registration here:
For any substantive questions about the workshop, please contact:
Katarzyna Kopecka-Piech, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin
katarzyna.kopecka-piech@umcs.pl
|  | | Reimagining Boyhood: Addressing the wellbeing of boys and young men through education
Wednesday, 21 January | 8.30am-4pm (AEST)
Venue: The University of Queensland, St Lucia campus.
This landmark event brings together leading international voices, cutting-edge research, and the shared commitment of schools and educators to shape the future of boys’ education. The conference explores identity, wellbeing, belonging, and learning in boyhood. With keynote speakers, expert panels, and interactive workshops, this full-day program offers evidence-based insights and practical strategies that educators can apply directly. It’s the most relevant conference in Australia on this vital topic, equipping you to rethink how young men engage with education, community, and society.
Key Speakers
Amanda Keddie (Deakin University)
John Oliffe (University of British Columbia)
James A. Smith (Flinders University)
Laura Scholes (Australian Catholic University)
Garth Stahl (University of Queensland)
For information and registration see LINK
| | Calling for Career Stage Group Members
| We invite you to join either the Student, Early Career or Senior Career Stage Group
You can join a career stage group anytime by logging into your TASA membership profile, navigating to the More Member Options box > clicking/tapping on TASA Groups > Add TASA Groups > scroll to the bottom of the group menu list and click on your choice of Career Stage Group. 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).
|  | | Exploring AI Use Among Newly Arrived Migrants in Regional Australia
ABOUT THE PROJECT
This doctoral project will investigate how newly arrived migrants use Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) to support their settlement in regional Australia. Regional settlement is increasingly encouraged, and at times mandated, as part of Australia's migration program in response to urban population pressures and rural decline (Klocker et al., 2021). Yet migrants in regional areas often face heightened racism and discrimination (Boese & Moran, 2023), limited access to essential services such as healthcare and psychological support (Bakshi, McKenzie & Bolleter, 2024; Buckle et al., 2024), and difficulties establishing belonging (Boese & Phillips, 2017). These challenges impact wellbeing (Hawkes et al., 2021) and shape the ways migrants turn to digital technologies for everyday support.
The doctoral candidate will be based at the Parramatta South Campus and conduct fieldwork in regional communities where new migrants are settling. They will collect qualitative data through interviews and focus groups with migrants, alongside analysis of their digital practices. The project builds on emerging research into international students' use of GenAI as a digital "shadow infrastructure of care" (Kantek & James, forthcoming) to ask whether and how migrants use GenAI to navigate information gaps, connect with services and communities, and manage wellbeing in contexts where formal supports are scarce.
By analysing both the opportunities and risks of GenAI, this research will generate critical evidence on how digital technologies are reshaping migrant settlement. The findings will directly inform policymakers, service providers, and community organisations working in regional Australia, identifying both the barriers that persist and the potential role of GenAI in addressing them. In doing so, the project will provide timely insights into how digital technologies can contribute to more inclusive and sustainable settlement strategies that enhance the wellbeing and belonging of migrants in regional areas.
WHAT DOES THE SCHOLARSHIP PROVIDE?
Domestic candidates will receive a tax-free stipend of $35,188 (AUD) per annum for up to 3 years to support living costs, supported by the Research Training Program (RTP) Fee Offset.
Support for conference attendance, fieldwork and additional costs as approved by the Institute.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
We welcome applicants from a range of backgrounds, who are keen to apply their skills to key issues in migration, digital technologies, and wellbeing. In particular, the project is suitable for candidates with strong interests in migration studies, digital media/ technology studies, and/or regional studie. The successful applicant should:
hold qualifications and experience equal to one of the following
(i) an Australian First Class Bachelor (Honours) degree, (ii) coursework Masters with at least 25% research component, (iii) Research Master’s degree, or (iv) equivalent overseas qualifications.
Demonstrate strong academic performance in subjects relevant to migration, digital cultures, or related social science fields.
Have an understanding of the importance of regional migration, settlement, and/or digital technologies in shaping belonging and wellbeing.
Be willing to learn qualitative and/or digital research methods applicable to migration and technology research.
Be enthusiastic and highly motivated to undertake further study at an advanced level.
HOW TO APPLY
1. Review the project’s eligibility criteria. You will need to provide in your application a document which explains how you satisfy the projects eligibility criteria.
2. Contact the lead researcher listed to discuss your eligibility, the project’s requirements and your intention to apply. You should email them to introduce yourself, describe your qualifications and experience, and express your interest in their research project. If they are interested, you may want to arrange a phone call, video call or meeting to discuss your application. You will need to request a letter of support from the lead researcher to support your application for the scholarship.
3. Submit an online application for the project by logging into the Online Portal and selecting 'Project Scholarship'. Note: You do not need to submit an application for Doctor of Philosophy or Research Scholarship.
Incomplete applications or applications that do not conform to the above requirements will not be considered. For questions and advice about the research project, please contact the Lead Researchers; Dr. Donna James: D.James@westernsydney.edu.au
Applications close 31 October 2025 at 11.59pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT).
Scholarship reference code: PS2025_CS0712570_SoSS
| Research Fellow (Level B, up to three years)
School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet)
The Australian National University
The Position
The Research Fellow will contribute to RegNet’s teaching efforts, particularly at postgraduate, professional training and higher degree by research (HDR) levels, and carry out activities to develop their scholarly, research and/or professional track record. Early career scholars working on the following topics are particularly welcome to apply: concerns related to complexity and uncertainty in governance, contemporary regulatory governance and the governance of innovation and risk.
Application deadline: November 3 2025 - 23:55 AEDT
For information: click here | Tenure-Track Assistant Professor, Sociology of Gender
Department of Sociology, University of California Davis
The Department of Sociology at the University of California, Davis, invites applicants for a tenure-track position at the Assistant Professor level for scholars conducting theoretically driven, empirical research in the sociology of gender. The expected total salary is $109,300-$128,000, commensurate with experience.
We especially encourage applications from individuals who take gender and/or sexuality as central categories of intersectional analysis, and whose research contributes to one or more of the department’s existing strengths, including race/ethnicity, immigration, education, culture, political sociology, and crime and law. We expect the successful candidate to be active in the discipline, value methodological pluralism, and to teach undergraduate and graduate courses on gender, sexuality and topics related to their research. The successful candidate may also be interested in the many opportunities for cross-disciplinary research and mentoring through the Designated Emphasis in Feminist Theory & Research, the Designated Emphasis in Computational Social Sciences, the Feminist Research Institute, DataLab, Center for Poverty and Inequality Research, and other campus programs and research centers.
We seek a scholar with a strong commitment to quality teaching and mentorship. Teaching duties include four (quarter-system) courses per academic year at the introductory, advanced undergraduate, and graduate levels. Supervision of graduate students, student advising, curricular development, and performance of university service are expected of the successful candidate.
We expect the scholar to be active in the discipline of sociology and to contribute to campus efforts to diversify the university community, consonant with the population of the state of California. We especially welcome applicants whose research, teaching, service and/or community outreach demonstrates their commitment to the inclusion and academic success of under-represented and/or non-majority individuals into their respective areas of specialization.
Applications must be submitted through the online application portal found at: https://recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF07293. Applicants should submit the following required documents: (1) curriculum vitae; (2) a research statement describing their current research and future research goals, including a brief statement identifying the one article/manuscript that best represents their research approach and describing its contributions to the field, as well as a description of the specific contributions the applicant made to any coauthored articles/manuscripts submitted; (3) a teaching statement describing their experience, pedagogical approach, and practices related to effective teaching; (4) up to three articles/manuscripts that present their scholarship; and (5) three letters of reference. For full consideration, all application materials, including letters of reference, must be submitted by October 6, 2025. The position will remain open until filled.
Visit this site for full details about the position and application requirements: https://recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF07293 | Research Specialist Position at Academia Sinica (Taiwan)
The Center for Survey Research, Academia Sinica (Taiwan) invites applications for a full-time position at the rank of Assistant Research Specialist or above. The position focuses on computational social science and survey methodology, including:
· Analysis of online public opinion
· Application of big data & AI methods (e.g., NLP, CV, LMMs)
· Development of computational systems for knowledge sharing
Project/team leadership
Minimum qualifications: Master’s degree or above in relevant fields (Information/Data/Social Science, Statistics, etc.); experience with AI methods and data infrastructure; research promise and strong communication skills.
Application deadline: October 31, 2025 (Taipei time)
Details: https://survey.sinica.edu.tw/?p=19950&lang=en
Contact: Ms. Wen-Hsin Wang — wangwh@gate.sinica.edu.tw; +886-2-2787-1828 | The Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS)
| Prizes
2025 marked the twelfth year of the annual CHASS Australia Prizes. The Australia Prizes honour distinguished achievements by Australians working, studying, or training in the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) sector, including academics, researchers, practitioners, philanthropists, policy makers, and students.
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CHASS Future Leaders Writing Prize
$2000 Prize Money
This prize is awarded to a future leader for a piece of written work (e.g., essay, scholarly article, media article, book chapter) from the perspective of the Humanities, Arts or Social Sciences.
Self-nominations are welcome. Applications must be sole-authored, written in English, and should deepen our understanding of aspects of Australian society and culture. Nominees must not have reached 35 years of age before the nomination cut-off date of 31 December the previous year, and be citizens or permanent residents of Australia. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
The written work may be published or unpublished and must not exceed 12,000 words.
Submission deadline extended to October 6th, 2025.
For information click here.
For submission form click here.
| | |  | | CHASS Prize for Distinctive Work in the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
$2000 prize money
This prize is for a performance, exhibition, research project or a specific advance in policy development in any HASS field. Performances or exhibitions must have been open to the public between 1 January and 31 December in the previous year. Policy work and research may have commenced earlier, but must have been completed during the previous year.
Self-nominations are welcome. Nominees should provide sufficient evidence to allow judges to assess the impact of the performance, exhibition, project or policy. The nature of this evidence is up to the nominator (e.g., critical reviews, impact assessments, spin-offs, new policies).
Performances, exhibitions or policy work may have taken place abroad, but nominees must be citizens or permanent residents of Australia, and the work must have some relevance to Australian life. All materials submitted must be in English. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Submission deadline extended to 6th October, 2025.
For information click here.
For submission form click here
| | | | | | CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
CHASS BOARD
November 2025 - November 2027
The Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS) represents many member organisations in the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS), speaking for approximately 20,000 people in the sector. Our work is overseen by the CHASS Board. The current Board will finish its term at our Annual General Meeting this November. We are now calling for nominations to join the CHASS Board for the coming two-year term, through to the 2027 Annual General Meeting in November that year. Serving on the CHASS Board is a chance to advocate for and build networks across the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences.
We are taking nominations for general membership of the Board, and for the role of President. The Board will assign portfolios to general members after the election.
The short Nomination form must be signed by an authorised signatory of a current CHASS Member Organisation and be endorsed by the candidate. An election will be held where the number of nominations exceeds the positions available.
Please email the completed and signed form to Sally Daly, CHASS Executive Officer by midday (AEST) Monday October 6th, 2025 at: membership@chass.org.au
For further information click here. | Whether you are preparing to teach a course, conducting research, or looking to publish your next research paper, Sociology at Sage provides top-quality, easy-to-access materials to help you make the best use of your time and excel in your field.
Read on ...
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Taylor & Francis are offering free access to 40+ Sociology Journals around the theme of 'Sociology at times of crisis' until 31st January 2026. Read on ...
| Special Issues - call for submissions
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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.
Paper 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.
Paper submission deadline: 27 February 2026. Read on...
New: Humanities and Social Sciences Communications
The guest editors of this journal are seeking submissions for the forthcoming edition ‘Reframing artificial intelligence: Critical perspectives from AI social science’
In an era increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence (AI), public and academic discourse is often dominated by polarised narratives—either heralding AI as a solution to complex problems or warning of its dangers … this Collection invites social science perspectives to advance the study of AI’s sociotechnical, cultural and political dimensions.
Submission deadline: 30 April 2026. Read on...
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75 Years of Sociology
British Sociological Association
8-10 April 2026
University of Edinburgh, UK
Abstract submission deadline: October 3rd. 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.
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... |  | 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.
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 | 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.
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 | 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.
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 | 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.
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 | | 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. |
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 | 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.
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 | 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).
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 | 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). |
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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.
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 | 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. |
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 | 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. |
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Digital Publications Editor (Roger): digitalpe@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 | |