The Midwest region includes the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois, but any research worker or any other person employed as a sociologist, or any persons interested in the field of sociology, shall be eligible for regular membership in the Society upon payment of dues.

Participants in the Annual Meeting must be members of the MSS. The only exceptions are foreign sociologists, some non-sociologists, and some invited guests.

If you join MSS between January 1 and August 31, you will become a member for the current year, and back copies of the current journal volume will be sent, if available and requested. Before the following January, you will be asked to renew your membership for the following year.

If you join MSS between September 1 and December 31, your membership will be for the following year. Your journal subscription will not begin until January.

For RENEWALS at any time, the additional year(s) will be added to the expiration date of your current membership.

• Have a voice in MSS governance.
• May participate in the annual meeting as a session organizer or presenter.
• Are eligible for MSS grants and awards, and for committee and board service with MSS.
• Have the opportunity to register in advance for MSS annual meetings and may register at a discounted rate.
• Enjoy electronic access to all past issues of The Sociological Quarterly.
• Receive The Sociological Quarterly, an invitation packet for the annual meeting, and emailed news bulletins.

The MSS bylaws say: “Upon retirement from professional duties and the fulfillment of such other criteria as the Board of Directors shall designate, a regular member shall be eligible for life membership.”

Life members shall have all the privileges of regular members, but shall not be required to pay dues. To request life membership, please send a short letter in care of the executive director, addressing it to the current president and board of directors. The letter should reference your years of membership, participation in annual meetings, committee and board service, and retirement date. Your request will be acted upon at the next board meeting.

Eligibility for Life membership, per MSS policies, is to be retired from full-time employment and to have been a member of MSS for twenty (20) or more years. The Board does have the ability to consider members with shorter tenure with MSS if they have been active in the Society for a long period and meet the other requirements.