C. Wright Mills (1959) in his groundbreaking work on the sociological imagination provided sociologists an innovative vision for doing sociology and reminded the world of its’ importance. His words ring true today just as they did decades ago. Our society and our world are at a critical juncture where the collision between personal troubles and public issues has never been more apparent. The Midwest Sociological Society’s Annual Meeting in Chicago, IL, March 13 -16, 2025, seeks to study, consider, discuss, and grapple with the multi-faceted relationship between personal experiences and social structures.
Our annual meeting will highlight a variety of paper sessions, workshops, plenaries, and panels intended to contemplate and understand how Mills’ paradigm can provide a useful lens for exploring the many personal and public issues with which sociologists struggle in 2025. We will explore how personal struggles of climate change, gender and sexual inequalities, educational disparities, economic challenges, racial injustices, political polarization, healthcare access, aging populations, to name a few, are fundamentally linked to broad socio-cultural forces.
As sociologists, we are charged with a responsibility to involve ourselves in the public sphere and exert efforts and energies towards the enhancement of our social landscape. Our annual meeting provides an opportunity for all, as students, scholars, and practitioners, to collaborate and address the vital social questions that shape our current reality. Collectively, we have the power to make a meaningful impact, challenge the status quo, and create a better future for all. Let us accept this charge with compassion, courage, and perseverance.
NOTICE: EARLY DEADLINES!
The submission portal will open on or about August 1, 2024. The submission deadline is October 15, 2024.