European Sociological Association
The European Sociological Association (ESA) is an academic association of sociologists and a non-profit Europe-wide association made up of over 1900 members.
History
It was established in 1992, mainly on the Austria Sociological Association's initiative. This idea follows an informal meeting during the Biannual Congress of the Austrian Sociological Association in Graz 1987. After that event, after a lot of deliberations and consultations among sociologists from a diverse range of countries, after the decision for Vienna as the place of the First European Conference of Sociology, also a local Organising Committee was established, consisting of Eva Cyba, Max Haller, E. Jandl-Jager, Rudolf Richter and Ronald Pohoryles.
The First European Conference of Sociology in Vienna in August 1992 attracted 631 sociologists from East, West, North and South Europe, and from a total of 33 countries. The conference was organised by both international and local programme committees with the cooperation of 38 panel organisers from 19 different European countries.
Mission
The European Sociological Association (ESA) aims to facilitate sociological research, teaching and communication on European issues, to build networks between European sociologists and to give sociology a voice in European affairs.
ESA is also member of the Initiative for Science in Europe and the International Sociological Association.
Presidents
- 2013-2015 Prof. Carmen Leccardi, University of Milan-Bicocca, Italy
- 2011-2013 Prof. Pekka Sulkunen, University of Helsinki, Finland
- 2009-2011 Prof. Analia Torres, Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, Portugal
- 2007-2009 Prof. Claire Wallace, University of Aberdeen, UK
- 2005-2007 Prof. Giovanna Procacci, University of Milan, Italy
- 2003-2005 Prof. J.P. Roos, University of Helsinki, Finland
- 2001-2003 Prof. Yasemin Soysal, University of Essex, UK
- 1999-2001 Prof. Jiri Musil, University of Prague, Czech Republic
- 1997-1999 Prof. Dr. Martin Kohli, European University Institute (Florence)
- 1995-1997 Prof. Sylvia Walby, University of Leeds, UK
Conferences
- Vienna, Austria, 24–27 August 1992: "Sociological Perspectives on a Changing Europe"
- Budapest, Hungary, 30 August - 2 September 1995: "European Societies: Fusion or Fission?"
- Essex, UK, 27–30 August 1997: "20th Century Europe: Inclusions/Exclusions"
- Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 18–21 August 1999: "Will Europe Work?"
- Helsinki, Finland, 28 August - 1 September 2001: "Visions and Division: Challenges to European Sociology"
- Murcia, Spain, September 23–26, 2003: "Ageing societies, new sociology"
- Torun, Poland, 9–13 September 2005: "Rethinking Inequalities"
- Glasgow, UK, 3–6 September 2007: "Conflict, Citizenship and Civil Society"
- Lisbon, Portugal, 2–5 September 2009: "European Society or European Societies?"
- Geneva, Switzerland, 7–10 September 2011: "Social Relations in Turbulent Times"
- Turin, Italy, 28–31 August 2013: "Crisis, Critique and Change"
- Prague, Czech Republic, 25–28 August 2015: "Differences, inequalities and sociological imagination"
Research Networks
The European Sociological Association has approved 37 Research Networks
- RN1 - Ageing in Europe
- RN2 - Sociology of the Arts
- RN3 - Biographical Perspectives on European Societies
- RN4 - Sociology of Children and Childhood
- RN5 - Sociology of Consumption
- RN6 - Critical Political Economy
- RN7 - Sociology of Culture
- RN8 - Disaster, Conflict and Social Crisis
- RN9 - Economic Sociology
- RN10 - Sociology of Education
- RN11 - Sociology of emotions
- RN12 - Environment and Society
- RN13 - Sociology of families and intimate lives
- RN14 - Gender Relations in the Labour Market and the Welfare State
- RN15 - Global, transnational and cosmopolitan sociology
- RN16 - Sociology of Health and Illness
- RN17 - Work, Employment and Industrial Relations
- RN18 - Sociology of Communications and Media Research
- RN19 - Sociology of Professions
- RN20 - Qualitative Methods
- RN21 - Quantitative Methods
- RN22 - Sociology of Risk and Uncertainty
- RN23 - Sexuality
- RN24 - Science and Technology
- RN25 - Social Movements
- RN26 - Sociology of Social Policy
- RN27 - Regional Network on Southern European Societies
- RN28 - Society and Sports
- RN29 - Social Theory
- RN30 - Youth and Generation
- RN31 - Ethnic Relations, Racism and Antisemitism
- RN32 - Political Sociology
- RN33 - Women's and Gender Studies
- RN34 - Sociology of Religion
- RN35 - Sociology of Migration
- RN36 - Sociology of Transformations: East and West
- RN37 - Urban Sociology