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Hundreds of sociologists came to Lund to discuss a divided world

Uzma Kazi writing on white board during the Phd pre-conference mingle.
Uzma Kazi captures feedback from the group discussions at the pre-conference PhD mingle. Also in focus Hanna Sahlin (PhD student), Katarina Jacobsson (Chairperson of the Sociological Association) and Tora Holmberg (Outgoing Chairp.). Photo: Laura Kollmann

SOCIOLOGIDAGARNA 2018: The Swedish Sociological Association's bi-annual conference titled "Sociology in a Polarized World" took place in Lund last week and was hosted by the Department of Sociology.

This year's conference, March 7-9, was among the largest in the history of the association, with a peak of 268 delegates attending on International Women’s Day, March 8th.

It was also among the first of the Swedish Sociological association to actively promote international attendance. Sessions could be held either in Swedish or in English, with Working Group leaders choosing to hold over half of them in English. This resulted in a large contingent of international guests arriving to exchange with Swedish sociologists.

On-going research was presented in thematic working group sessions, current topics were discussed by expert panels in semi-plenaries, and international key-note speakers gave their lectures on the conference theme.

Two special-events put PhD candidates in special focus. A PhD-only mingle before the event brought them all together to get to know one another, and a further workshop with keynote speaker Michele Lamont allowed PhD attendees exclusive access to one of the world’s most prominent, as well as sociable, sociologists.

Well attended, well received and very inspiring!

PhD student at the Department of Sociology Uzma Kazi was part of the Phd Events Organizing Committee and helped organise the structured pre-mingle on the first day of the conference that both let Phd students meet one another, but also allowed them as a group to put forward their ideas to The Swedish Sociological Association. The Chairperson of the Sociological Association Katarina Jacobsson and the Outgoing Chairperson Tora Holmberg attended the second half of the mingle and listened to ideas on how to strengthen the PhD network in Sweden.

– It felt very productive, says Uzma Kazi. I think we can see a positive outcome because Katarina and Tora were there. Like our ideas can really happen!

On the last day of the confernce Uzma Kazi gave a presentation of her own research called “Caught-in between or bridging the gap? Intergenerational transmission of religious identity in second and third generation Pakistani Muslims in Sweden”.

And how do you feel about the conference in general?

On a whole the conference was well attended, well received and very inspiring, says PhD student Uzma Kazi.

The conference’s thematic aim was to address different forms of polarization and sociology’s role in confronting them. Michele Lamont’s inspiring keynote address on “the recognition gap” was complimented by the other keynote speaker, Elena Zdravomyslova from the European University at St. Petersburg, who delivered a thought-provoking analysis of the conservative turn in Russia and its relevance for gender and gender research.

Seven semi-plenary talks, open to the public, also took place on the theme, including one on gender as well as one assessing the upcoming Swedish elections.

Over the three days the conference's over 200 attendants also did plenty of socializing over coffee and lunches, at the reception in the University House, and at the ending dinner in Grand Hotel.

– We have been happy to hear that our guests have very much enjoyed and been inspired by these ‘Sociology Days.’, says organizing committee chair Chris Swader, Associate Senior Lecturer at the Department of Sociology.

 

Sociologidagarna 2018 was hosted by the Department of Sociology at Lund University, and the SSF (Sveriges Sociologförbund).

To see the conference programme, please visit Sociologidagarna's website

 

 

 


 

Michele Lamont presents her inspiring keynote on “the recognition gap”.
Michele Lamont presents her keynote on “the recognition gap”. Photo: Laura Kollmann

The Swedish Sociological Association Conference,

Sociologidagarna, the Swedish Sociological Association Conference, is organized every second year and gathers sociologists from all over – and increasingly outside of – Sweden. This year's conference theme was Sociology in a Polarized world. Divisions and polarizations are increasingly visible in for example growing income disparities, divisions between rural and urban areas, between locals and migrants, and also in rifts between the political establishment and popular sentiments.

Organizing Committee, Sociologidagarna 2018

Committee Chairs:
Sara Eldén
Christopher Swader

Committee Members:
Christofer Edling
Lisa Eklund
Anders Hylmö
Katarina Jacobsson
Britt-Marie Johansson
Åsa Lundqvist
Agneta Mallén

PhD Events Organizing Committee

Mona Hemmaty
Anders Hylmö
Tullia Jack
Uzma Kazi
Hanna Sahlin

Photo credits

Special thanks to Laura Kollmann, visiting scholar/phd from Bremen university who on short notice took on the role as conference photographer.