Author Archives: DaBoss

Job Opening in Sociology of Religion: University of Memphis

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The Sociology Department at the University of Memphis invites applications for a tenure track faculty position to be filled at the Assistant Professor rank.  Applicants must have a Ph.D. in Sociology no later than August 2020. Area of specialization for both research and teaching is the sociology of religion. Applicants for this position will be expected to teach in both the Sociology Department and in the Religious Studies Program.

Applications must be made on-line at https://workforum.memphis.edu/postings/23269. Please upload a letter of application which includes teaching interests and research plans, a curriculum vita, publications or samples of written work (up to a maximum of 3 items), evidence of teaching effectiveness, and three professional references. Review of applications will begin November 1, 2019 and may continue until the position is filled. The successful candidate will join an exciting and growing department in a dynamic urban university. The University of Memphis is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Applications from women and minorities are strongly encouraged.

Date Position is Available:
Fall 2020

Application Deadline:
11/1/2019

International Conference: The Interaction between Education, Family, Religion, Politics, and Economy

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Albanian Sociological Association, ALBSA – Albanian Institute of Sociology, AIS
(14th Annual International Conference)

Place and Time:

  • University Aleksander Moisiu of Durres, Albania 
  • 15-16 November 2019

Deadlines:

  • Deadline for Abstracts submission: 10 Octobre 2019; 24.00 GMT
  • Deadline for Main, Special, and Joint Sessions: 30 September 2019; 24.00 GMT

How to present a paper?

  1. Surf to conference Call for Papers at https://www.sociology.al/en/conferences/call-papers
  2. Choose the Session (Thematic Sections: ST01 – ST15) to which you wish to participate;
  3. Fill out the Abstract Submission Form and submit to the Conference Secretary. Please don’t submit more than two abstracts for the entire conference. In case when two abstracts are submitted those must not refer to a single Thematic Section;
  4. Wait for the confirmation of abstract receipt; those who do not receive confirmation within 10 days should contact the secretary of the conference;
  5. Wait for the Acceptance Letter;
  6. Contact with Secretary of the conference for the registration procedures;
  7. Take the confirmation of the registration.

How to Submit Abstracts Online

  • Go to: www.sociology.al
  • Click: Conferences – Call for papers – Online abstracts submission”
  • Select a Thematic Session
  • Fill out the Paper Proposal Form/Abstract Submission Form & Submit

Secretary of the conference:

  • Enkelejda CENAJ, Department of Sociology, FE-UAMD
  • Matilda LIKAJ, Department of Sociology, FE-UAMD
  • Elda KUTROLLI, Albanian Institute of Sociology (AIS)

E-mail: durres.conf2019@gmail.com
E-mail: conference@sociology.al

CFP: Ritual Year Working Group Conference, 3-6 June 2020

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The Call for papers for the 14th meeting of the Ritual Year Working Group has just been released!  Our next year’s meeting will be held in Riga, 3-6 June 2020.

.Please submit your paper proposals before 30 November 2019, at:
https://ej.uz/RYRIGA2020.

THEME: Commerce and Traditions

The impact of product marketing is visible in everyday life, including a wide range of traditions and festivities, which have lately become highly commercialized. In marketing terms, the values of traditional culture are considered “products” to be branded, marketed and sold. We have all experienced the pre-Christmas gift buying madness and have visited souvenir counters at major historical sites and cultural venues in different countries, each promoting their “brands”. Historically, annual church markets, fairs and pilgrimages attracted people from great distances, providing opportunities to buy, sell, and trade durable goods in addition to food and drink required by pilgrims and merchants. Additional items, such as religious symbols, protective objects, and healing substances were available much as in modern souvenir shops. The means for advertising such objects for sale were, at that time, limited. Today advertising and marketing campaigns appear everywhere. Many people protest against what they perceive as excessive commercialization of their favourite secular or religious festivals.

However, marketing practices attract larger crowds and help to preserve and popularize traditions that might otherwise be lost. Commercialization has made the sale of traditional crafts financially viable, preserving them for future generations. Thus, it is possible for craftspeople to continue practicing their traditional arts and crafts. Not only have the traditional artisans benefited, but religious institutions have witnessed an increase in income, which is needed to maintain the facilities visited by the growing numbers of visitors. New forms of commercialization of rituals with the developing practices of creating new festivals and making them local tourist brands can be seen in many geographical areas.The aim of this conference is to investigate and evaluate the impact of marketing practices on traditions and rituals, and to consider the changes commercialization has brought about ‒ both positive and negative ‒ in the past, as well as in the present. Applicants are encouraged to focus on the following topics:

  • the viability of traditions in terms of economics;
  • changes in tradition caused by marketing practices;
  • the role of marketing in preserving traditional culture;
  • the commercialization of state and national holidays;
  • the commercialization of religious celebrations;
  • the impact of commerce on holy places and pilgrimages;
  • the marketing of ritual and magical practices and objects;
  • annual fairs and markets past and present;
  • the commercialization of the intangible cultural heritage;
  • changes in traditional rituals and celebrations due to marketing;
  • any other subject related to the ritual year (i.e. to calendric or life cycle celebrations and rituals)

For more information about the theme, costs, submission and conference programme, download the Cfp here.

We are thankful to the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art (University of Latvia), the Archives of Latvian Folklore and Aigars Lielbardis, for organizing this event.

Let’s meet in Riga next summer!

Irina Stahl,
Researcher, Institute of Sociology, Romanian Academy
Secretary of “The Ritual Year” Working Group,
ritualyear@siefhome.org

CFP for Advanced Graduate Students

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The editors of Sociology of Religion: A Quarterly Review are now soliciting essays (25-page maximum or 7,000 words, all inclusive) built on dissertations in process.  Focusing on advanced graduate students, the essay should speak to your scholarship, yet generally to sociologists interested in religion by presenting a central idea of relevance to our readership and rooted in the research process.

The essay should include a clear focus on religion, which may include observations on how “sociology of religion” as a sub-field is currently being shaped, where it is heading, and why that matters, etc.  While the essay may address one’s own experiences and be written in the first person, all aspects of the essay should remain of relevance and interest to rigorous scholarship, which therefore should focus on presenting research findings and include things like conceptual breakthroughs and empirical surprises.  While conceptual and methodological rigor should be evident, a separate “Theory” or “Methods” section is not required.

All manuscripts should follow standard author guidelines (e.g., 12-point, Times Roman, double space throughout) and be submitted through Manuscript Central, https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/socrel. Be sure to cite sources and develop arguments, ideas, and explication of findings adequate to the high standards of our journal.

The deadline for submissions is December 15, 2019.

Any questions should be addressed to the Editor-in-Chief, Gerardo Marti, sorjournal@davidson.edu

Research Associate / Visiting Faculty: Women’s Studies in Religion Program

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HARVARD DIVINITY SCHOOL announces five full-time non-tenure track positions as Research Associate and Visiting Faculty for 2020-21 in its Women’s Studies and Religion Program.  Proposals for book-length projects utilizing both religion and gender as central categories of analysis and focusing on any religion are welcomed.  Salary for 2020-21 will be $60,000.  Completed applications are due online by October 15, 2019.  Applicants must have received their PhD by October 1, 2019.  Please see our website (http://wsrp.hds.harvard.edu/apply) for more information.

Employer Description:
The Women’s Studies in Religion Program was founded in 1973 to explore the fundamental role played by religious traditions in defining roles for women and men.  Research on religion and gender sheds light on questions about the changing roles of women both inside religious communities and in broader public spheres.  The Program’s goal is the production of new primary research addressing these and related issues and the dispersal of that information through courses, publications, and public programs.

Job Opening at Brandeis University

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Assistant Professor and Mandel Chair in Jewish Education

Deadline: August 31, 2019

Submission Site: https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/14208

The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education at Brandeis University invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor beginning in academic year 2020-21, to hold the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Chair in Jewish Education. This position is subject to budget approval, and will be shared between the Mandel Center and a department appropriate to the candidate’s scholarly background. We seek an outstanding junior scholar, with a deep commitment to teaching and to the impact of scholarship on teaching and learning in the field.

The responsibilities of the successful candidate will include:
– To pursue a robust program of research in Jewish education, to publish broadly, and to help build the field of scholarship in Jewish education nationally
– To participate actively in and assume responsibilities within the intellectual community at the Mandel Center and within a particular department appropriate to their background
– To teach two courses per year within one or more departments at the University, at either the graduate or the undergraduate level
– To serve on University or departmental committees as appropriate.

Candidates should hold a doctorate in Education, Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology, Jewish Studies, Religious Studies or a related field. (In cases where the candidate does not yet hold the doctorate, a letter from the primary doctoral advisor affirming that the candidate will complete the doctorate by July 2020 will be accepted.) Candidates should have a record of scholarship appropriate to their career stage as well as a clear proposed research agenda in Jewish education, and should be able to demonstrate evidence of successful teaching. Candidates should be comfortable moving between the academy and the field of practice, and between Jewish and general education, and should aspire to effect positive change in the field of Jewish education through the production of scholarship in various forms (e.g., peer-reviewed articles and books, but also popular articles, blog posts, workshops, etc.). Ideal candidates will have a research interest in one or more aspects of the study of teaching and/or learning; scholarly background in one or more areas of Jewish studies; facility in one or more Jewish languages; and a deep understanding of one or more Jewish educational settings (day schools, supplementary schools, camps, heritage tourism, academic Jewish studies, etc.).

Applicants should submit a cover letter of 2-3 pages that includes (a) a discussion of past and future research, (b) a discussion of teaching experience and plans, and (c) a discussion of how their experiences and interests might effect positive social change either within the Brandeis community or beyond it. Applicants should also submit a CV and one writing sample. Further materials may be requested later in the process. Only online applications will be accepted, via Academic Jobs Online https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/14208. First consideration will be given to applications received by August 30, 2019.

ASYM conference Helsinki April 2020: “Cultivating Youth Spirituality: Faith, Nurturing and Youth Ministry”

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The IASYM European biennial conference 2020 will be held in Helsinki 15-18 April 2020. We invite all those involved in youth and emerging/young adult ministry as researchers, teachers, lecturers or thoughtful practitioners to join the conference. This four-day conference provides an opportunity to engage with the latest scholarship and research related to ministry among young people as well as a forum for building stronger networks.

Scholars and practitioners are welcome to submit their papers that may address a wide variety of aspects related to Youth and/or Youth Ministry. The theme of the conference “Cultivating youth spirituality: Faith, nurturing and Youth Ministry” highlights both the role of many actors in the spiritual growth of the youth and the active role of the young people themselves in constructing their religious lives and seeing the youth as active constructers of theology. The topics may include various research related to youth and youth ministry, for example:

  • youth constructing theology\
  • religious growth and nurturing in childhood and adolescence
  • families, communities and faith
  • leaving religion and religious distancing in the youth
  • religion, youth and the media
  • children and youth-based theology
  • worship life and youth participation
  • secularization, liquid religion and the youth
  • youth diaconia and young people on the edge
  • religious development in childhood and youth
  • faith communities and their role in youth spirituality and spiritual development
  • youth ministry in public institutions e.g. schools, Universities and hospitals
  • Other topical issues in youth ministry including:
    o   eco-anxiety
    o   sexual identities and faith in youth
    o   digital youth work
    o   diversity and pluralism
    o   pastoral care in adolescence
    o   ethical questions
    o   emerging faith communities
    o   the aim and the role of youth ministers
    o   new innovations in youth ministry
    o   people on move and transnationalism
    o   crisis and conflicts and youth ministry

We also invite papers on other themes that meet the IASYM’s stated aim to further the academic study and research of youth and youth ministry to raise the profile of youth ministry as a calling, career and/or professional enterprise, and to encourage the reflection on youth ministry and academic discipline that will support the practice of youth ministry.

The program for 2020 offers three formats for engagement and interaction: research papers, emerging research and workshops:

  • Research Papers present new research in children’s, youth and emerging/young adult ministry submitted by conference delegates. In each session the presentation will be followed by a prepared response as well as group discussion.
  • Emerging Research sessions provide an opportunity to share ‘works-in-progress’ and developing thoughts as well as completed ideas not yet established in a formal paper. These sessions provide an opportunity for new or emerging researchers (whether engaged in formal study or as a thoughtful practitioner) to road-test ideas and receive feedback in a constructive environment.
  • Workshops offer professional development opportunities to assist delegates in the craft of research and the teaching of ministry to children, youth and emerging/young adults.

Proposals for Research papers and Emerging research should include a 200-word abstract, along with the author’s name, email address, and academic institution or place of employment.

Proposals for Workshops should include a description of the workshop content of no more than 200 words and may include suggested workshop leader if other than the person proposing the workshop. The proposal should include the proposer’s name, email address, and academic institution or place of employment.

Submit your proposal by October 30th, 2019 using this link: CLICK HERE

Venue of the Conference
Kyläsaarenkuja 2
00580 Helsinki
Finland

CFP: On Religion & Economy in Late Capitalism

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Dear Colleagues,

We are soliciting proposals for 8000-10,000-word contributions to a roundtable or special issue on religion, economy, and class in global context to submit to a leading US journal in Religious Studies. In particular, we seek contributions examining the ways that religion and economy co-produce one another in non-Western and non-Christian contexts in the current moment of late capitalism. See the abstract below.

300-word abstracts are due on October 15, 2019 and full articles are due April 1, 2020.  We have received positive interest from journal editors and expect the roundtable to be published by early 2021.

Please email the editors Kirsten Wesselhoeft (kwesselhoeft@vassar.edu) and Deonnie Moodie (dmoodie@ou.edu) with submissions and questions.

All best,
Kirsten Wesselhoeft and Deonnie Moodie

Religion, Economy, and Class in Global Context

Neoliberal capitalism shapes social and religious life worldwide, and yet theoretical work analyzing it draws disproportionately on North Atlantic contexts and Christian or Christian-secular traditions.  Scholars of religious studies, for example, have begun to examine the ways Christian ideas and practices have both produced and responded to capitalist economic conditions (Bowler 2013; Hulsether 2019; Singh 2018; Porterfield 2018).  Important recent work has also shown how practices of capitalist consumption in the US both reanimate Christian theological categories and, more broadly, constitute domains of effervescent religious activity (Gonzalez 2015; Lofton 2017; Moreton 2010; Vaca 2019).  While individual studies of religion in diverse global contexts attend to economy and class in important and novel ways (Ahmad 2017; Birla 2009; Rudnyckyj 2018), these works are rarely taken up as part of a shared conceptual conversation about economy and class in the study of religion.

This special issue seeks to address this lacuna by bringing together scholarship that examines the multitude of ways that communities in non-Christian and non-Western contexts respond to the idioms, practices, and infrastructure of the global capitalist economic order. Drawing on ethnographic and historical research, contributors address the following questions:  How do religious and economic ideas and practices produce one another in the present economic moment?  In what ways do religious idioms become intertwined with ideas about economic value and class status?  How are religious practices used to address problems of inequality inherent in neoliberal capitalism?  And how are religious idioms deployed to reproduce certain economic conditions? The editors’ introduction to the special issue will not only draw together the individual contributions, but will offer a ‘state of the field’ analysis of contemporary conversations about religion, economy, and class, taking into account the global range of work in these areas.

—

Kirsten Wesselhoeft, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Religion
Vassar College
845.437.7586

Invitation & CFP: : XX Jornadas sobre Alternatives Religiosas na América Latina

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Envie sua colaboração!

A XX Jornadas sobre Alternativas Religiosas na América Latina recebe até o dia 30/08/2019 propostas de grupos de trabalho para compor a programação do evento. A XX Jornadas Religiosas na América Latina acontecerá de 30 de junho a 03 de julho de 2020, na Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (PUC-SP), São Paulo, SP, Brasil.

Para conferir as normas para envio de propostas de GT, acesse a chamada de trabalhos.

Acesse o site da jornada e encaminhe sua proposta! 

Inscreva-se, contate suas redes, e venha fazer conosco desta XX Jornadas!

Atenciosamente,

Comissão Organizadora
XX Jornadas sobre Alternativas Religiosas na América Latina 

www.jornadasacsrm2020.sinteseeventos.com.br