Viewpoint: Dennis Smith on the Current Crisis in The

ISSUE 32 SPRING 2012 EDITOR’S MESSAGE As last year’s ESA conference declared, Europe and sociological research are both in the midst of turbulent times. The single European currency and many states are struggling to cope with the fallout of an ongoing global economic crisis. At the same time, researchers across Europe find them- selves under greater pressure due to reforms of their higher education systems and an increased market orientation of national and European funding bodies. In short, changes are rapidly taking place that possess long lasting implications for Europe’s sociological community and European societies. In this issue, change and its accompanying challenges are a central theme: the President’s Message by Pekka Sulkunen and Dennis Smith’s Viewpoint both take up changes currently taking place and the challenges that we all now face; news from ESA’s Research Networks tells us of the establishment of a new Research Network, RN15 Global, Transnational and Cosmopolitan Sociology; and an extended interview article – Meet ESA’s New Executive Committee – introduces those elected to serve on the association’s Ex- Photo Lefteris Pitarakis ecutive Committee during this current term (2011-2013). Ad- ditionally, there are two articles that evaluate the respective successes and challenges of the Pre-conference Doctoral Workshop and the 10th ESA Conference that were both held FEATURE ARTICLE in September 2011. Viewpoint: This theme also extends beyond the content of this issue. Longtime readers may notice that European Sociologist has Dennis Smith on the a new look. Indeed, a new editorial team has supervised this redesign. Despite appearing to look quite different from current crisis in the EU. previous issues, as editor I now face the challenge of main- taining an excellent newsletter developed by my predecessor In the European Union big government and big business are Shalva Weil. The members of the editorial team and I wish to in approximate balance, certainly more so than in the United thank Shalva for her wonderful work during her editorship. States, where private capital rules, or in China, where the state is still the unchallenged boss... Finally, I wish to encourage all ESA members to make use of Read more on page 4. this newsletter as a forum for discussion with regard to common issues faced by the sociological community in Europe and beyond. We welcome contributions to future issues from all, particularly as personal reflections, notes for discussion and human-interest stories. Furthermore, we are grateful for CONTENTS feedback and suggestions from our readers. Please address all correspondences to [email protected]. President’s Message ............................................................ 2 Viewpoint .............................................................................. 4 Peter Holley Conference Report ............................................................... 6 Helsinki, April 2012. ESA PHD Workshop Report ................................................. 9 News from the Research Networks .................................... 11 Meet ESA’s New Executive Committee .............................. 12 National Associations ......................................................... 33 Advertising Information & Editorial Team ........................... 35 Flourishing answers. Yet the next Framework Programme 2013-2020 on Science and Innovation of sociology the European Union, so-called Horizon 2020, will not include social sciences and Sociology is flourishing. The ESA con- humanities as a separate subdivision in ference in Geneva in September 2011 the Directorate General of Science and In- attracted a record number of almost novation. Instead, the policy-oriented part 3000 attendants. We have close to 2000 is organized around the following “Grand members. The Americans maintain their Challenges”: Pekka Sulkunen, ESA President attendance at above 5000 annually. Re- gional and national sociological associa- • Health, demographic change and well- tions in all parts of the developing and being; mission on Horizon 2020 and on the Euro- post-Communist world are rapidly gaining • Food security, sustainable agriculture, pean Research Area (ERA). Although the momentum, incorporating ideas from marine and maritime research, and the ISE is mostly funded and managed by or- intellectual traditions very different from bio-economy; ganizations of life sciences, their protests those on which Western social thought • Secure, clean and efficient energy; have strongly supported the importance has been built. If sociological activity is • Smart, green and integrated transport; of the social sciences and humanities on the rise, so is the need for it. World • Inclusive, innovative and secure socie- (SSH) in European science funding. Many capitalism is facing a geographical and ties; of our members have signed the open let- technological shift that in qualitative ways • Climate action, resource efficiency and ter to the Commission protesting against equals the discovery of the New Worlds raw materials. the omission of the SSH in the coming and the Industrial Revolution, but in quan- research funding programme. titative terms it is unforeseen in the history If you think that this is neither very innova- of mankind. The organization of societies tive nor scientifically inspiring as a policy- Our argument as sociologists in these and principles of their governance need relevant research programme, you should communications has not only stressed the to adapt to these shifts in circumstances remember that this is the outcome of an importance of the SSH in building Euro- where the nation-state is no longer a enormous machinery of lobbying. Every- pean society. Our focus was on science guarantee for belonging and solidarity, body wants to be in, and politicians from policy in general. In the EU papers sci- and where many kinds of forces tend to all countries demand that their countries’ ence is understood as a direct instrument tear people apart but very few press them contributions to the common research of economically productive and profitable together. European society is in turmoil budget will deliver what taxpayers want. innovation. Massive evidence refutes this no less than any other. The so-called debt They want health, welfare and security – naive linear model of research-based crisis is not an economic one – this is the holy trinity of goals that the enormous development from basic science to ap- obvious for any social scientist worth the EU grinding mill of policy papers always plied research to innovation. Our concern, title. Nor is it a question of reckless over- emits, whatever their subject matter. as expressed in our comments, is that spending, nor of the banking or currency short-sighted research investments into system as such. It is a matter of structural The European Sociological Associa- innovations are not only a waste of money adaptation of economies, politics, institu- tion has participated at every possible but also destructive in many ways. A tions, lifestyles, belief-systems and of occasion to protest against this type of healthy research and innovation policy enormous inequalities in the intersections science policy. First, our past President, must guarantee scientific activity and where parts of the world at very different Anália Torres, sent a personal letter to the reproduction of the science community levels of social development meet. Even Director General of Research and Innova- also in the long term. Otherwise we do not in the North, these intersections are closer tion Robert-Jan Smits in 2010. Second, have people who are competent and able to us, than we may think – they are in fact we responded to the “consultation” on the to use research in their innovative work. already part of our daily life. Green Paper on Horizon 2020, together with the UK Council of Professors and The same argument applies also to the Sociology, the science of society, is ab- Heads of Department and the British long-time stress on “social innovation” in solutely necessary to study the precondi- Sociological Association in 2011, as well European research policy, still present in tions of social cohesion in the contem- as with our own separate comment. Third, Horizon 2020. While this stress offers an porary world. However, sociology itself ESA also participated actively in the posi- important opportunity for sociologists to needs profound rethinking in relation to its tion papers that the Initiative for Science share the value of what we do, it is vital own intellectual traditions in order to ask in Europe (ISE) has submitted to the Com- that this does not just have a short-term relevant questions and to suggest relevant time line. The social sciences have a 2 much more important function than help- We can only hope that the exceptionally could provide hubs for data exchange and ing to develop new methods for dealing wide and lively debate on the European comparative analysis also for qualitative with specific social problems. We need to science policy has had an impact on researchers. And we are organizing a high participate in an intellectual assessment at least a few key actors. The fact is, level science policy seminar in October of the whole innovation project, and more: however, that over the next seven years 2012 (see elsewhere in this Newsletter) to contribute how and under with senior representatives what circumstances Europe- from the Commission, from an society itself is possible. the ERC, from

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