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Page | 1 Back to program overview The University of Geneva and the Geneva School of Social Work (HES-SO) is hosting the 2021 Congress of the Swiss Sociological Association on June 28-30, 2021 under the theme Social Justice in Times of Uncertainty. The congress will take place entirely online; this program booklet will not be printed. The program booklet is avaiblable in pdf format on our website https://sociocongress2021.ch/ Online registration is available here Adresses: University of Geneva 1205 Geneva Geneva School of Social Work / Haute école de travail social de Genève 1211 Genève General information: [email protected] Registration information: [email protected] Edition & layout: Adriana Ramos Congress poster & website: S&B Graphic Design Updated: March 2021 Page | 2 Back to program overview TABLE OF CONTENTS Congress organization Congress theme Letter from the President of the Swiss Sociological Association Letter from the Congress Co-chairs Practical information Congress schedule Program overview Keynote speakers Full program Congress sponsors Page | 3 Back to program overview CONGRESS ORGANIZATION The idea for this conference emerged as an extension to the Geneva Sociology Platform: over the past three years, sociologists from different institutions working in Geneva have met on an annual basis in a forum to discuss common research themes and interests. Building on the momentum of this platform, two main institutions have come together to organize the 2021 edition of the Swiss Sociological Association’s (SSA) Congress in Geneva: the University of Geneva and the Haute Ecole de Travail Social de Genève (HETS GE/HES-SO). In addition, colleagues from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies are part of our scientific committee. As Geneva was also the birthplace of the first sociology department in Switzerland, and given the experience of the University of Geneva in organizing past congresses for the SSA, we are looking forward to hosting this new edition in the wider institutional setting of the City and Canton of Geneva. Past conferences of the SSS in Geneva include: 2011: Democracy in turbulent times; 2009: Identité et transformations des modes de vie; 2001: Théories et interventions. Organizational Committee Congress co-chairs Jean-Michel Bonvin, University of Geneva Milena Chimienti, University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Milena Chimienti, HETS GE/HES-SO School of Social Work Geneva, HETS GE/HES-SO Irène Courtin, University of Geneva Marlyne Sahakian, University of Geneva, department Arnaud Frauenfelder, HETS GE/HES-SO of Sociology Géraldine Moynat, University of Geneva Geneva scientific committee members Adriana Ramos, HETS GE/HES-SO Aditya Bharadwaj, Graduate Institute of International and Marlyne Sahakian, University of Geneva Development Studies, Anthropology and Sociology of Development Jean-Michel Bonvin, University of Geneva, department of Current SSA Board members Sociology Rainer Diaz-Bone, University of Luzern Milena Chimienti, University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Patrik Aspers, University of St-Gallen School of Social Work Geneva, HETS GE/HES-SO Milena Chimienti, University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Murielle Darmon, CNRS dans le Centre européen de Northwestern Switzerland, School of Social Work Geneva sociologie et de science politique (CNRS-EHESS-Paris I) Achim Edelmann, University of Bern Julien Debonneville, University of Geneva, Gender Studies, Regula Leemann, University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Northwestern Switzerland, School of Social Work Arnaud Frauenfelder, University of Applied Sciences and Arts, School of Social Work Geneva Oliver Nachtwey, University of Basel Valerie Hugentobler, University of Applied Sciences and Jörg Rössel, University of Zurich Arts, School of Social work Lausanne Marlyne Sahakian, University of Geneva Marylène Lieber, University of Geneva, Gender Studies, Leen Vandecasteele, University of Lausanne Graziella Moraes Silva, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Anthropology and Sociology of Development Marlyne Sahakian, University of Geneva, department of Sociology Page | 4 Back to program overview Back to Table of contents CONGRESS THEME Social Justice in Times of Uncertainty takes as a starting point the health pandemic that erupted in 2020, which led societies across the world to cope with disruptions in the provisioning of goods and services, means of livelihood, and fundamental freedom – not least, that of movement. The crisis also revealed global and local inequalities, translated into who has the right to live or not, and raised new questions around (in)justice in the contemporary world. In light of the turmoil experienced, as a globalized society and within our communities, this congress emphasizes the relevance of social and environmental justice in the making of a fair society, asking the question: in times of uncertainty, what does it mean to live a good life in a just society? For the first time, the Congress of the Swiss Sociological Association will be hosted in Geneva, through a partnership between the University of Geneva and the Haute Ecole de Travail Social de Genève (HETS GE/HES-SO), and with the participation of the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies Page | 5 Back to program overview Back to Table of contents LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE SWISS SOCIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION Dear Participants at the congress “Social Justice in Times of Uncertainty” of the Swiss Sociological Association (SSA) (28th – 30th June 2021), When the congress organizers started their planning for the congress in 2019, they could not know about the upcoming COVID- 19 pandemic and its impact on societies worldwide. The congress title entails the notion of uncertainty, and meanwhile we experienced new forms of uncertainty caused by the pandemic. It was not prophetic to devote the congress to the link between social inequalities and uncertainty. This link has already been of relevance in sociological analysis before the pandemic in times of climate change, refugee crises, political populism, and other so called “big issues”. But after the experience of the last months, it became evident that the congress topic has gained in relevance, because the COVID-19 pandemic has proven to reinforce the dynamics and mechanisms of the social. All over the world, higher education is hampered by digital teaching and digital examining – because of the pandemic. And we lost some of the intensity of scientific exchange, when discussions started to be proceeded by tools such as Zoom, Skype, Teams and others. Bigger meetings in person and informal exchange between conference sessions, as well as the visiting of congress sites (and beautiful cities – such as Geneva), are not possible these days. But we learned that digital communication tools for video conferences facilitate the (although virtual) meeting of scholars from different world regions, because they reduce the need to travel. And in fact, the upcoming sociology congress in Geneva will gather contributors and participants from more different countries than former congresses of the Swiss Sociological Association. As president, I am grateful to the committee in Geneva, which organized the congress and managed to switch to the digital mode during the organization. What has to be highlighted is the fact, that for the first time the congress is jointly organized by sociologists from two different kinds of institutions: from the University of Geneva and from the University of applied sciences for social work of Geneva (Haute Ecole de Travail Social de Genève). The program of the congress, the list of keynote speakers and of other contributors are proof that the collaboration is a successful one. Even in times of uncertainty, I am sure that the congress will be an important and inspiring event. Rainer Diaz-Bone, president of the Swiss Sociological Association Page | 6 Back to program overview Back to Table of contents LETTER FROM THE CONGRESS CO-CHAIRS Dear Participants, Welcome to the 2021 Congress of the Swiss Sociological Association. We started planning this event in a context that seems so different from what we are all experiencing today, and of course we had to adapt the format accordingly. Despite the impossibility to meet in person, we have maintained this important encounter for our community by taking the decision to host the event entirely online. In times of uncertainty, social justice is a central issue – and a key theme in this year’s Congress. The health pandemic that erupted in 2020 revealed and accelerated inequalities, both locally and internationally, making ever more salient the issues of exacerbated poverty, environmental degradation, and populism in all its forms, propelled by measures that sought to close off borders, promote physical distancing (to not say social), apotheosize so-called ‘scientific’ or ‘medical’ knowledge, sometimes at the detriment of social sciences, and to stigmatize or indeed criminalize un-desirable behaviors. We are convinced that sociological analysis is critical in these times of uncertainty, not only towards understanding dynamics, uncovering inequalities and in-justices, but also for demonstrating how a more just form of social change can be supported in the future. The great number of proposals received from around the world is a testament to the importance of hosting this congress, despite the virtual format: we have received 300 abstracts for paper presentations, 20 semi-plenary

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