 | Dear ~~first_name~~,
Welcome to the final TASA newsletter for the first half of 2025. As we farewell June and move into July, we acknowledge that it has been a challenging time for many in the higher education sector. In this edition, we begin by sharing TASA's statement about the situation at Macquarie University - an issue that deeply concerns our community.
We also have the recording available from a recent TASA Thursdays session on the Sociology of Music in Action, which sparked rich discussion and creative thinking. And happening today at 12:30pm AEST, our latest TASA Thursdays event, Sociology Beyond the Thesis – Creative Outputs and Collaborative Writing, is a great chance to connect and explore fresh ways of sharing your work (you can find the details further down this newsletter).
You may recall that earlier this year we announced the establishment of TASA's new Career Stage Groups. We're delighted to launch the Student and Early Career groups today - an exciting step in supporting and connecting members throughout every stage of their careers. See below for more details!
If you're planning to present at TASA 2025 this November, this is a friendly, final reminder that the Early Bird/Presenter registration deadline is this Saturday, 28 June.
We’re also sharing two new job opportunities (including tutoring work in Sydney), and an invitation for postgraduates to join an in‑person catch‑up this Monday, 30 June, in Redfern, Sydney.
Thank you for being such an important part of the TASA community — we’re looking forward to an enriching second half of the year together.
|  | Congratulations (left to right) Brooklyn Donnelly, Gene Khyle Galvez and Joelle Moore on your selection as inaugural Co-Convenors of the Student Career Stage Group.
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Congratulations to the inaugural Convenor of TASA's Early Career Stage Group, Alexandra James.
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Congratulations to our new Career Stage Group Convenors
In 2025 TASA’s Executive introduced a new initiative to support members. Career Stage Groups (CSGs) will engage TASA members through the span of their careers, ensuring all members can access the benefits of TASA membership.
We're delighted to announce that our Student Career Stage Group now has three wonderful Convenors, Brooklyn Donnelly, Gene Khyle Galvez and Joelle Moore.
And we are thrilled to add that TASA's Early Career Stage Group's inaugural Convenor will be Alexandra James.
Note, you can add yourself to a Career Stage Group using the same process for opting into a Thematic Group, see the pictorial instructions below.
We would love to hear from any Mid Career and Senior Career TASA Members who are considering taking on the role of CSG Convenor. Convenors receive support from TASA staff, and the role is designed to be one of mutual engagement with colleagues. Our Retired Members have a wealth of ideas for their group, such that we are hoping to connect with Retired members, and work together to set some priorities and move forward with that group also.
If you have any questions or feedback regarding the CSGs or memberships in general, please email Ali, TASA's Membership Director (membership@tasa.org.au).
Three quick steps for adding yourself to a Career Stage Group (and Thematic Group):
|  | | Welcoming our new Members
| A warm welcome to our newest members!
Each week brings fresh energy into our TASA community, and this one is no exception. We’re thrilled to welcome another inspiring group of sociologists from across the country (and beyond!).
Whether you're based in academia, working in applied research, policy, the community sector, or carving out your own sociological path - you now belong to a national network that thrives on connection, critical thinking, and collective purpose.
TASA is here to support you: to share your work, grow your networks, and offer opportunities for engagement at every career stage.
We’re so glad you’re here. Welcome to the community:
- Adam Choryński
- Tanja Dreher
- Francesca Kurghan
- Era Lamba
- Tamara Megaw
- Ria Popli
- Thoko Sipungu
- Yijun Wang
- Emily Wolfinger
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Winarnita, M., Yang, F., Saldin, M., Weng, E., Haw, A. L., Nilan, P., and Rastiya, A. (2025). Indonesian-Australian media during an infodemic: Fostering trust and social resilience through translation as care. Media International Australia, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/1329878X251342620. (open access).
Thorneycroft R (2025) Troubling the Quest for Clarity. Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research 27(1): 345-358. DOI: https://doi.org/10.16993/sjdr.1215 (open access).
| Park, S., Fisher, C., McGuinness, K., Lee, J., Fujita, M., Haw, A. L., McCallum, K. and Nardi, G. (2025). Digital News Report: Australia 2025. Canberra: News and Media Research Centre, University of Canberra. Access here:
| | Join us TODAY this month's TASA Thursdays Post Grad Session: Sociology Beyond the Thesis – creative outputs and collaborative writing, presented by Mary Zournazi, University of Newcastle.
Event Details:
Date: TODAY Thursday 26th June
Time: 12:30pm - 13:30pm (AEST)
Via Zoom:
Passcode: 274313
| | | Join us at 12:30pm (AESTS) on 17th July for another TASA Thursdays: The male complaint: Understanding the manosphere & online misogyny, presented by Simon Copland.
Event Details:
Date: Thursday 17th July
Time: 12:30pm - 13:30pm (AEST)
Format: Zoom
Click here to register | | | TASA Awards currently open for nominations include:
Nominations for these four awards close on 17 July.
Nominees will be notified of the outcome in August (for most awards) and October (for the JMA). Award recipients will be formally announced at our TASA 2025 Conference Dinner in November.
| | The call for expressions of interest for our 2026 Gary Bouma Workshop Program is now open. TASA can fund up to two workshops at AU$5000.00 each.
Successful workshops will advance research within sociology and showcase TASA as the face of sociological/interdisciplinary research in the region; engaging with issues of national concern; advancement of knowledge; support innovative ideas, and, the potential of feeding into policy and practice development.
Expression of interest deadline: July 14th.
| | | | Join us for a relaxed morning coffee with fellow postgrads at Three Williams, Redfern!
This is a great opportunity to connect with like-minded peers, share your research journey, and chat about postgrad life over a warm brew (or two). Whether you're in the thick of writing or just starting out, this informal catch-up is all about community and support.
Event Details:
Date: This Monday 30 June
Time: 10:00am – 11:00am (AEST)
Venue: Three Williams, Redfern
| | | | TASA Postgraduate inaugural Reading Group will take place online on Tuesday 15th July at 10am - 11am (AEST).
We invite you to join us as we explore this month's theme of Decolonial Sociology.
Event Details:
Date: July 15th
Time: 10am - 11am (AEST)
Venue: online
| | | | Come join us for a relaxed morning coffee with fellow postgrads at MeMi Cafe, Sandy Bay, ANU!
This is a wonderful chance to connect with like‑minded peers, swap stories about your research journey, and chat openly about the highs (and lows!) of postgrad life — all over a warm cup (or two). Whether you’re deep in the writing zone or just finding your feet, this is an informal space where you can relax, make connections, and feel supported.
Event Details:
Date: Thursday 21st July
Time: 10:00am – 11:00am
Venue: MeMi Cafe, Sandy Bay
| | | | Pop by for a relaxed morning coffee with fellow postgrads at As You Like It, Street Theatre, ANU!
It’s the perfect opportunity to meet like‑minded researchers, share stories about your postgrad journey, and connect with others who understand the challenges (and victories!) that come with it. Whether you’re tackling a chapter or just starting out, this informal catch‑up is all about building connections, sharing support, and enjoying a well‑earned cup (or two).
Event Details:
Date: Thursday 24th July
Time: 10:30am – 11:30am
Venue: As You Like It, Street Theatre, ANU
| | | CALL FOR PAPERS: Non-religion, Spirituality & Secularism in Public
The Sociology of Religion thematic group of TASA is inviting scholars working in the fields of non-religion, spirituality, and secularism, to submit an abstract for a symposium to be held at the University of Sydney on the 3rd of October 2025.
Please submit your abstracts via email to k.strehle@westernsydney.edu.au by the 18th of July 2025. Abstracts should be no more than 300 words in length. All abstracts will be reviewed by the organising committee.
| | | The Urban Sociology Thematic Group invites scholars, practitioners, and students to join us on Wednesday, 9 October at The University of Sydney for an engaging symposium exploring the theme Knowing the City – Movements, Epistemologies, and Visions.
Event Details
Date: 9th October
Time: 9:00am - 5:00pm (AEDT)
Location: University of Sydney
Cost: In-person $30 | Online $20
| | | Contesting Military Identities
Monday 22nd September
TASA's Cultural Sociology Thematic Group in conjunction with UniSA, Flinders University and the Military Organisation and Culture Studies Group are hosting a 1-day conference in Adelaide and online around the theme of Contesting Military Identities.
Abstract submission deadline: July 1st. Read on... | New: Tutoring - Global Society and Change (SOCS101)
Catholic University (ACU) Strathfield campus, Sydney
Up to 4 tutorials, Semester 2, 2025
The unit description is available here.
Applicants should have a PhD in sociology or cognate discipline, or be working towards a PhD in this field(s).
Send expressions of interest, including a brief CV that includes relevant teaching and research experience, to fellow member Associate Professor Tom Barnes as soon as possible.
New: Senior Research Fellow or Research Associate/Fellow (Fixed term - 18 months)
University of Nottingham, Nottingham
Sociology & Social Policy
Join Professor Philippa Tomczak’s £1.3m, five year European Research Council Starting Grant RECEDE: ‘REgulating Criminal justicE DEtention: glocal prospects for improving health and safety in detention and society’.
Application deadline: July 16. Read on... | | Other Events, News & Opportunities | From July 6 to July 13, Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians alike will celebrate NAIDOC week (National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee). This week-long celebration of Indigenous history, culture, and strength has become a period of reflection and festivity alike, with this year's theme "The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy" encouraging a future that promotes Indigenous self-determination and sovereignty. We strongly encourage all to get involved and find out what events are going on in your area. The NAIDOC website contains a list of events, though your local community may have others on as well.
You can access a list of events on the NAIDOC website here. You can access general details about NAIDOC here.
TASA's Indigenous Team: Joann Schmider, Morgan Carter and John Sopar | Funding - Social Sciences Week
| Sparks Grants for Social Sciences Week
The Academy of Social Sciences in Australia has announced a new grant program, commencing in 2025, that will award grants of up to $1,000 to “spark” new ideas and diverse Social Sciences Week events to reach more audiences across Australia.
| New: Spotlight on Stigma
Online, Thursday July 17, 1:00pm - 2:00pm AEST
Speakers include fellow members Christy E. Newman and Anthony K J Smith
Patient work refers to everyday acts of labour that people do to manage their health. Inclusivity labour is one form of patient work that refers to the efforts that marginalised populations, such as migrants and LGBTQ+ people, undertake when anticipating, accessing, and interpreting the practices of health services and health providers to ensure they are inclusive and stigma-free.
New: Habit’s Pathways: Guiding Repetition, Governing Conduct, Contested Interruptions
In-person and online, Monday July 21st, 12:00pm - 1:00pm (AEST)
Drawing principally on the work of Michel Foucault, this paper considers how the relations between habit and repetition have been construed in the exercise of different forms of power: disciplinary, pastoral, governmental, and algorithmic, for example.
Newcastle Youth Studies Online Seminar Series
The Newcastle Youth Studies Centre is a collaborative group of researchers who work with young people to understand their lives, and the social, cultural, and economic forces they are living in. They have the following online seminars scheduled:
- Automating Everyday Life (July 30)
- New Possibilities: Young People and Democratic Renewal (August 20)
- The Political Dynamics of the Weird World of Wellness (September 24)
- The Materialities of Inequality: Mould, Acid and Glitter (October 8)
- The False Divide between Nature and Culture (November 5)
- ‘Your mum didn’t take selfies’: Youth and image cultures on social media (November 19)
For the details of each event, and to register, read on...
Digital Modernities: Why We Need to Think Historically About the Digital Age
Friday 1 August 2-4pm AEST. Followed by Light refreshments 4-5pm
ACU Melbourne campus & online
We are living in an era of digital modernity that amounts to a recursion of earlier periods of colonialism, hyper-capitalism, and great power competition. This talk will explore the implications of this, defining and then framing digital modernity in the context of post-Enlightenment history and pluralistic critical theory.
| Awards - Early Career Research
| Paul Bourke Awards
The Paul Bourke Awards for Early Career Research honour Australians in the early part of their career who have achieved excellence in scholarship in one or more fields of the social sciences.
| Special Issues - call for submissions
| Masculinities and Emotions: Changing Times and Contexts
Emotions and Society
Guest edited by fellow member Roger Patulny and colleague Fiona McQueen
It is a prescient irony, given the stubborn conception that men ‘don’t express feelings’, that the contemporary bonds, behaviours and excesses of masculinity are so deeply immersed in emotion. It has long been recognised that that men’s conflicts are steeped in emotional experiences and dynamics of shame, irritability and anger (Men’s Project and Flood 2024). Similarly, hegemonic and toxic acts often stem from emotions such as pride and fear (Connell and Messerschmidt 2005). Traditional masculinities have also been implicated in men’s desires and struggles to master their own and other’s emotions, whether this be in the context of emotional control (Barrett & Bliss-Moreau, 2009), couple relationships (McQueen, 2017) or emotional flooding (Malik et al 2020). Other works have advanced the study of masculine emotion beyond these dynamics. Some have pointed out that emotional suppression leaves a stark legacy for many men, making them more susceptible to distress and suicide (River and Flood 2021).
Revisiting Janet Wolff: Affinities between Art History and Sociology
Cultural Sociology’s special issue, inspired by the career and work of Janet Wolff, seeks to articulate the affinities between sociological and art historical approaches to the study of artworks and art making, such that a disciplinary divide holds.
Abstract submission deadline: 16 September. Read on...
The Normative Turn in Sociology. Opening the Black Box
Sociology’s special issue hopes to lay the groundwork for a sociology of normativity; that is, a form of sociology (be it “critical” or otherwise) which is expressly normative. Editors are looking for contributions, theoretical and/or empirical, that engage with the question of normativity in sociology.
Abstract submission deadline: 22 January 2026. Read on...
Earning while Learning: Experiences, patterns and the political economy of working students
Work, Employment and Society’s new special issue aims to interrogate and fundamentally reconceptualize the relationship between earning and learning, bringing together different disciplinary approaches to interrogate student work and the global political economy that shapes it.
Abstract submission deadline: 27 February 2026. Read on...
Re-examining Norms of Good Citizenship When Democratic Values are Under Threat
Special Issue in Political Psychology
This Special Issue aims to bring together normative and empirical approaches on citizenship, ‘good citizenship’ and norms of ‘good citizenship’ in order to facilitate across-disciplinary dialogue that spans temporal and geographic boundaries.
Abstract submission deadline: July 15th. Read on... | Disability Studies Quarterly (DSQ)
The SDS Board of Directors seeks to appoint a new editor or editorial team for a term of four [2025-2029] years, ideally beginning on November 1, 2025 and ending April 1, 2029. This period includes a 6-month onboarding process under the current editorial team and a 6-month offboarding period with new editors appointed in 2028. The editor or editorial team will work with SDS and the DSQ Editorial Board, and collaborate with The Ohio State University Libraries team. The editor or editorial team will be responsible for putting together a new editorial board under their direction and with input from the SDS Board of Directors.
Expression of interest deadline: August 1st. Read on...
| French Institutes for Advanced Study Fellowship Programme
10 months fellowships at the seven Institutes of Aix-Marseille, Cergy, Loire Valley (Orléans-Tours), Lyon, Montpellier, Nantes and Paris. It welcomes applications from high-level international scholars and scientists to develop their innovative research projects in France.
Available positions for the 2026-2027 academic year
Application deadline: July 16 (6pm Paris, France time). Read on...
Forrest Research Foundation Scholarships 2026
The Forrest Fellowships aim to attract early-career researchers from around the world to work in Perth, Western Australia. Applicants should be leading their field of research and be driven by a desire to solve the world’s grand challenges. The Fellowships are aimed at those who have completed their PhD in the last two years (conferred from 1 January 2023) or who will complete it in 2025.
| Refugee Trauma Recovery in Resettlement
Forum of Australian Services for Survivors of Torture and Trauma (FASSTT)
Bringing together leading researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and community advocates from across Australia and New Zealand, the conference will address the complex and critical needs of refugees who have experienced torture and trauma. The event will serve as a vital platform for sharing knowledge, fostering collaboration, and promoting best practices in the field of refugee mental health and psychosocial support.
Submission deadline: August 31st. Read on...
The Western Sydney University Challenging Racism Project (CRP) and University of Melbourne Anti-Racism Hallmark Research Initiative (ARHRI) are holding a cross-disciplinary one-day conference
Friday November 7th, Western Sydney University, Parramatta City campus
The conference will be free to attend.
This event will bring together researchers and practitioners who are undertaking work related to anti-racism. This will be an opportunity for us all to learn more about each other’s work, build networks, and explore the potential for future collaborations.
Abstract submission deadline: August 1st. Read on...
Development in Turbulent Time
20th Annual International & Interdisciplinary Conference of International Partners
University Luigj Gurakuqi Shkoder, ALBANIA
14-15 November 2025
Abstract submission deadline: 14 September. Read on...
Centering Care Across the Life Course
SAVE THE DATE
Concordia University in Montreal Canada
June 17-20, 2026
Submissions open in July and close November 1. Read on... | | Queer Temporalities
Online and in-person at Macquarie University 1-3 October
Exploring the theories and possibilities of queer lives unbeholden to normative narratives of time, memory, success, love, happiness, and family.
| | |  | The Jobs & Scholarships Board allows you to view opportunities that TASA Admin and fellow members have posted.
In 4 easy steps, you can upload job & scholarship opportunities from your member's profile screen. For instructions, visit here.
The Jobs & Scholarships Board is a public facing searchable feature of TASAweb.
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 | TASA’s Executive Committee (EC) governs the Association and manages its daily business as outlined in the Constitution and by established policies. A call for nominations for the 2027 – 2028 Executive term will be disseminated on July 1, 2026.
The November 2024 - November 2026 Executive Team can be viewed on TASAweb here.
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 | TASA was officially established under the name of the Sociological Association of Australia and New Zealand (SAANZ) in 1963, crystallising what was a long, and perhaps delayed process of the discipline’s development in Australia.
For the 50th anniversary celebrations in 2013, pages on TASA's history were added to TASAweb.
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 | The more members TASA has, the stronger our association can be.
To help spread the word about TASA, you can quickly and easily gift a TASA membership to someone from within your TASA membership profile.
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 | | TASA members have free access to over 90 peer-reviewed Sage Sociology full-text collection online journals encompassing over 63,000 articles. The image on the left shows you where to access those journals, as well as the Sage Research Methods Collection & the Taylor and Francis Full Text Collection, when logged in to TASAweb. If needed, here is a short instructive video on how to access the online resources. |
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 | TASA currently has 27 thematic groups in operation and members can join up to 4 groups. This can be done quickly, and easily via your membership profile.
Watch the very short video (1:30) to learn how to join a thematic group/s.
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 | TASA's Membership Directory allows you to search for members by country and state. It also has search functions for members of a particular thematic group, and members who are available for supervision and/or mentoring.
To learn how to search the Membership Directory, watch this very short video (1 min).
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 | Via your membership profile, you can update many options including adding a secondary email address, and indicating if you are available for mentoring, supervising, consulting, and/or talking to the media, for example. If you are in a Tier 2, Tier 3 & Tier 4 membership category, you can also opt in or out of receiving a hard copy of the Journal of Sociology.
All of these changes can be done quickly and easily. To learn how, watch this video (1 min). |
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Personal pronoun preferences can be added to your profile. There are 9 combination options to choose from. Please let Sally in TASA Admin know if your preference/s is not on the list and we will have them added.
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 | We encourage you to support your colleagues by sharing details of your latest publications with them via this newsletter. No publication is too big or too small.
Any mention of sociology is of value to our association, and to the discipline, so please do email through details of your latest publication/s (fully referenced & with a link, where possible), events, job adverts etc. for the next newsletter, to TASA Admin (right click to retrieve the email address). Usually, the newsletter is disseminated every Thursday morning. |
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 | As part of the agreement with Taylor & Francis, TASA members are entitled to a 30% books discount. This discount is valid on any full priced CRC Press or Routledge book.
To access the book discount, click on the following link and then log in to TASAweb: book discount link. |
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Admin (Sally): admin@tasa.org.au
Events (Penny): events@tasa.org.au
Membership (Ali): membership@tasa.org.au
Indigenous (John): indigenousmembership@tasa.org.au
Thematic Groups (Naomi): thematicgroups@tasa.org.au
Postgraduates (Molly): postgraduates@tasa.org.au | |