Call for Papers
Undergraduate and Graduate Student Conference
Social Justice in a Changing World
Organized by the Roosevelt University Sociological Society
Chicago, Illinois
Roosevelt University
April 17, 2009

The challenges the world faces in 2009 are daunting in both their scale and scope. Crises of economy, polity, environment and culture are multilayered and inter-connected – impacting community, city, national and global systems.  Generating social science discourses informed by principles of social justice is vital for addressing these multifaceted challenges.  The Sociological Society of Roosevelt University seeks to bring undergraduate and graduate students together for a one day conference on Social Justice in a Changing World.  We seek to foster discussion on both the nature of challenges confronting local and global communities as well as possible solutions that can be pursued or are already being advanced by social justice movements.

Possible topics can include, but are not limited to:

*  Economic development, economic crisis, and globalization,
*  Poverty, income inequality, gender pay gap and livable wage campaigns,  
*  Public policy, social services and the welfare state,
*  Environmental issues, sustainability, and resource depletion,  
*  Labor market and unionization,
*  Culture and the media,
*  Education inequalities and policy, and bilingual education,
*  Childcare, gay marriage and domestic violence,
*  Affordable housing, public housing, gentrification/redevelopment, subprime mortgage crisis, and housing foreclosures,
*  The immigrant experience and immigration reform politics,
*  Politics, human rights, democracy, civil society and non-governmental organizations,
*  Healthcare and reproduction rights,
*  The Wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Palestine,
*  Social transformation in Latin America,
*  Criminal justice, the prison-industrial complex and the war on drugs,
*  Local and global social justice movements,
*  And the intersections of class, gender, sexuality, race and ethnicity within these topics

Panels will last one and a half hours each. Each panel will consist of 4 presentations.  Presenters should plan on speaking no longer than 15 minutes each in order to allow for a question and answer period following the presentations.

Submission Requirements

*  Paper Title, institutional affiliation, and contact information (preferred email address) for all authors
*  A paper abstract summarizing your presentation (up to 200 words)
*  Preferred panel topics
*  AV equipment request (if needed)

Proposal Deadline

Proposals for paper presentation are due by 5:00pm Friday, March 6, 2009.  All papers must be submitted online at SJCWconference@roosevelt.edu.  Online proposal submissions opens February 1, 2009. You will be notified if your paper was accepted/rejected by March 23.

Registration

Registration is free and will be conducted online at SJCWconference@roosevelt.edu.  We will serve light refreshments throughout the day. You will be responsible for your own lunch, though planners will provide information about local restaurants.  There will be a catered reception after the Keynote Panel for all presenters.  You must register for the conference by April 1.

For more information and to access the conference schedule, go to http://faculty.roosevelt.edu/farmer.