Dear ~~first_name~~,
Welcome to this week's TASA newsletter.
There is a lot happening across the Association at the moment, with several important deadlines and opportunities coming up over the next few weeks. To help members keep track of key dates, we are introducing a new TASA Key Dates at a Glance section, which will provide a quick overview of upcoming deadlines, registrations, nominations and other important dates.
We are also pleased to congratulate three TASA members on their recent ARC success, welcome a new member to the Association, highlight members' recent publications, and promote today's Social Theory Thematic Group webinar.
As always, thank you for being part of TASA's community.
| New! TASA Key Dates at a glance
| To help members keep track of important TASA deadlines and opportunities, we've introduced a new quick-reference section highlighting upcoming dates:
- TODAY 4 June - Social Theory Thematic Group webinar: Donald Trump and the Less Agreeable Side of Charisma: Incredulous Onlooking and Anti-structural Power
- 18 June - TASA Thursdays: Unserviceable’ by Design: Feminist Sociology & the Corporeal Politics of Women’s Military Service
- 19 June - Social Sciences Week funding applications
- 22 June - Health Sociology Review editorship expressions of interest
- 23 June - Retired Career Stage Group catch-up
- 28 June - TASA 2026 Early Bird and Presenter registrations
- 29 June - TASA Election nominations open
- 1 July - Social Stratification Thematic Group one-day symposium abstract submissions
- 17 July - Gary Bouma Memorial Workshop Funding
- 17 July - Distinguished Service to Australian Sociology Award
- 17 July - Outstanding Service to TASA Award
- 17 July - Outstanding Service to the Teaching of Sociology Award
- 17 July - Sociology in Action Award
- 20 July - TASA Election nominations: close Midday (12pm) AEST
- 28 August - Social Stratification Thematic Group one-day symposium: Perceptions and Indicators of Social Class in Australia
| TASA 2026 - Registrations open
| We are pleased to announce that registrations are now open for TASA 2026, which will be held from 23–27 November at the University of the Sunshine Coast on Kabi Kabi Country. Please note, Post Grad Day, some workshop and the Welcome Reception will be held on the Monday. Concurrent sessions and other activities/events will be held from Tuesday to Friday.
In case you haven't heard, this year's conference is an in-person only one.
The available registration categories and pricing are available on the conference website here.
If you plan on attending, and presenting, you will need to register by the 28th of June.
| TASA 2026 Pending Election
| In case you missed our email yesterday, 2026 is an election year for TASA's Executive Committee.
The Executive consists of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Postgraduate Portfolio Leader and up to four Portfolio Leaders as voting members, as well as the Immediate Past President and one representative from the editorial team of each of TASA’s publications as non-voting ex-officio members.
The following positions will be open for nomination:
- President
- Vice-President
- Secretary
- Treasurer
- Indigenous
- Public Sociology
- Equity, Inclusion and Advocacy
- TASA Groups (Thematic Groups and Career Stage Groups
If you are interested in nominating for any of the above roles, you will need two TASA members to support your nomination by signing the nominator form (electronically or by hand).
Nominations will open on Monday 29 June. On that day, members will receive an email containing links to the candidate and nominator forms.
Please note that expressions of interest for the Digital Publications Editor role will also open at the same time.
| This week we are extending our warm congratulations to fellow members Kerryn Drysdale, Jennifer Power and Ruby Grant who, along with a colleague, have been awarded an Australian Research Council Linkage grant for their project 'Promoting Australian lesbian, bisexual, and queer women’s sexual wellbeing'.
Both LGBTQ+ health organisations and women’s health services seek to meet the sexual and reproductive health needs of lesbian, bisexual, queer and other sexuality diverse (LBQ+) women. However, responding to the complex needs of this increasingly diverse population requires targeted health promotion messaging at the level of community. Meaningful collaboration between sectors is needed to identify LBQ+ women’s comprehensive and holistic sexual and reproductive health needs within and across community settings in order to harness lay knowledges and strengths of social connectedness and sexual wellbeing. The project will develop inclusive, affirming health promotion frameworks to inform a nationally scaled action plan.
| Welcome to new member James Purdie, we are so pleased you've joined TASA. This is also a busy time for renewals, and we encourage members who have any concerns about the renewal process, or are having difficulty logging in to the members' portal, to email Ali at membership@tasa.org.au, any time.
| |
Journals
Op-ed / Commentary
| Funding
As announced in last week’s newsletter, TASA has set aside $5,000 in funding for 2026 Social Sciences Week events. TASA is offering grants of up to $1,000, exclusively for TASA members, to support public-facing events during Social Sciences Week 2026.
Applications close on 19 June.
For the full details and the application form link, visit TASAweb here.
TASA's Gary Bouma Memorial Workshop Funding, for 2027 events, is open for applications. 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.
Funding of AU$5,000 (per workshop) available for workshops to be held in Australia.
Applications close on 17 July.
For details, and the application form link, visit TASAweb here.
Distinguished Service to Australian Sociology Award
This award is made to a TASA member who has demonstrated outstanding, significant and sustained service to Australian sociology over many years. While not necessarily a lifetime achievement award, candidates for the Distinguished Service Award would usually be nearing the end of their careers.
In all cases the quality of the service is the determining criterion, rather than the quantity alone.
Outstanding Service to TASA Award
This honour is accorded to a TASA member who has demonstrated an outstanding level of participation in and promotion of TASA over a number of years. There are many ways in which this can occur, but in all cases the quality of the service is the determining criterion, rather than the quantity alone.
Outstanding Service to the Teaching of Sociology Award
This award celebrates outstanding contributions to enhancing the pedagogy, practice or outcomes of teaching and learning sociology in Australia. It recognises contributions at the disciplinary level (rather than acknowledging excellence in teaching within the classroom or institutions). Examples of disciplinary-level contributions include innovations in teaching that increase the impact of sociology teaching beyond university contexts, improve student access, experience and outcomes, or inform disciplinary approaches to learning and teaching. Evidence of these achievements may be demonstrated through feedback from students or peers, and/or through publications (peer-reviewed, policy or general), presentations, media, or other relevant indicators.
Sociology in Action Award
This award recognizes contributions to the practice of sociology outside of academic settings. It is conferred on a TASA member who has made an outstanding contribution to sociological practice in Australia.
In this context, outstanding contributions to sociology in action highlight the value and impact of sociological methods and theories to society. This includes both broad social issues, as well as more focused issues for industry, government, business or community sectors.
| TASA Gift Membership and your workplace | Are your colleagues yet to join TASA? Are you teaching or supervising students who would benefit from connecting with sociologists working in diverse settings?
Your institution, research centre or workplace may wish to use TASA's Gift Membership program to kickstart someone's TASA membership. Gift memberships are a great option for smaller amounts of unspent funds in your budget as we approach the end of the financial year.
TASA members can log into TASAweb and purchase gift memberships via their profile screen. Alternatively, email membership@tasa.org.au to learn more about membership fees and categories, and payment by invoice.
If you are having issues with your login, please do email Ali - membership@tasa.org.au - she can fix log in problems for you!
| The next online meet-up of our Retired Career Stage Group is scheduled for 11am AEST on Tuesday 23 June. If you'd like to be part of this welcoming and stimulating group, please do email Ali at membership@tasa.org.au to be added to the Retired Career Stage Group and receive meeting details.
| TASA Mentorship Program 2026-27
| TASA's 2026 Mentorship Program is now open for Expressions of Interest.
Closing midnight AEST, 18 June 2026.
This 6-month program will foster professional growth and development. Mentor/mentee pairs are encouraged to meet fortnightly or monthly (6–12 sessions in total), either online, in person, or through a mix of both. The program includes online sessions aimed at helping both mentors and mentees get the most out of the experience.
Key Dates:
- July: Acceptance onto program announced
- 4 August: Online Onboarding for mentors and mentees
- 25 August: Online Professional Development Workshop 1
- 13 October: Online Midway Check-in for mentors and mentees
- 9 February: Online Wrap up for mentors and mentees
Workshop dates may change due to unforeseen circumstances. Webinar presentations (excluding Q&A) will be recorded and made available privately for program participants who can’t attend live.
PLUS
Online Professional Development Workshop 2, details TBC
Optional in-person meet up for those mentor/mentee pairs attending TASA 2026
Ready to Get Involved?
Please click the appropriate orange link below to submit your Expression of Interest. If you’d like to be both a mentee and a mentor, please complete both forms.
| TASA THURSDAYS PG 'Creative Participation in Sociological Theory: Art; Reflexivity, and Cultural Sociology| 11th June | 12:30PM AEST
Join us for the next PG Thursday on 11 June, hosted by the co-convenors of TASA's Cultural Sociology Group. Early career researchers Carl Anacin, Don McArthur, and Taylor Richardson-Marlton will explore the role of cultural sociology in contemporary research, reflecting on narrative, meaning-making, identity, creativity, and social justice. Drawing on their own research journeys and publishing experiences, this session offers valuable insights for postgraduate students interested in culture, discourse, and communicating sociological knowledge beyond the thesis.
Click here to register
| | | | TASA THURSDAYS 'Unserviceable’ by Design: Feminist Sociology and the Corporeal Politics of Women’s Military Service | 18th June | 12:30PM AEST
Join us for a TASA Thursdays webinar with fellow member Natalie Merryman exploring gendered harm, institutional power, and embodiment within the Australian Defence Force. Drawing on feminist sociological research with women veterans, this thought-provoking session critically examines how military institutions reproduce inequality and shape lived experiences. Ideal for sociologists, researchers, and anyone interested in gender, power, and institutional cultures.
| | | SOCIAL THEORY WEBINAR SERIES | 4TH JUNE | 12:30PM AEST | ONLINE
Join us TODAY Thursday 4 June for the next Social Theory Thematic Group webinar with Paul Joosse (University of Hong Kong). This compelling session explores the “Trump phenomenon” through the lens of charisma, introducing the concept of the “incredulous onlooker” and its unexpected role in amplifying charismatic power. This is a timely and thought-provoking discussion for anyone interested in political sociology, social theory, and contemporary global dynamics.
| | | The Social Stratification Thematic Group, convened by Jenny Chesters, invites abstracts for a one-day Symposium, Perceptions and Indicators of Social Class in Australia, to be held at the University of Melbourne on Friday 28 August.
This free event, with a keynote address by E/Professor, and long term TASA member, Mark Western, will explore contemporary debates around social class, inequality, education, housing, healthcare, and family background in Australia.
Travel bursaries available. Abstract submission deadline: 5pm, 1 July. For the full details, read on... | | | Journal of Sociology, 62 (1)
| Health Sociology Review, Volume 35, Number 1 (March 2026).
A special issue on, ‘Healthy’ Food Practices: Moving Beyond Healthy Choices and Food Systems, is guest edited by Natalie Jovanovski and Bhavna Middha.
All articles in this special issue are available here.
| Applications are invited for the editorship of Health Sociology Review (HSR) for the three-year term 2027 - 2029.
Transition arrangements will begin later in 2026, although the content for the first issue of 2027, and possibly the second, will be finalised by the out-going editorial team.
The application deadline is Monday 22nd June, 2026.
The full details of the call are available on TASAweb here.
| Scholarship Opportunities
| Media Representation & Public Perception of RNA Vaccines and Therapeutics in Australia
PhD Scholarship
University of Newcastle
Working with fellow member Caragh Brosnan
Creating Safer Sport Communities from Rural to Urban Australia
This is part of an ARC Discovery project Creating Safer Sport Communities from Rural to Urban Australia
The PhD will be housed within Griffith University’s Centre for Social and Cultural Research, Arts, Education and Law group and the Department of Tourism and Marketing, Griffith Business School.
| |
New: Chief Executive Officer
The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia
Experience in research, higher education, public administration or a related field will be highly regarded.
Postdoc Position - Media, Inequality, and Democratic Support
University of Amsterdam
Lecturer in Geography, Sociology and Political Science
Hong Kong Baptist University
The role includes teaching courses in human geography, physical geography, public administration, general sociology, statistics, research methods, and advanced topics in quantitative analysis across these disciplines.
| Other Events, News & Opportunities
| Workshops Program Funding
The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia
The Academy Workshops Program offers Australian social scientists financial assistance to host multidisciplinary workshops which aim to advance research and policy agendas on nationally important issues.
Up to AU$9,000.00 per workshop.
| The Paul Bourke Awards for Early Career Research
Academy of Social Sciences Australia
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.
| Lecture/Panel
New: Innate Variations of Sex Characteristics Lecture and Panel
TOMORROW Friday 5 June, 10.00am – 1.00pm (AEST)
The Berg Family Foundation Seminar Room, The Kirby Institute, UNSW (and online)
The lecture, running from 10.00am to 11.30am, will cover medical and psychosocial perspectives on IVSC, exploring how clinical practices and social contexts shape experiences of care, wellbeing and support, and engaging with broader ethical questions of autonomy and consent. A panel discussion will follow from 12.00pm to 1.00pm. Following the lecture, Associate Professor Morgan Carpenter and Ms Bonnie Hart will be joined by Associate Professor Bridget Haire in a panel discussion. This lively conversation will cover appropriate terminology and framing, and importance of decoupling from gender and sexuality; human rights and subsequent policy and legal developments; and medical and psychosocial perspectives, including aligned debates. Chaired by fellow member Kerryn Drysdale.
Symposiums
The Regulation of Children’s Use of Digital Media in the Asia Pacific
Hybrid (Melbourne city), 17 June, 9am - 5:30pm AEST
This symposium brings together a selection of scholars, policymakers, civil society organisations and industry experts from across the Asia-Pacific region, such as Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, and Vietnam, to discuss the historical development, current landscape, challenges, and future directions of regulating children’s use of digital media.
Seminars
ANU School of Sociology Seminar Series
The program for the ANU School of Sociology Seminar Series is now online. All seminars are hybrid, with options to join via Zoom. Please visit the School’s Humanitix page, here, to view and register for upcoming seminars.
Newcastle Youth Studies Centre (NYSC) 2026 Online Seminar Series
The full 2026 program for the Newcastle Youth Studies Centre’s online seminar series is now out (see below), you can check out each seminar, and register for them, at the NYSC Eventbrite page here.
Note, you can watch the full 2025 recordings at the NYSC's YouTube playlist here.
| Conferences
What is Transience?
Hybrid, Thursday, 11 February 2027
RMIT University
Global Sociology in Turbulent Times
International Sociological Association
XXI ISA World Congress of Sociology
4 to 10 July 2027, Gwangju, Korea
Note, the Call for Sessions deadline, for Research Committees, Thematic Groups & Working Groups is June 25th. Read on...
10th Biennial Social Science Methodology Conference
November 24-26, University of Sydney
| Call for Submissions
New: So Fi Zine #19
So Fi Zine is once again open for your submissions of sociological flash fiction, poetry and visual art.
Submission deadline: 30 June. Read on...
Social Conditions, Clinical Logics: Rethinking Young People’s Engagement with Drug Treatment
International Journal of Drug Policy
This special issue invites submissions that explore or examine how the social conditions of young people’s substance use shape their engagement in drug treatment. Editors are looking for papers that critically explore, among other things, biomedical and psychologised approaches to AOD care, how contexts of crisis and social inequity shape treatment experience, and how treatment might be experienced differently by First Nations, LGBTQ+, refugee, migrant and racialized youth.
| For membership information, processes, and frequently used resources, visit the Members' Navigator. To contact a member of the team directly, see our TASA Staff page.
| Admin (Sally): admin@tasa.org.au
Events (Penny): events@tasa.org.au
Membership (Ali): membership@tasa.org.au
Indigenous (Morgan): indigenoussociology@tasa.org.au
Digital Publications Editor (Roger): digitalpe@tasa.org.au
Thematic Groups (Molly): thematicgroups@tasa.org.au
Postgraduates (Brooklyn): postgraduates@tasa.org.au | |