Group Travel for U.S. Participants in the XVIII ISA World Congress of Sociology, Yokohama, Japan, July 13-19, 2014

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SES-1345594Sally HillsmanAmerican Sociological AssociationThe International Sociological Association (ISA), the major international organization of sociologists, hosts The World Congress meetings every four years. The meeting is the most important opportunity for U.S. sociologists to exchange ideas and scholarship, develop personal and institutional contacts, and promote collaborations on an international scale. The theme of the VIIIth Congress is "Facing an Unequal World: Challenges for Global Sociology," and features sessions focusing on inequalities in different social contexts and situations in an increasingly interconnected, interdependent, and globalized world. The importance of social media, consequences of the economic crisis of 2008, impacts of natural/environmental disasters such as the earthquake in Japan, and the influence of social movements--from the "Arab Spring," to the "occupy movements"-- are illustrative of themes of sessions will be held at the Congress. The Congress is therefore particularly valuable given the need to promote international collaborations on challenges arising from such worldwide social problems, global transformations, and environmental concerns that transcend national The World Congress meeting consists of hundreds of sessions, exhibits, and other events, and draws approximately 5,000 participants from around the world. Travel grants to support transportation of U.S. sociologists ensures a strong presence of U.S. scholars in this important venue and permits continued growth of international exchange and collaboration in sociology. The selection process for travel support will include a peer-reviewed assessment of applications, managed by the American Sociological Association, to ensure a presence at the World Congress of junior scholars and sociologists underrepresented in international scholarly meetings. Broader ImpactsSociology has the capacity to contribute valuable insights on many pressing global issues. The Travel Support program provides an opportunity for scholars with a worldwide perspective to present their research at a major international conference. In administering the travel grant, the American Sociological Association places great emphasis on encouraging young scholars, underrepresented minorities, and women to apply for travel support. Support for U.S. sociologists thus advances the scholarship of those who might not otherwise have an opportunity to attend an international meeting. In addition to benefiting individual scholars, U.S. involvement contributes more generally to the advancement of sociological knowledge worldwide, to the internationalization of science, and to facilitating processes that ensure that the scientific enterprise itself builds upon the many contexts in which it is carried out, and that it improves the lives of people around the world.