ISARC10InternetForum

Program Coordinators

• Fátima ASSUNÇÃO, University of Lisboa, Portugal, fassuncao@iscsp.ulisboa.pt
• Isabel DA COSTA-IDHE, École Normale Supérieure de Cachan, France, isabel.da-costa@ens-cachan.fr

Social Enterprises and Empowerment

with RC 26

I Monday, 11 July 2016: 09:00 AM - 10:30 AM, NIG, Hörsaal 4A KS

Social Enterprises and Empowerment. Part I

II Monday, 11 July 2016: 10:45 AM - 12:15 PM, NIG, Hörsaal 4C G

Session Organizer(s):
Social Enterprises and Empowerment. Part II

Maria FREGIDOU-MALAMA, mma@hig.se, University of G_vle - Faculty of Education and Business Studies, Sweden
Session in English
Joint Session with RC10
Social entrepreneurship and social enterprises create social change for the development of value for the society and individuals wellbeing. By creating new employment structures marginalized people are empowered to establish, develop and lead their own enterprises which enhances their independence. The enterprises are people oriented, driven by social causes, democratically owned and controlled by their members and take economic and social responsibility for the development of local societies for the benefits of the members and the society. They attract members by stressing democratic management and members´ sovereignty, educating people, involving and networking with people and organisations globally and using mouth to mouth marketing. By developing networks with members and other stakeholders they promote problem solving in the local economy. Cooperatives, mutual organisations, work integration social enterprises, NGO: s or other associations operate to create sustainable change in the society. For the established social enterprises we can see an enlargement of the market and also increased responsibility pressure for innovations. Research on social enterprises can contribute to the literature about business development by presenting a model of successful operation of alternative enterprises. What characterises social enterprises, their organising, leadership, members´ democracy, networking with the public sector for joint undertakings, social responsibility, women in social enterprises, micro credits, credit cooperatives, success factors, financial aspects or social causes are vital issues for research. Comparative Studies between countries and organisations can be an essential issue in how to produce social change in today´s international world and market social business.

Sociology of the Future: Braiding Theory-Making and Policy/ Practice Change-

Critical Reflections on Gender and Future of Democracy;
Monday, 11 July 2016: 02:15 PM - 03:45 PM, Juridicum, Seminarsaal 10
Sociology of the Future: Braiding Theory-Making and Policy/ Practice Change


Diversities in Theory Making and policies for the Future
Wednesday, 13 July 2016: 09:00 AM - 10:30 AM, NIG, Seminarraum 5C G - see below

Session Organizer(s):

Eleni NINA PAZARZI, enina04@yahoo.gr, University of Piraeus, Greece
Julia ROZANOVA, julia.rozanova@yale.edu, Yale University, USA
Session in English

Social theory and applied sociological research are frequently viewed as specialized and separate sub-fields of sociological discipline. Applied sociological research serves as foundation for evidence-based practice change across many fields like management, public administration, social work, education, and healthcare, to name just a few essential areas. Looking forward, is making sociological theory and conducting applied research going to increasingly be two separate ‘camps’ inside sociology, or will they come together and if so, how and under what circumstances? This question is extremely relevant both from the point of view of sociology of knowledge and the future of sociology itself and from the point of view of research-informed practice. As societies strive and struggle towards better, more peaceful, more democratic, and more participatory futures, applied sociological research may illuminate the way, but simultaneously theory is crucial for making sense of changes. But is applied research mostly or exclusively a user of sociological theory – or is it also a creator of new theory to better explain the contemporary state of the world?
This Roundtable session invites papers that explore in a national or in comparative perspective the specific cases of ‘braiding’ and coming together of theory-making and policy and practice change and/or of divergence of theoretical and applied sociological research, in various areas including but not limited to:

• Public Sociology:During the last decades, disciplines of Social Sciences and Sociology have moved from a “pure” science to public social science. The increasing numbers of social problems and diverse issues have led to the need of re-conceptualization in the field of sociology in many aspects. Public Sociology, as Burawoy states, could play a role in this aspect, only as “organic public sociology” by being not just a form of sociological practice that suits to the social justice foundations of sociology. This reorientation of sociology to promote collaborative research and dialogue between the public and the sociologists on issues of social justice, equality, democracy, participation, working life conditions etc is the only way to promote this dialogue and to play an active role in societies and to achieve a better world in several spheres of life. Some key questions to be answered or discussed in the context of the theme of this session would be: How can sociology contribute to the debates on key issues of society? Which are the ways that researchers, practitioners and activists can collaborate in order to have a better knowledge of reality and influence the changes for the future? How public sociology can challenge the past of the theory and research on working life, participation and democracy in organizations? How the organization can be more democratized and use more participatory practices?
• The World Social Forum as a Sociological Arena to build a Better World:
  There are two alternative projects of globalization that the session wants to outline and contrast. The Neoliberal project, associated with the tenets of classical economic theory, particularly as formulated by Milton Friedman at the Chicago School, fundamentally based in the mind set of competition and the gale of creative destruction through profit driven entrepreneurship, expanding market forces leading to short-termism, privatization, consumerism. It’s global reach is annually discussed at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland. The World Social Forum (WSF) emerged since 2001 in Porto Alegre, RGS, Brasil, as an alternative to the WEF. The WSF constitutes an insurgent project of alter-globalization process of social inclusion, currently under construction at the local, national, regional and planetarian levels, with a clear emphasis on political, negotiated (plus/plus), non-violent ways of conflict resolution and a culture of peace. It is a space for supporting radical social innovation in line with the utopian and self-management traditions in the social sciences, conceived in terms of social economy, human solidarity and sharing, local development, participatory democracy and the reclaiming of the commons and social welfare. How may this project become viable and sustainable at the planetarian level? To become viable, self-management approaches is becoming the preferred road to approach the realms of economic production and distribution of goods and services, with an ecology-friendly approach to nature and agriculture (agro-ecology), also including financial services, fair trade, social equality, quality education and health for all, and the use of science and technology for the common good

• Gender Equality Issues: Women's Voices in Management in Different Cultural Settings:
  This proposal is to develop the issue of gender equality through contributions to a specific table in the Roundtable about “Sociology of the Future: Braiding Theory-Making and Policy/Practice Change”
  Our own presentation for that table would explore women's voices in management in different cultural settings – contexts emphasizing and materializing gender equality such as in the Nordic countries and in other settings less committed to gender equality such as the Mediterranean and the more traditional societies. We attempted to extend the knowledge base on the relationship between gender and top management, entrepreneurship and leadership in the complex socio-political and culturally diverse societies. Due to the combined scholarly and pragmatic orientation, it aims to derive insights amenable to implementation into economic and educational policies; namely endeavours to enhance the research-practice interface, making the knowledge obtained from research usable - be converted to operations, in particular policy recommendations and training activities and point at potential partnerships among international forums, national and local governments and NGOs engaged in gender equality issues.
  Bibliography: Helena Desivilya Syna and Carmen Eugenia Costea (eds): Women's Voices in Management: identifying innovative and responsible solutions, Palgrave Macmillan, 2015 (forthcoming).
  Mino Vianello and Mary Hawkesworth (eds.): Gender and Power: Toward a Just Democratic Future, Palgrave Macmillan, 2015 (forthcoming).
  .

Participation and Democracy in the Futures We Want: Social Actors and New Demands

- emerging trends in Brazil;

Monday, 11 July 2016: 16:00 PM - 017:30 PM, Juridicum, Seminarsaal 10

Participation and Democracy in the Futures We Want: Social Actors and New Demands


- rediscovering democracy: actor demands in several sectors
Monday, 11 July 2016: 14:15 PM - 15:45 PM, NIG, Seminarraum 5C G

Round-table Organizer(s)
Fatima Assuncao, University of Lisboa Portugal, fassuncao@iscsp.ulisboa.pt, University of Lisboa, Portugal
; Luciana Souza, Faculdade de Direito Milton Campos, Brazil, dralucianacsouza@gmail.com
Session in French, English, Spanish

After a long period of dictatorships, Latin America resumed his political and social reconstruction from primarily from the1990s when new constitutional parameters were established by the legal system with the purpose to consign rights born of the demands made by the socia lactors.Almos tthirty years later we must make an assessmen tif the demands were met, whether social actors remain the same,which instruments were created to support this process of redemocratization and, finally, if what is meant or democracy on the continen ttoday corresponds to the desire expressed in the streets in previous years,especially in the social struggle phase against local military regimes. This session welcomes articles that discuss this reality from a historical perspective, as well as the predictive point of view or even the analysis on the current situation in any particular country.

Climate Change, Famines and Conflicts in Globalised World: Participation, Organizational Democracy and Self-Management

Tuesday, 12 July 2016: 09:00 AM - 10:30 AM, Juridicum, Seminarsaal 20
Climate Change, Famines and Conflicts in Globalised World: Participation, Organizational Democracy and Self-Management

Session Organizer(s):

P P Balan balanpp25@gmail.com

The climate change, famine (due to draught and flooding both) and conflicts seem to be affecting a sizeable population in the globalised world. Participation, organisational democracy and self-management seem to be crucial for addressing issue of growing problems the world is facing today due to climate change, famines, food crises and conflicts. The earth`s ability to produce food for the world population is limited and climate change seems to be affecting future prospects. Market forces are getting strong and creating hurdles for livelihood of millions of people and also efficient management of existing resources for poor. The chances of famines seem to be more in both the areas facing water scarcity or water overflows. It seems humanitarian relief systems are grossly inadequate. The peace development in many regions seem to be at stake due to growing conflicts and poor organisational regimes. The session will address the theoretical and methodological challenges by exploring the emerging issues and options in the context of famines and conflicts and how participation, organisational democracy and self management could help to tackle such emerging challenges.

The Role of Participation, Organizational Democracy and Self-Management in the Futures We Want,

II Tuesday, 12 July 2016: 10:45 AM - 12:15 PM, Juridicum, Seminarsaal 20

The Role of Participation, Organizational Democracy and Self-Management in the Futures We Want. Part II
I Tuesday, 12 July 2016: 02:15 PM - 03:45 PM, NIG, Seminarraum 5C G
Session Organizer(s):
The Role of Participation, Organizational Democracy and Self-Management in the Futures We Want. Part I
Isabel DA COSTA, isabel.da-costa@ens-cachan.fr, CNRS-IDHE, _cole Normale Sup_rieure de Cachan, France
Session in French, English
The “Futures we want” should foster Participation, Organizational Democracy and Self-Management. Most often than not however, the responses to the crisis have, on the contrary, recently entailed in many countries unpopular austerity measures decided in a top down and technocratic manner that have threatened existing social and political participative schemes. Thus participation and organizational democracy seem to be shrinking rather than increasing at the global level. Increasing inequality, oppression, and ecological destruction have also brought about protests and struggles for a better world.
How are different forces positioned to shape futures? What visions for alternative futures are imaginable, desirable, and achievable that include democracy and participation at all levels? What can we learn from comparing struggles in different countries and settings? What are viable roadmaps for participative social transformation?
This session will focus on how the Futures we want can include an increased role for democracy and participation at all levels, from the workplace to the political sphere.

N.B.
RC10 involved all the members of its executive in writing a collective paper
12.2 Participation, Organizational Democracy and Self Management: Past, Present, and Future
Isabel DA COSTA, CNRS-IDHE, France; Julia ROZANOVA, Yale University, USA; Fatima ASSUNCAO, University of Lisboa, Portugal; Eleni NINA-PAZARZI, University of Piraeus, Greece; Catherine CASEY, University of Leicester, United Kingdom,
in order to engage and exchange with other RCs during the ISA Common sessions for ISA 2016 Forum:
"From its inception in 1978 within ISA, the activities of RC10 on “Participation, Organizational Democracy and Self-Management” have aimed at uniting the professional qualities, social consciousness and experience of its members for work on its field and the promotion of its topics. These seem more than ever part of the struggle for a better future, which we believe should include democracy and participation at all levels from the workplace to the political sphere. However, the responses to the crises have, on the contrary, recently entailed in many countries unpopular austerity measures decided in a top-down technocratic manner that threatened existing social and political participative schemes. Thus participation, organizational democracy, and self-management seem to be shrinking rather than increasing at the global level and increasing inequality, oppression, and ecological destruction have brought about protests and struggles for a better world.
In our contribution we will first present the perspective of RC10 regarding the common topics of the Forum, and then develop what we believe are important topics for future directions, in particularly those steaming from our sessions in this Forum, such as: Public Sociology to promote collaborative research and dialogue between the public and the sociologists on issues of social justice, equality, democracy, participation, working life conditions, and other related issues; the future of participation in organizational life with a focus on the development of capabilities, capacities and innovations; gender relations and the construction of a more participative society by looking at women’s participation in entrepreneurship; unequal opportunities to participation for citizens within total institutions, in particular prisons, and nursing homes; and the need for continuing struggles for democratic participation."
Integral version of the collective paper's abstract:

RC10 abstract contribution for ISA Common sessions.pdf

The collective paper will be orally presented during
Common Session 2A - The Futures We Want: Global Sociology and the Struggles for a Better World
Tuesday, 12 July 2016: 17:45-19:15
Location: Hörsaal I (Neues Institutsgebäude (NIG))
Chair:
Dilek CINDOGLU, Abdullah Gul University, Turkey

Democratic Decentralisation and Justice Delivery

Tuesday, 12 July 2016: 04:00 PM - 05:30 PM, NIG, Seminarraum 5C G
Democratic Decentralisation and Justice Delivery


Session Organizer(s):

P. P. BALAN, balanpp25@gmail.com, Kerala Inst Local Administration, India
Session in English
The problem of access to justice encompasses absence of knowledge as to one’s rights; where to go in case of violation of a right and what to do in order to get redressal. The problem is further aggravated by one’s incapacity to understand legal jargon. The high cost involved in the legal procedure, which keeps the aggrieved away from the formal court set-up is also another matter of concern. The widespread corruption prevailing in the judicial system and the legal complexities of the system are another hindrance. The procedure in courts is extremely complex, which only lawyers can understand. In addition to the above, denial of access to justice has led to mushrooming of parallel systems of justice. Nobly can deny the fact that democratization of the justice delivery system should start at the grass roots level through transforming and sensitizing existing dispute settlement mechanisms to human rights and constitutional values and linking them with the formal justice system. Justice is critical to any poverty reduction agenda and economic growth. A functioning justice system is not only a mark of development but also a factor of development. Thus, access to justice is not only central to the realization of constitutionally guaranteed rights, but also to broader goals of development and poverty reduction and urgently needs acceptance as a development indicator.

see above:
Diversities in Theory Making and policies fort the Future
Rediscovering Democracy, Social Actors and New Demands
Wednesday, 13 July 2016: 09:00 AM - 10:30 AM, NIG, Seminarraum 5C G

The Future of Organizational and Workplace Participation: Capacities, Capabilities, Innovations

Wednesday, 13 July 2016: 09:00 AM - 10:30 AM, NIG, Seminarraum 5C G
The Future of Organizational and Workplace Participation: Capacities, Capabilities, Innovations

Session Organizer(s):

Catherine CASEY, c.casey@leicester.ac.uk, University of Leicester, United Kingdom

Volker TELLJOHANN, volker_telljohann@er.cgil.it, IRES Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Session in English
Researchers and practitioners have observed that employee participation in workplace and organizational politics and decision-making is frequently subject to fluctuations in interest, commitment, durability and effectiveness. Participation presents an ambivalent character. Many have noted decline in established institutional channels such as works councils and trade union representation and/or the distinct unevenness of active retention of those institutions across sectors, occupations, and demographic distribution. Organizations are pressured to adopt dynamic and flexible structures for market competitiveness which can inhibit the development and effectiveness of participatory channels.
At the same time, new or refreshed models of voice expression and interest representation are evident, including over the recent decade efforts to implement the Information and Consultation of employees Directive in various European Union member-states. As well, the continuing development of European Works Councils in transnational companies is generating new institutional arrangements and capacities. Furthermore, researchers turn attention to investigation of the uses and potential of new social media as channels for employee expression and demand formation.
What are the factors that may affect the capacity, quality and effectiveness of participation institutions in organizations? What stimulates or obstructs development among organizational personnel of the skills and capabilities to participate? How are actors addressing those concerns? Are fresh linkages between capabilities and democratic polities emerging?
This session invites papers that address questions of the future of participation in organizational life. In particular, papers that address questions of the development of capabilities, capacities and innovations are encouraged.


Wednesday, 13 July 2016: 10:45 AM - 12:15 PM, NIG, Seminarraum 5C G
The Impacts of the Debt Crisis on the World of Work in Southern Europe
Session Organizer(s):

Maria da Conceicao CERDEIRA, mcerdeira@iscsp.ulisboa.pt, SOCIUS, Portugal

Fatima ASSUNCAO, fassuncao@iscsp.ulisboa.pt, University of Lisboa, Portugal
Session in Spanish, English
The current crisis has strongly affected the southern European countries, especially those that required financial assistance. Changes in labour law and collective bargaining, cuts in social benefits and salaries, high rates of unemployment among young people and soaring levels of emigration indicate the multiple ways in which these societies have been under pressure. In addition, the Greek case has shown that the analysis of the effects of the European debt crisis cannot be dissociated from a reflection on the meaning and place of solidarity in the European Project.
As the fights for the futures we want involve a global sociology, this session aims to debate the impacts of the debt crisis in the world of work, by considering the trends observed in southern Europe. The discussion is also expected to address the role of European institutions in designing mechanisms that promote solidarity among individual member states.
Bearing in mind the experience of the countries under analysis, we invite proposals that address questions such as: What are the effects of the debt crisis on the level and quality of employment of different social groups? What are its implications on the regulation of employment? How does trade unionism interact with the development of protest movements? How can European institutions promote labour standards and social welfare through effective forms of cooperation between member states?
We therefore welcome papers that discuss the impacts of this crisis on employment and industrial relations in southern Europe and consider the construction of the European project.

Rediscovering Latin America democracy: actor demands in several sectors

Wednesday, 13 July 2016: 14:15 PM - 15:45 PM, NIG, Seminarraum 5C G
Session Organizer: Luciana SOUZA
Chair: Teresa MONTAGUT
After a long period of dictatorships, Latin America resumed its political and social reconstruction primarily from the 1990s when new constitutional parameters were established by the legal system with the purpose to consign rights born of the demands made by the social actors. Almost 30 years later we must make an assessment if the demands were met, whether social actors remain the same, which instruments were created to support this process of redemocratization and, finally, if what is meant by democracy on the continent today corresponds to the desire expressed in the streets in previous years, especially in the social struggle phase against local military regimes.
This session welcomes articles that discuss this reality from a historical perspective, as well as the predictive point of view or even the analysis on the current situation in any particular country.

Civic Participation in Globalising World. Inequalities, Patterns and Determinants

Wednesday, 13 July 2016: 04:00 PM - 05:30 PM, NIG, Seminarraum 5C G
Civic Participation in Globalising World. Inequalities, Patterns and Determinants


Session Organizer(s):

Pawel STAROSTA, starosta@uni.lodz.pl, University of Lodz, Poland
Session in English
Session Abstract
The process of global transformation is accompanied by various consequences. One of the globalist's fundamental theses assumes that alongside the free flow of goods, ideas and people, possibilities of citizens to shaping political and social structures increase as well. In the other world, a greater range of freedom and smaller pressure from state structures put the individual potential to the increase of common good, democracy and civic participation. On the other hand, the proponents of globalization underline that the processes of globalization, mainly the declining role of the national state and the growing role of freedom of individuals leads to quite opposite results. According to them, the normative system undergoes differentiation and relativisation, social life becomes increasingly privatised and consequently the public sphere falls down.
The main goal of this session is to make an attempt at answering three main problem questions:
1/ What is the general level of civic participation in different societies and social settings in the end of the first decade of the 21st century and what is the scale of inequalities in this respect?
2/ What patterns of civic participation dominate in different societies and communities? what models or what variables are best fitted to explain changeability of civic participation levels and patterns in a globalizing world?

Self-Management as Simultaneous Goal and Means of Overcoming Systemic Accumulation of Capital Crisis

Thursday, 14 July 2016: 09:00 AM - 10:30 AM, NIG, Seminarraum 5C G
Self-Management As Simultaneous Goal and Means of Overcoming Systemic Accumulation of Capital Crisis
Session Organizer(s):

Vera VRATUSA, vvratusa@sezampro.rs, Belgrade University, Serbia, retired
Session Chair:
Azril Bacal, Sweden Un, retired
Session in English, Spanish and French
The main aim of this session is to initiate longitudinal, multidisciplinary and multi-perspective comparative research of self-management theory and practice, focusing what is common and what is specifically different between concepts and practices of self management, participation and organizational democracy, all three contained in the official name of RC10.
This session calls for face to face and virtual dialogue (at http://isarc10internetforum.wikispaces.com/ISA+2016 and discussion part of http://isarc10internetforum.wikispaces.com/Self-Management+As+Simultaneous+Goal+and+Means) on theoretical and empirical, quantitative and qualitative social relations’ transformation oriented research of historical, socially structured and individual sources of undesirable present state of social inequality, oppression, re-colonization war and ecological disaster, on the one hand, and diverse visions of attainment of desirable alternative futures of equality, freedom, solidarity and ecological sustainability on the other, focusing participation in substantially democratic and self-managing overcoming of class division of alienated labor on managing and executing work functions as simultaneous goal and means of desirable future attainment.

Session Description:

The main aim of this session is to initiate longitudinal, multidisciplinary and multi-perspective comparative research of self-management theory and practice, focusing what is common and what is specifically different between concepts and practices of self management, participation and organizational democracy, all three contained in the official name of RC10.
This session calls for face to face and virtual dialogue (at http://isarc10internetforum.wikispaces.com/ISA+2016 and discussion part of http://isarc10internetforum.wikispaces.com/Self-Management+As+Simultaneous+Goal+and+Means) on theoretical and empirical, quantitative and qualitative social relations’ transformation oriented research of historical, socially structured and individual sources of undesirable present state of social inequality, oppression, re-colonization war and ecological disaster, on the one hand, and diverse visions of attainment of desirable alternative futures of equality, freedom, solidarity and ecological sustainability on the other, focusing participation in substantially democratic and self-managing overcoming of class division of alienated labor on managing and executing work functions as simultaneous goal and means of desirable future attainment.

Format: Oral
Language:
English; Spanish; Franch. All effort will be exerted to enable dialoguing on a common theme of participants speaking different languages, mostly with help of google translate program, dictionaries and mutual help : ).

Session OrganizerVera VRATUSAProf.Dr. (retired):Belgrade UniversitySerbia
Email: vvratusa@sezampro.rs

https://f-bg.academia.edu/veravratusa
author publisher 978-86-88347, creator and organizer of ISA RC 10 forum wiki and other esociology wikis under the Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike 3.0 Licens
Chair:
Azril BACAL ROIJ, Uppsala University, Department of Sociology, Sweden, Sweden