The 7th Conference of the European Sociological Association
Torun, Poland, 9 - 12 September 2005

Deadline: before 15/02/05.

How & What:
Please email a 200-word abstract (1 max. per individual) in English to Ms Joanna Szalacha (joasza@tlen.pl) or to Mr Piotr Stankiewicz (piotrek@umk.pl). Make sure to include the paper’s title, the author(s)’s name and the desired title, institutional affiliation (both university and department), mailing address, email address, fax and phone number. Decisions concerning submitted abstracts will be communicated by March 31, 2005.

Context:
The post-communist countries’ systemic transformations, combined with globalization, provide a fertile ground for a rapid but often hidden change of the established rules of the game. These processes constitute a natural environment for diverse behind-the-scenes (BTS) activities by actors, who seek to promote their particular interests. Various interest groups engage routinely in illegal activities, contributing to the creation of a “gray zone” of democracy. Those intricate 'behind the scenes' activities in the context of a rapid system makeover are among the major causes of an acute crisis of democratic institutions in transitional societies.

The problems we would like address during our sessions include the following:

• 1. The influence of BTS activities on the privatization processes
• 2. BTS issues in the modern economy, including corporate crime, lawlessness of transnational corporations, price collusion and criminal cartels
• 3. Intelligence services as one of the key actors of political transformation in post-communist states
• 4. BTS issues in local and global politics
• 5. BTS undercurrents in globalization processes
• 6. The impact of BTS interest groups on technological change
• 7. The role of BTS activities in the area of research and development (R&D)
• 8. BTS aspects of dealing with risk
• 9. Theoretical foundations for a sociology of BTS phenomena
• 10. Methodology of BTS research

While it is possible to find some economic, legal and criminological studies related to the above listed issues, there is virtually no relevant research of a sociological nature. Even when sociologists are aware of these problems and talk about them in their everyday-life conversations, they seem to steer clear of this topic in their professional capacity. As a result, a crucial layer of social reality still awaits a systematic sociological exploration. It seams that some invisible barriers – psychological, methodological, ontological, etc – keep sociologists from investigating BTS phenomena. Our research stream might create an opportunity to question and surmount some of these barriers and start the work on viable theoretical approaches and methodological tools. The focus of this research stream will offer scholars an opportunity to meet and lay the groundwork for a new field of inquiry. Its importance will extend far beyond post communist or transitional societies.

There will be a maximum of 8 paper sessions, each of 2 hours duration. About 3-4 papers will be presented in each session.

More information about the ESA conference:Click here

Wednesday 22nd June 2005
London, UK

Deadline: 01/04/05

What: 1-page abstract, 250 word max.

Submission: to Denise Arden (Conference Co-ordinator): d.arden@mdx.ac.uk

More information: Conference website

"Shaping Tomorrow's Business Leaders Today: Changing Society by Changing Management Education"

You are invited to participate in the 2nd International On-line Conference for Business as Agent of World Benefit, February 24-25, 2005. This event will be held entirely on-line. In 2004, the First International Conference for B.A.W.B., brought together over 600 people from 50 countries to discuss ways that business is and can be a force for positive change in today's world.

This year's conference will use a similar format, but will focus on exploring ways that management teachers and scholars can shape tomorrow's business leaders by integrating business and society into the classroom.

Call for Submissions: We invite you to submit case studies, curriculum examples (including readings, syllabi, example assignments, etc.), dialogue starters, and workshop proposals that relate to the conference theme.

Invited keynotes:

• Judith Samuelson is founder and Executive Director of the Business and Society Program at The Aspen Institute
• Ellen Kallinowsky joined the United Nations Global Compact Office in June 2002 as head of the Learning Forum.
• David Cooperrider is Professor and Chairman of the world inquiry for Business As An Agent of World Benefit, at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University
• Michael Dupee is the Vice President for Corporate Social Responsibility at Green Mountain Coffee Roasters in Waterbury Vermont.

ADVANCE applies the Sustainable Value-concept on a large European scale for the first time. The Sustainable Value-concept allows to assess and manage sustainable performance similar to economic performance. For this purpose it makes use of the tools and techniques used in the financial markets to assess and manage economic capital. Sustainable Value allows to express the sustainable performance in monetary terms (e.g. in €). At the same time Sustainable Value acknowledges the complementarity of economic, environmental and social capital. Put differently, Sustainable Value is based on what is called strong sustainability.

To demonstrate the applicability of the Sustainable Value-concept ADVANCE will assess the sustainable performance of European companies. The results will be published and presented at a range of conferences and workshops all over Europe. The ADVANCE project will run until the end of 2006. ADVANCE brings together partners from academia and business from all over Europe.

More info: http://www.advance-project.org