5. CENTENNIAL PLANNING

On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the American Sociological Association in 1980, the editors of The American Sociologist ( TAS ) invited past officers of the Association to “comment on the positive and negative accomplishments of the Association, and their hopes for what it might become.” (February 1981, Editor’s Page) Two volumes of articles were produced from these contributions: the first (February 1981) traced the evolution of the Association through the 1960s, and the second (May 1981), examined sociology’s future. It is noteworthy that concerns expressed then about fragmentation, diversity, participation, and egalitarianism continue to the present (albeit perhaps in different forms). Also evident is the recurring nature of some of the debates and tensions—including, for example, on sociology as a profession and discipline; on goals and objectives for the Association; and on how best to optimize infrastructures to serve members, advance sociology, and promote the public good.

A variety of publications are also planned to mark the Centennial in 2005: A Council Subcommittee on Intellectual History, under the direction of Craig J. Calhoun, is preparing an edited volume on the history of sociology in America, which will be released during the Association’s Centennial celebrations at the 2005 Annual Meeting. An Advisory Committee was appointed for the project consisting of Andrew Abbott, Troy Duster, Barbara Laslett, Alan Sica, and Margaret Somers.

In addition to this volume on the History of the Association commissioned by Council, American Sociological Review editor Jerry A. Jacobs is preparing an Editor’s Comment on “ASR’s Greatest Hits” to examine the influence of this important journal. Teaching Sociology is planning a special issue in honor of the Association’s Centennial. The ASA Section on History of Sociology is also preparing a book on Plural Histories of Sociology , which will be issued as an ASA Section publication.

A light-hearted look on topics about or of interest to sociologists in the form of cartoons from The New Yorker Magazine was released by ASA in November 2004. The hardcover volume is branded with ASA’s name and includes a special cover cartoon commissioned for the publication and an introduction by President Troy Duster. The volume was produced by CartoonBank.com, a subsidiary of The New Yorker Magazine, which holds rights to all images published in The New Yorker magazine over the last 75 years.

Centennial Events and Projects

The ASA Council has been planning Centennial events and publications since February 2001, when Council members discussed at length some ways to mark its 100th anniversary. In December 2000, the Committee on Publications formed a subcommittee to generate ideas about special publications for the centennial, including special issues of journals, “reviews,” and so forth. The February 2002 Council launched a process for planning, organizing, and creating initiatives to mark the Centennial.

A Centennial Subcommittee of Council on Public Outreach and Events, consisting of Victor Nee, Roberta Spalter-Roth, Pamela Walters, and Robert Crutchfield, is exploring projects to reach people beyond the ASA regarding how sociology contributes to society. The Council Subcommittee on International Collaborations is considering ways to link events with an international focus to the Centennial celebration. The 2002 International Sociological Association Meetings (ISA) meetings in Brisbane Australia featured a panel discussion titled “The Internationalization of American Sociology: A Centennial Challenge for the ASA in 2005 and Beyond,” which was designed to generate discussion and ideas for a Centennial event featuring an ISA component.

In August 2003, Council agreed to co-sponsor a meeting of the ISA Committee of National Associations (CNA) in the United States in conjunction with the ASA 2005 Centennial Annual Meeting. The CNA encompasses the 55 collective members of the ISA national and regional members.

At the 2002 ISA World Congress, the ISA Executive Committee approved an initiative to revitalize the CNA, including sponsorship of a meeting prior to the 2006 World Congress in conjunction with the ASA Centennial meeting: This was approved by the ISA Executive Committee in March 2003 and by the ASA Council on August 20th that year.

Douglas Kincaid of Florida International University, ASA’s representative to the ISA, and Sujata Patel of Pune University, ISA Vice President for National Associations and Chair of the CNA, have been organizing and fund raising to hold this meeting in South Florida just prior to the ASA Centennial meeting in Philadelphia in August 2005. ASA Council agreed to provide $14,000 in matching contributions and the 2005 Program Committee has provided space in the invited portion of the program for the participation of the CNA attendees who come to Philadelphia. In addition, both the current president of the ISA and the immediate past-president will present at the Philadelphia meeting. The president of the Italian Sociological Association will also make a presentation to the ASA in Philadelphia honoring the ASA centenary.

The Association plans a variety of activities and events in honor of the Association’s Centennial. In addition to the publications highlighting the Association and sociology’s past, an enhanced ASA website will feature historical records, photos, documents, data, and the volumes on the history of the ASA. A reception on Capitol Hill and media events are being planned, a Centennial Store on the ASA homepage has been set up, and a wide variety of products and instructional resources are being prepared or planned to celebrate ASA’s 100th birthday. ASA commissioned a new logo for the Centennial. The Centennial logo appears on stationery, special commemorative stamps, and on a variety of special products and memorabilia available from the Centennial Store on the ASA homepage.

A timeline of important events in the Association and sociology’s history is being designed and will be featured on large banners to be displayed at the Annual Meeting (the timeline will also be available on the ASA homepage). The content for the banners was prepared, with contributions from sections and others in the ASA. The banners will be created on materials that can be shipped easily so that they can serve as instructional and resource materials on sociology in other venues beyond the Annual Meeting.

A range of other ideas are also being considered to celebrate ASA’s 100th birthday, including expanding the Sorokin lecture series, producing film/video presentations and exhibits, and targeting events at regional and specialty sociological associations. Two documentaries created by sociologist Gale Largey, one on the Presentation of Presidents and another on Lester Ward, the first President of the American Sociological Society, will be premiered at the 2005 Annual Meeting.

The Focus of the 100th Annual Meeting

ASA’s centennial will be the focus of the 100th Annual Meeting in Philadelphia in August 2005. A Centennial Subcommittee of the 2005 Program Committee chaired by Caroline Persell, and including Troy Duster, Patricia Hill Collins, Jill Quadagno, and Sally Hillsman is at work planning the Centennial program of the 2005 Annual Meeting. The program will focus on the past, present, and future of the discipline of sociology, the ASA, and other aligned organizations within the context of social and historical events of the past century. ASA President Troy Duster has chosen “Comparative Perspectives, Competing Explanations” as the theme for the 100th Annual Meeting. The theme is conceptualized as being broad enough “to address a wide historical sweep, and yet have sufficient focus to provide a framework in which to address key aspects of the social history of the discipline—its contemporary situation and its potential future development.”