Sections and Affiliations
Although a majority of its members reside in the American West, WSSA draws social scientists from throughout the United States and internationally. Membership is open to all who share the Association's goals. Currently, WSSA has thirty sections and affiliated groups which include a number of specific sections organized around shared interests and a number of affiliated groups.
To find a section coordinator for your field of interest, use the drop-down menu menu below.
interested in affiliating
If your association is interested in affiliating with the WSSA, please let us know. You may contact Larry Gould, WSSA Executive Director.
If your association already affiliates with WSSA and you would like its homepage linked to the WSSA web site, please contact Chris Hiryak to send him the association's complete website address.
african-american studies
This section adds to a commitment of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary academic excellence by highlighting Contemporary theories and research of African and African Americans. Scholarly discussions are presented on academic, social, economic, and historical issues that impact the African and African American experience in the United States. We accept contributions from any discipline that facilitates intellectual discussion on the history, culture, religion, politics, economics, arts, sociology, health, and the Diaspora of peoples of African descent as developed from experiences in both the old and new worlds. Stephen Brown
Dept. Social Work
Azusa Pacific University
901 E. Alosta Ave, Box 7000
Azusa, CA 91702
Phone: 626-815-6000 x2766
E-mail: sbrown@apu.edu
american indian studies
Karen Jarratt-Snider
Department of Applied Indigenous Studies
Northern Arizona University
P.O. Box 15020
Flagstaff, AZ 860ll-5020
Phone: 928-523-6219
Fax: 928-523-5560
E-mail: Karen.Jarratt-Snider@nau.edu
american studies
This section adopts an interdisciplinary approach to the study of the American experience. Papers and panels may range across the humanities and social sciences. Over the past decade, presentations in this section have come from specialists in history, literature, philosophy, religious studies, gender studies, ethnic studies, political science, sociology, anthropology, folklore, art, architecture, film, music, popular culture, material culture, and other fields. Daniel J. McInerney
Department of History
Utah State University
0710 Old Main Hill
Logan, UT 84322-0710
Phone: 435-797-1283
Fax: 435-797-3899
E-mail: daniel.mcinerney@usu.edu
Anthropology
This section presents perspectives from sociocultural anthropology on the diversity and the dynamics of collective human life. Topics examine the subfields of archaeology, biocultural anthropology, and sociocultural anthropology through the examination of selected problems in human physical, cultural, and social evolution.Stephan Edwards
Academic Affairs: First Year Programs
University of Montana-Missoula
32 Campus Drive
EL 280
University of Montana
Missoula, MT 59812
Phone: 406-243-4415
E-mail: stephan.edwards@umontana.edu
Arid Lands Studies & geography
Rich Greene
Department of Geography
Northern Illinois University
Dekalb, IL 60115
Phone: 630-888-0904
E-mail:
rich.richgreene.greene@gmail.com
Asian Studies
This section presents studies on issues, concerns and perspectives of Asia and Asians. Topics can be in the areas of communication, economics, education, health, politics and sociology.
| Linda H. Chiang, Ed. D. Department of Foundations and Transdisciplinary Studies Azusa Pacific University Azusa, CA 91700-7000 Office 626-815-6000 ex 5132 E-mail lchiang@apu.edu |
Association of Borderland Studies (ABS)
This is a multidisciplinary and international network of scholars who are involved in various aspects of border region studies. Principal focal points of the ABS’ work have been in the area of economics, political sciences, history, sociology and cultural studies. Although much of ABS’s activities has centered on the US-Mexican Borderlands, members are increasingly involved in the study of European, Asian and other border regions.
View Association of Borderland Studies website.
Christine Thurlow Brenner, Ph.D.
Department of Public Policy and Public Affairs
University of Massachusetts Boston
100 Morrissey Blvd. Boston, MA 02125 USA
E-mail: Christine.brenner@umb.edu
Fax 617.287.6949
Canadian Studies
This section accepts proposals for papers, panels and roundtables relating to any disciplines or areas of Canadian Studies, not just the social sciences. Usually the Canadian Studies Section has an emphasis on the Canadian West and comparisons between the Canadian and American West, and also Mexico, however, the section covers all aspects of Canadian Studies and is happy to have panels on Canadian Literature, Arts, and Humanities as well as panels on Canadian Geography, History, Anthropology, Economics, Politics, Business, Environment, Public Policy, etc. etc. The Canadian Studies Section is eager to have panels appropriately cross-listed with other WSSA Sections, such as Borderland Studies, Political Science, Native Studies, etc.
View Canadian Studies website.
Rev. Thomas Murphy, S.J.
|
Denver Lewellen
|
Chicano Studies
This section provides a multidisciplinary approach which examines the historical and contemporary experiences of the Chicana/o and other Latina/o populations in the U. S. by incorporating the social sciences, the humanities, and the arts. This section includes areas such as history, law and immigration, land grants, demographics, health, community, family, education, literature, and the arts.
John F. Burke
Department of Political Science
University of St. Thomas
3800 Montrose
Houston, Texas 77006-4626
Phone: 713-203-9651 or 713-525-3814
E-mail: jfburke6@sbcglobal.net or jfburke@stthom.edu
Chronic Disease and Disability
| Primary Contact Secondary Contact |
Seconday Contact
|
Communication studies
| Brant Short, PhD Professor of Speech Communication Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ 86011 Phone: 928-523-4701 E-mail: brant.short@nau.edu |
Dayle Hardy-Short, PhD Professor of Speech Communication Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ 86011 Phone: 923-523-2311 E-mail: dayle.hardy-short@nau.edu |
Criminal Justice and Criminology
This section accepts papers on all aspects of criminological theory, research and practice. This includes both the practice of criminal justice administration and the critical study of this practice. Areas range from the micro study of criminal behavior and victimology through the meso study of both criminal and criminal justice organizations to the macro study of the social implications of crime and the administration of criminal justice through the police, courts and correctional systems.
Steven Patrick
Dept. of Sociology
1910 University Dr.
Boise, ID 83725
Phone: 208-426-3225
Fax: 208-426-2098
E-mail: Spatric@boisestate.edu
Economics (Association for Institutional Thought)
With recognition of the role of culture in organizing economic activity, institutional work draws its inspiration from messy reality-- the overlap of disciplinary boundaries, the interaction between diverse intellectual traditions, and the conflict and cooperation between social groups within and between societies. Possible themes for papers and/or panels could include the influence of other social science traditions on institutional economics, the application of interdisciplinary work in pragmatic policy analysis, the connection or overlap between diverse elements within heterodox economic theory, and the relevance of cultural norms and cross cultural conflict in the study of economic systems.Barbara Wiens-Yuers
Associate Professor of Economics
Head, Division of Business and Engineering
Penn State Altoona
3000 Ivyside Park
Altoona, PA 16601
Phone: 814-232-1542
E-mail:
baw16@psu.edu
Economics (Business and Finance)
Kashi Nath Tiwari
KNT's Academic Financial Research
PO Box 4202
Berkeley, California, CA 94704-0202
Phone: 530-898-4109
E-mail: k1k2k3@hotmail.com
Economics (General)
This section presents perspectives for general economics on the allocation of scarce resources among competing ends. Topics include, but are not limited to, the subfields of labor economics, public finance, health economics, demographic economics, international trade and economic development. Scott Carson
University of Texas, Permin Basin
4901 East University
Odessa, TX 79762
432-552-2195
432-552-2174
E-mail: carson_s@utpb.edu
Environmental Policy & Natural Resources Management
Dwight C. Kiel
Department of Political Science
P.O. Box 161356
University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL 32816-1346
Phone: 407-823-2608
Fax: 407-823-0051
E-mail: kield@mail.ucf.edu
Geography
See Arid Lands.
Globalization and Development
Michèle Companion
Associate Professor
Department of Sociology
University of Colorado Colorado Springs
1420 Austin Bluffs Parkway
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
Phone 719-255-4141
Fax 719-255-4450
mcompani@uccs.edu
History
History takes in the whole scope of the human condition so long as the action or event has occurred in the past. Thus, while historians may focus on such questions as political, social, or women’s history, and periodization remains important, any aspect of human action or thought is in the historian’s purview.Monica Gallamore
Marquette University
Phone: 414-217-3706
E-Mail: monica.gallamore@yahoo.com
Latin American Studies
The section of Latin-American studies considers Latin America as a region of countries that have a common history since the colonial period under the domination of Spain and Portugal. The study of this region's history, politics and culture (at the global and national level in each country) is the object of this section. The coordinators of this section work on predominantly analyses on present problems and on their projects toward the future. These analyses pay special attention to contemporary issues addressing relevant debates about projects that outline and propose a better development of the region.
The organizing committee of the V National and II International Conference on Social Studies and Region (ENESOR), invites researchers, academics and people interested to present papers addressing the role of citizenship and civic participation onto the electoral stage, the violence, insecurity and uncertainty in the world and Mexico in particular.
Ignacio Medina
Departamento de Estudios Ibericos y Latinoamericanos
Universidad de Guadalajara
Av. Maestros y Alcalde
Puerta no. 1
C.P. 44260
Guadalajara, Jal.
Mexico
Phone: 52-33-36693434 X 3716
E-mail: medina48@yahoo.com
Jesus Ruiz
Departamento de Política y Sociedad
Universidad de Guadalajara
Av. Universidad # 1115, Col. Lindavista.
Ocotlán, Jal. C. P. 47820 México.
Phone: (52) 33-1531-9503
E-mail:
mgems.ruiz@gmail.com
Mass Communication
Mary Jackson-Pitts
Dept. Radio-Television
Arkansas State University
PO Box 2160
State University, AR 72467
Phone: 870-972-3361
E-mail: mpitts@astate.edu
Lily Zeng
Arkansas State University
Dept. Radio-Television
PO Box 2160
State University, AR 72467
Phone: 870-972-3625
E-mail:
zengli@astate.edu
New Zealand and Australia Studies
View New Zealand and Australia Studies website.
William C. Schaniel
International Services & Programs
University of West Georgia
Carrollton, GA 30118-4460
Phone: 678-839-4780
E-mail: wschanie@westga.edu
Philosophy
Amy E. Wendling |
Stephanie Jenkins |
Political Science
Leslie R. Alm
Department of Public Policy & Administration
Boise State University
1910 University Drive
Boise, Idaho 83725-1935
Phone: 208-426-4094
E-mail: lalm@boisestate.edu
Ross Burkhart
Department of Political Science
Boise State University
1910 University Drive
Boise, Idaho 83725-1935
Phone: 208-426-3280
E-mail: rburkha@boisestate.edu
Poster Session - All Disciplines
Scholars of all disciplines with research in the formative stage, or limited in scope, suitable for poster presentation are encouraged to participate in the poster session of the WSSA. To propose a poster, send author, title, abstract, and full contact information to the poster session coordinator.
Theodore Ransaw
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Dept. of Curriculum and Instruction
FDH Bldg
Las Vegas NV 89154
Phone: 702-578-6851
E-mail: ransawt@unlv.nevada.edu
Public Administration
| Viola Fuentes E-mail: mujer@asu.edu |
Jake. Heller School of Public Affairs Arizona State University Phoenix, AZ 85004-0687 E-mail: jacob.a.heller@intel.com |
Public Finance and Budgeting
David Matkin |
Aimee Franklin
|
Rural Studies
Rural Studies is an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary section. Studies of rural areas or agriculture, in their broadest definitions and in any part of the world, are welcome. Varying in scope, approach, and method, and ranging from sociology to literature, participants’ works have addressed small towns, extraction-based economies, population change, game management, food policy, rural women’s literature and social and environmental history.
Anthony Amato
Southwest State University
Center for Rural & Regional Studies
1501 State University
Marshall, MN 56258
Phone: 507-537-6117
E-mail: tamato@smsu.edu
Suzanne Kelley
Minnesota State University - Moorhead
1104 7th Avenue South
Moorhead, MN 56563
Phone: 218-477-5870
E-mail: kelleysu@mnstate.edu
Slavic Studies
The Western Association for Slavic Studies (WASS) meets annually as the Slavic Studies Section of the Western Social Science Association. Those wishing to present papers in the Slavic Studies section need not be members of the WASS, but are welcome to join. The Slavic Studies section is interested in all aspects of East Central Europe and the lands of the former USSR, including, but not limited to: Anthropology, History, Literature, Music, and Sociology.Lynn Lubamersky
Boise State University
History Department
1910 University Dr.
Boise ID 83725-1925
Phone: 208-426-3358
E-mail: llubame@boisestate.edu
Social Psychology
Tom Isern
Professor of History & University Distinguished Professor
Director, Center for Heritage Renewal
North Dakota State University
PO Box 1390
Fargo ND 58107-1390
Phone: 701-799-2942
Email: isern@plainsfolk.com
Social work
Diane Calloway-Graham
Utah State University
Social Work Program
Logan, UT 84322-0730
Phone 435-797-2389
E-mail: diane.calloway-graham@usu.edu
Bill Pederson
Yuma Branch Campus of Northern Arizona University
P.O. Box 6256
Yuma, AZ 85366-6236
Phone: 928-344-7640
E-mail:
William.Pederson@nau.edu
Sociology
This section presents a range of perspectives on social life. Subfields include gender, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, family, organizations, education, politics, sexuality, globalization, social movements, stratification, consumption, law, medicine, and technology. Heather Albanesi
Assistant Professor of Sociology
University of Colorado-Colorado Springs
Department of Sociology
1420 Austin Bluffs Parkway
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
Phone 719-255-4137
Fax 719-255-4450
E-mail: halbanes@uccs.edu
Urban Studies
This section examines the human condition in relationship to the physical, cultural, social, and environmental aspects of community. The subfields include architecture, urbanism, landscape, housing, infrastructure, and regionalism. Thomas Sammons
Director, Community Design Workshop
School of Architecture and Design
College of the Arts
P.O. Box 43850
Lafayette, LA 70504-3850
Phone: 337-482-5310
Fax: 337-482-1128
E-mail: tcs3147@louisiana.edu
Women's and gender Studies
| Diane Calloway-Graham Utah State University Social Work Program Logan , Utah 84322-0730 Office: 435-797-2389 Fax: 435-797-1240 E-mail: diane.calloway-graham@usu.edu |