International Rural Sociology Association - IRSA
Have we seen the beginning of the time of food uprisings? During the 2006-2008 food price increase, FAO real food price index rose to 184,7 points, and more than 40 countries experienced food rebellions.
Recently the 2008 food price peak has been surpassed. What does this price picture mean for the hungry people of the world? What does it mean for farmers, both in the first and in the third world?
The objectives of the Association are to: foster the development of rural sociology;
further the application of sociological inquiry to the improvement of the quality of
rural life; and provide a mechanism whereby rural sociologists can generate dialogue
and useful exchange.
Professor of Sociology Geoffrey Lawrence was recently elected President of IRSA for the next quadrennial period.
Geoffrey Lawrence has been a rural sociologist for over four decades. He has a Bachelor’s degree in agricultural science (economics) from the University of Sydney, a Diploma in Social Science from the University of New England, a Masters in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Doctorate in Sociology from Griffith University. His present positions are Professor of Sociology, Head of Sociology and Criminology, and Food Security Co-leader, Global Change Institute at the University of Queensland. Read more background information here.
Arturo Léon, president of Latin American Rural Sociology Association, has passed away.
Arturo Léon died in Huichol Mountains in Western Mexico, on April 27th 2012. He was leading a group of students on a field trip at the time of is passing. He was president of Latin American Rural Sociology Association at the time of his passing. Arturo was a beloved teacher and an excellent researcher, well known for his study of European agricultural policy, maize production and markets for agricultural products in Mexico. His legacy includes many books, awards and former graduate student advisees who completed important theses about rural Mexico and its problems. He was an outstanding teacher and mentor of the Rural Development Post-Graduate School of the Universidad Metropolitana. His colleagues, family and students mourn his loss. IRSA joins them in this exercise and regrets that he will not be with us at the upcoming July World Congress in Lisbon.
Yolanda Massieu, Coordinator, Rural Development Post-Graduate School, Universidad Metropolitana, Mexico City, April 2012
We are pleased to share with you the good news that Geoffrey Lawrence, Professor of Sociology at The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia is elected President of IRSA for the next quadrennial period (2012-2016).
Please register now for the XIII World Congress of Rural Sociology. Early bird registration 30 March:
http://irsa2012.com/event/irsa-2012/registration/
ESRS SUMMER SCHOOL 2012 - CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
The Summer School of the European Society for Rural Sociology will be organized August 19th – 26th 2012 in Ristiina, Finland with a theme Rural– urban relationship revisited.
The summer school is open to 20 PhD students at any stage of their PhD studies, and writing their thesis on rural issues in European context.
The summer school requires an application in the form of an abstract (300-500 words; 1,5 space), along with the application form, submitted to the organizers by March 15th 2012. The abstract and the application form can be sent from https://elomake.helsinki.fi/lomakkeet/30017/lomake.html
Short recommendation by the supervisor (optional) can be emailed to eeva.uusitalo@helsinki.fi
Full-board and accommodation will be offered during the school for the participants. The students have to cover their own travel costs.
Read more about the Summer School at www.ruralstudies.fi/esrs-2012/
IRSA Congress
The president wants to congratulate the organizers and program committee of the IRSA congress with a total of 1 460 abstracts submitted for the 77 sessions. This shows a very promising interest, and is a good sign of a huge turnout and a successful congress in Lisbon later this year.
NOMINATIONS FOR IRSA PRESIDENT 2012 - 2016
The IRSA Executive Committee is seeking nominations for IRSA
President for the four year period beginning with the XIII World
Congress of Rural Sociology, July 29-August 4, 2012 in Lisbon, Portugal.
The eligibility requirements are that a candidate either has been a
member of IRSA Council (at any time in their lives) including as
Secretary-Treasurer, or that s/he is among the nominees of a member
association for the coming term. Individuals are ineligible to stand in
they are from the same member association as the retiring
President – IN THIS CASE ESRS or have held the position of IRSA
President previously.
Individuals can nominate themselves or nominate others for the
position by e-mailing the current IRSA Secretary-Treasurer David
Hansen at hansen.4@osu.edu. Nominations are welcome until
March 15.
International Journal of Sociology of Agriculture and Food
The latest issue of the International Journal of Sociology of Agriculture and Food has just been published. It is a Special Issue about Agriculture and Climate Change.
Please visit http://ijsaf.org to view the issue.
ESRS Newsletter 14.10.2011
The ESRS Newsletter 14.10.2011 has been published on the ESRS Website. The contents of the ESRS Newsletter are
Greetings from the editor of the newsletter, Greetings from president Jo Little, Congresses, New books. PhD Vacancy. e-learning course on the Common Agricultural Policy and Improving ESRS archive
The Department of Development Sociology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell
University is seeking applicants for a 9-month tenure-track position in Sociology of Food Systems. This
position is part of an interdisciplinary cluster hire that also includes a position in Sustainable Cropping
and Food Systems in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences. Position Description
The University of Eastern Finland in Joensuu invites to the second Nordic Conference for rural research: Rural at the Edge. The conference will be at 21st to 23rd of May 2012 with the theme "Rural at the Edge" indicating not only our Nordic location at the outskirts of Europe, but also a focus on issues that emerge in this changing landscape and increasing interdependency between countries and regions. For more information about the conference and the subthemes, please visit the conference website.
The Rural Sociological Society is having their 74th Annual Meeting July 28- 31, 2011. We are combining with the Community Development Society in Boise, Idaho. Please visit our website for Conference details at www.ruralsociology.us.
The XXIV European Society for Rural Sociology Congress
The European Society for Rural Sociology invites to the XXIV European Socity for Rural Sociology Congress, 22-25 August 2011 in Chania (Greece). The theme of the congress is 'Inequality and Diversity in European Rural Areas'.
Rural sociologists in media
In order to expose how rural sociologists have made a social impact we are
going to post news on the IRSA website, showing how colleagues have been
active in the media recently. It can be interviews, chronicles or newspaper
articles in which rural sociologists are referred to in a substantial way.
Please nominate media news from yourself or your colleagues to: reidar.almas@bygdeforskning.no