85th Annual Meeting to be held in PORTLAND, OREGON

March 27-30, 2014

Marriott Downtown Waterfront in Portland, Oregon
(1401 SW Naito Parkway · Portland, Oregon 97201)

THEME:  “(Un)Changing Institutions:  Work, Family, and Gender in the New Economy” 

Institutional transformation is never linear, all-encompassing, or necessarily forward moving.  For the 2014 meetings I invite you to consider the pace, prospects, and pathways for change in work, family, and gender.   You are encouraged to examine these issues in the context of an economy in which young people face an uncertain future and millions are unemployed.   How are work and family being redefined as we make our way through this new economic landscape?  Has progress toward greater gender equality slowed?  The meetings will take up these questions from multiple vantage points, methodologies, and theoretical stances.  I hope you will join me in this effort to examine institutional change in the new economy.

2013-2014 PRESIDENT:  Amy S. Wharton, Washington State University
2014 PROGRAM CHAIR:   Amy Orr, Linfield College

 

 

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Development of the PSA Program for the 2014 Meetings:
The Reno Bet Pays Off

Amy Wharton, Washington State University, PSA President
Amy J. Orr, Linfield College, 2014 Program Chair

Last year at this time, PSA President Val Jenness and Program Chair Dennis Downey placed a bet. In an attempt to address member concerns about the format and dynamics of past PSA meetings, they took the lead on implementing major changes in the way in which the meeting program was developed. Members had expressed concerns about the unevenness of presentations, the frequent absence of scheduled presenters, low attendance at many sessions and too little time for questions and answers. To address these concerns, several changes were made.  They included 1) expanding the range of session formats organized in the program, including the number of presentations per session; 2) assigning and grouping presentations based on stage of research and type of presentation proposed; and 3) routing open submissions through the Program Committee where they were assigned to sessions within twenty-five topical areas listed in the call for papers. Jenness and Downey’s bet was that these changes would lead to a successful, satisfying program in Reno. Their bet paid off. 

As promised last year, feedback was (and continues to be) gathered with regard to what worked and did not work. Based on this feedback, we have started to work on making revisions and adjustments. While many of the changes that were made in 2013 will carry over to 2014, there will also be some noticeable differences. First, we are working to streamline the submission process. The online system should be more “intuitive” this year. Second, we are making some revisions with regard to the options for submissions. While most members will still submit their work to general topic areas (formal research and research-in-progress presentations), there will also be some specific sessions listed in the areas of Teaching Sociology and Professional Development. Committees will also propose specific sessions that will be open for submissions. Highlights of the general submission process are noted below.

 

Undergraduate Submissions

For the 2013 meeting in Reno, some major changes were made to improve the program of undergraduate roundtable and poster presentations. Due to the success of the changes, the same procedures will be followed in 2014. Undergraduate students wishing to present in a roundtable or poster session will be required to submit abstracts that are at least three pages in length; the abstract must include a clear discussion of theory and methods, and citations are required. Students will also provide the name of their faculty mentor in the online submission form. Bob Kettlitz, the new undergraduate submission coordinator, will contact all mentors to make sure that they have indeed agreed to work with a student. If the abstract is not at least three pages, and a faculty mentor’s name is not included, the abstract will not be considered for presentation in an undergradu­ate roundtable or poster session. Dr. Kettlitz will receive all abstracts/submissions, and will sort them into like-topic roundtable and poster sessions. He will then count on the wonderful PSA members to volunteer to serve as table moderators and discussants.

Students will submit their work directly through the “Undergraduate Submissions” link in the online system.

 

Faculty/Graduate Student Submissions

As noted above, most faculty members and graduate students will submit their work to general topic areas. The call for papers for the 2014 meetings will list over two dozen topic areas of sociological research, and members submit­ting proposals through the system will simply select the area to which their proposal most directly speaks. All proposals within each topic area will be reviewed by the Program Committee mem­ber responsible for the area, who will then assign proposals to sessions organized on the basis of both presentation topic and type—producing benefits for presenters and audiences alike.

Members wishing to submit a proposal to a topic area will do so by following the “Faculty/Graduate Student Topic Area Submissions” link in the online system.

 

Special Sessions for Teaching Sociology and Professional Development

For the 2014 meeting in Portland, members are invited to submit proposals to several specific sessions that will address teaching sociology and professional development. Two members of the Program Committee, Susan Palmer and Curtis Phillips, will organize the teaching sociology sessions; Josh Meisel will organize the professional development sessions. These sessions will include:

 

Teaching Sociology:

• The lecture dilemma: To lecture or not to lecture—teaching in the 21^st century
• Technology in the classroom: Creating a learner-centered environment to increase student engagement
• Experiential learning: A pedagogical alternative
• The sociological imagination: Revealing public-private macro-micro connections
• Social media and the socially constructed self
• Teaching Zen Sociology: “The Un-TV and the 10 MPH Car: Experiments in Personal Freedom and Everyday Life” by Bernard McGrane
• What kind of teacher are you? Gates, Gandhi, Powell, or Madonna?
• The Flipped Classroom
• Enhancing the online teaching and learning experience
• Digital media and transliteracy: Navigating a complex digital world
• Our most effective teaching activities: Brilliance shared
• Skipping toward opening learning: Ways to organize and structure student learning with Open Educational Resources (OER)
• Incorporating imagery into teaching sociology
• Open submissions

 

Professional Development:

• Navigating the academic job market
• Becoming an administrator
• Negotiating the research ethics approval process
• Interdisciplinary collaboration and coalition building
• Work/family strategies for new faculty
• Tenure tales
• Faculty mentoring
• Diversity and inclusion
• Best practices in advising the sociology major
• Contingent labor in higher education
• Open submissions

Members wishing to submit a proposal to one of these sessions will do so by following the “Teaching Sociology and Professional Development” link in the online system. 

Committee-Sponsored Sessions

PSA committees play a crucial role in the functioning of the organization, and play an active role in the development of the program by offering committee-sponsored sessions on a variety of topics. For the 2014 meeting in Portland, committees will sponsor a number of invited sessions. In addition, the Committee on the Status of LGBTQ Persons invites open submissions to the following session:

Bisexualities

Sponsored by the Committee on the Status of LGBTQ Persons

Session Organizer:  Liahna E. Gordon

Email:  legordon@csuchico.edu

Members wishing to submit proposals to this session should contact the session organizer directly. 

 

Member Involvement in the Program Development Process

While the new procedures shift the primary focus of the submission process away from individual members working independently, there are still ample opportunities for members to contribute to the program development process to ensure that their particular interests are represented on the program—including organizing sessions. 

For the 2014 meeting in Portland, members are welcome to create invited sessions. The organizer will contact and recruit participants directly, without an open call. Invited sessions are often highlights of the program, generally includ­ing presenters who are particularly noteworthy in their area. Such sessions may take any of a variety of forms— including the alternative formats that we would particularly like to encourage (author-meets-critic sessions, interactive panels, workshop sessions, video screenings, etc.). Sessions connected to the meeting theme or those focused on local Northwest issues are particularly encouraged.

Members who wish to organize an invited session should contact the Program Chair, Amy Orr, at aorr@linfield.edu. 

 

Volunteer to be a Presider

Another way to get more involved in the program is to volunteer to be a presider for the open sessions organized by the Program Committee. Charged with introducing presenters, keeping them to agreed-upon time limits, facilitating discussion, and concluding the session on time, presiders are essential to ensuring that presenters and audience members alike get the most out of sessions. Given the new session formats that we hope to institute, presiders will play a particularly important role—so we strongly encourage interested members to volunteer. To do so, you simply need to log on to the electronic submission system and select “Volunteer to be a Presider.” Volunteer presiders will be asked to identify the topical area that they are most interested in presiding over, and may specify their interests more fully as well. We cannot guarantee that a session will be created on that exact topic of interest (since that depends on the proposals that are ultimately submitted), but Program Committee members will use the interests identified as a target for assigning presiders.

 

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Hotel & Travel Information for the 2014 Annual Meeting

Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront

March 27-30, 2014 

The 2014 Annual Meeting will take place at the Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront Hotel (1401 S. W. Naito Parkway, Portland, OR 97210). The hotel is located in the heart of downtown Portland, on the west bank of the Willamette River.

Please note: There is another Marriott Hotel in Portland (The Marriott- City Center). The PSA meeting is not being held in that hotel.

The downtown cultural district, including the Portland Art Museum, Performing Arts Center, Historical Society are within easy walking distance from the Hotel. Pioneer Square and Shopping Place are seven short blocks away. You can board the Max Light Rail six blocks away or walk along the beautiful McCall Waterfront Park.

The Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront is a completely smoke-free hotel. It has 497 guest rooms, Truss Lounge & Bistro, and the Lobby Café and Bar. Wireless high-speed internet is free on the second floor lounge and first floor lobby. If you book your room using the PSA Convention rate, wireless internet in the guest rooms is complimentary (usually costs $12.95 per day).

 

Support the PSA by booking at the Marriott

• This will assure that the PSA meets its sleeping room contract and will keep convention costs low, since thousands of dollars in meeting room rental will not have to be paid to the Marriott. Not meeting the PSA “room block” will have serious financial consequences and would most likely increase the cost of registration at future meetings.
• The PSA 2014 Convention Rate is $144 king or two double beds, plus tax. Reservations can be made online at http://tinyurl.com/psa2014 or by calling 1-877-901-6632. Please ask for the PSA convention rate.
• ALL RESERVATIONS MUST BE MADE BY MARCH 6, 2014 in order to be eligible to receive the PSA rate. Please note that the PSA discounted room block could easily sell out before the March 6 deadline; if so the hotel may still have rooms both before and after this date, but at a rate-available basis.

 

Room Share in Portland

• If you need a roommate to share expenses at the Marriott in Portland, please contact the PSA Office at PSA@SDSU.EDU to be put in touch with others seeking the same.

 

Hotel Parking

• The current rate is $32 for 24 hours. There are nearby parking lots and street garages as well.

 

Transportation

• Portland International Airport (PDX): A number of airlines use Portland International Airport (PDX). PDX is located 12 miles from the Portland Marriott Waterfront.
• Ground Transportation from PDX: There are a number of ways to reach the Marriott from Portland International Airport. The pickup area for taxis is located in the center of the airport’s terminal lower roadway on the baggage claim and departure level. Airporter shuttles and rental cars are found in the section of the lower roadway closest to the garage.
• MAX Light Rail: An easy and inexpensive way to get to and around downtown Portland is on light-rail. Catch the Red Line right outside the Portland airport. Take the Red Line and stop at Morrison/SW 3^rd Ave. Walk south on SW 1st Ave (six blocks) to the Marriott. The Airport MAX light-rail Red Line service runs from Portland International Airport to downtown Portland every 15 minutes most of the day, every day. Service is less frequent in the early morning, mid-day, and evening (every 30 minutes). A one-way trip takes about 40 minutes. Tickets may be purchased at an automated ticket machine, conveniently located near the Airport MAX station. The current airport to downtown cost is $2.50 and a one-day pass is $5. Tickets are valid on the MAX Light Rail, buses, Streetcars. Fares and times are subject to change without notice. The MAX is part of the TriMet system, which also provides bus and commuter rail services in the Portland metro area. For more information about timetables, maps, and fares, please visit www.trimet.org.