From the President
As we move to the year 2010, the Association for Applied and Clinical Sociology remains a vibrant, growing professional organization dedicated to fostering all forms of sociological practice. With the merger of the Society for Applied Sociology and the Sociological Practice Association in 2005, the Association for Applied and Clinical, in addition to the traditional domains of clinical and applied sociology, established a broader focus for promoting creative and innovative applications of sociological practice,. As such, the emergence of the popular discipline-wide area of public sociology and recent exciting developments in translational sociology are now a part of our Association’s theoretical and empirical research agenda. I invite sociologists throughout the world to join us in the exploration of the potential applications of these and other creative sociological activities in the twenty-first century.
An important part of any professional organization is the annual meeting. I am happy to report that following an excellent 2008 meeting in Jacksonville, Florida, the 2009 meeting in San Antonio, Texas was an outstanding success. Attendance was up over 40 percent and the sessions were exciting and well-attended. The Social Science Research Council Katrina Task Force joined us in San Antonio and also sponsored a special session on “New Research Findings on Hurricane Katrina”. The keynote address was delivered by Kai Erikson, Yale University, who shared his thoughts on organizing research groups that focus on areas of public concern. Specifically, he used the Katrina Task Force Model as an exemplar for conducting applied, clinical and public sociological inquiry. Professor Erikson was also the recipient of the Lester Frank Ward Distinguished Contribution Award. The Robert Ezra Park Award for Sociological Practice was given to William W. “Bill” Falk of the University of Maryland and the Alex Boros Service Award to the Association was presented to Stephen Steel, Anne Arundel Community College. Indeed, the 2010 meetings signaled that our Association is gaining momentum and support from sociologists throughout the world.
The 2010 meetings should be just as attractive and dynamic. It will be held at the beautiful Ritz-Carlton Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri, October 14-17. The theme I have selected for this gathering is: “Expanding the Sociological Practice Paradigm: Applied, Clinical, Public and Translational Dimensions.” Hopefully this theme will encourage our members and new attendees to address creative conceptual, empirical and policy issues which are relevant to social change in the modern world. The 2011 annual meeting will be held at the historic Le Pavillon Hotel in the exciting city of New Orleans, Louisiana. More information on the 2011 meeting will be forthcoming.
An Association such as ours is only as good as its members. I am happy to report that we have an active membership of sociologists and students who not only teach in traditional academic settings, but also work in private and non-profit organizations dedicated to applying sociological principles and methods in the “real world”. I encourage our membership to promote our Association by recruiting new members and fostering participation in our annual meetings. We also need to promote our outstanding journal, Applied Social Science. A true interdisciplinary journal, we need to solicit submissions from social scientists throughout the world. I am firmly convinced that within the next five years, Applied Social Science will be the premier international journal for social science practice and policy. We are in the process of expanding the editorial board and with the leadership of the new editor, Jammie Price, our journal has a bright future.
Over the next year, I am looking forward to working with our At-large and International Board of Directors, our Current Officers and President-Elect, Michael Hirsch and Vice-President-Elect, Augie Diana. All are committed to making our Association visible in the sociological community and becoming a significant organization for promoting positive social change in society. Furthermore, I am excited about the activities of the Commission of Applied and Clinical Sociology, which accredits academic programs and certifies sociological practitioners. Under the leadership of Eleanor Lyon, the commission continues to be an important force for the establishment of formal recognition of outstanding programs and individuals in applied and clinical sociology. Please feel free to contact me if I can be of assistance to you as a member of the Association of Applied and Clinical Sociology. Also, continue to monitor our official website for updated news and information.SEE YOU IN ST. LOUIS – START PLANNING NOW TO ATTEND.
J. Steven Picou
President, AACS 2009-2010
University of South Alabama
2010 Conference