CALL FOR ABSTRACTS - ABSTRACTS AND POSTERS
Challenging Democracies: Risks and Uncertainties
8 July 2025 | Online
9-10-11 July 2025 | São Miguel – Azores
The XIII Congress of the Portuguese Sociology Association will take place at the University of the Azores from the 8th to the 11th of July 2025. The 13th edition is doubly significant, as it marks a special occasion, celebrating 40 years of our association, and will be held in the only higher-education institution with a degree in sociology that has yet to organize this significant event for our community.
The theme of the XIII Congress, " Challenging democracies: risks and uncertainties", is especially relevant in today’s sociopolitical context. Democracies around the world face unprecedented challenges, from the rise of populism and conservative movements, and the increase in social inequalities and violence, to cyber threats and the climate crisis. The congress aims to explore these and other relevant issues through a sociological lens, bringing together researchers, academics, and professionals to discuss and debate the threats and opportunities facing contemporary democracies.
The XIII Congress will be held in person, with the possibility of online sessions. The in-person sessions will be exclusively in-person and the online sessions will be exclusively online. July 8th will be dedicated to online sessions and the rest to face-to and the others to in-person sessions. The plenary and semi-plenary sessions will be held in person, with online transmission.
The University of the Azores, located in Ponta Delgada, on the island of São Miguel, offers a unique and inspiring setting for this event. Participants will have the opportunity to explore the rich culture and natural beauty of the Azores, while participating in relevant academic discussions. The XIII Portuguese Congress of Sociology promises to be a landmark event, functioning as a platform for the exchange of knowledge and the discussion of ideas on how to strengthen democracies in the face of current risks and uncertainties.
The Portuguese Sociology Association and the University of the Azores look forward with positive expectations to the participation of sociologists in this important and stimulating event. Join us in exploring the challenges and opportunities of contemporary democracies.
Sociology plays a crucial role in understanding the mechanisms that underlie democracies, their dynamics and their vulnerabilities. Through the analysis of social structures, power relations, and dynamics of inequality and discrimination, and of processes of social change, sociologists offer valuable contributions on how democracies standing at a crossroads can adapt and survive. The congress seeks tofoster interdisciplinary dialogue that contributes to strengthen democracies, exploring topics such as:
- Political populisms and extremisms;
- Social inequalities;
- Gender and intersectional inequalities;
- Human rights and backlash movements;
- Migrations, mobilities, and diasporas;
- Economic and social disparities;
- Technology and democracy and the impact of digital technologies on democratic governance (privacy, cybersecurity, and disinformation);
- Climate crisis;
- Public policies;
- Urban transformations and territorial dynamics;
- Cultural diversities;
- Education and knowledge production;
- Civic participation and social movements;
- Portugal and Europe.
These topics span the foundations of a sociology that aims to promote:
- a critical analysis of power structures and social processes that perpetuate democratic vulnerabilities, including the analysis of public policies, institutions, and social norms;
- opportunities for empirical research that allows collecting data on behaviours, attitudes, and social conditions, providing an empirical basis for understanding contemporary democratic dynamics;
- the enrichment of sociological theories that encourage analytical frameworks for interpreting emerging, challenging, and threatening social phenomena, such as populism, social inequalities, artificial intelligence, and digitization, toward a deep understanding of the causes and consequences of democratic vulnerabilities;
- public engagement, by promoting debate, and seeking to influence policies and practices through public sociology actions.
