Reclaiming “The Sociological Imagination” to drive Social Transformation
A BSA Postgraduate Regional Event
17 July 2025
Northumbria University, Sutherland Building, Northumberland Road, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 8ST
About the Event
It has been over 65 years since the publication of CW Mills’ book “The Sociological Imagination”. Mills highlights the way in which the present order of society has come to be considered static and unchanging, outside of any historical context, where a focus on individual experiences and responsibilities hides the broader structural social issues. Today, facing ecological breakdown, the rise of far right politics, and increasing inequalities, the end of history narrative has been shattered, but the neoliberal constraints to our imagination live on. It is vital that we reclaim our collective sociological imagination, as there is overwhelming evidence that today’s crises require systemic change across all sectors of society.
Postgraduate Researchers (PGRs) from across all disciplines interested in the sociological imagination in their fields are invited to unpick assumptions, question power relations, and to imagine how social transformation can take place.
Call for Papers
The main theme of the Conference is described in the section below, with suggested research sub-tracks providing examples of how the sociological imagination can be interpreted from various disciplinary perspectives. You can select one of the listed research sub-tracks when submitting your title and abstract (up to 300 words for papers, and up to 100 words for posters) using the online submission form by 6 June 2025.
However, as we want the Conference to be as open and inclusive as possible, you can choose the option “Other” if none of the research tracks suit your proposal. This will not affect the evaluation of your proposal.
The suggested research sub-tracks of this Conference are:
- Mobilities: The theme of mobility challenges traditional static perceptions of space by exploring the movement of people, objects, and ideas, influencing sociological theory and methods, and encouraging research that captures movement through mobile and creative approaches.
- Critical cartography: This theme explores the evolving relationship between power, knowledge, and space through the lens of geographical imagination, inviting research on socio-ecological transformations and critical, participatory mapping to analyse past developments and envision future change.
- Policy/Politics: This theme revisits Mills’ sociological imagination to highlight the systemic roots of individual struggles, advocating for intersectional approaches in politics and policy-making to foster more equitable and transformative societal change.
- Society and environment: This theme critically examines the complex and often contradictory relationship between humans and the rest of nature, drawing from political ecology, environmental sociology, and science and technology studies to explore how social, political, and economic forces shape our understanding and treatment of ecosystems.
- Community and social justice: This theme calls for research that reimagines social justice by amplifying grassroots efforts and exploring pathways to a more equitable world.
The Conference Committee will then evaluate the submissions, which will be organised around the themes of the suggested sub-tracks, but also in new interdisciplinary panels if necessary. Research tracks might change and/or be grouped together depending on the number of submissions. Posters will not be organised in panels.
The selection criteria are based on academic quality, consistency with the overall theme of sociological imagination, and originality. As we would like to give as many PGRs as possible the opportunity to present, each presenter will be accepted for one panel paper or one poster.
Costs
The Conference is funded by the British Sociological Association. It is free of charge for attendees and presenters, but requires registration.
For inquiries and additional information, please contact the organisers.