Political Sociology and Social Movements
The Political Sociology and Social Movements (PSSM) research cluster was established to connect a diverse group of Canadian scholars examining questions of power, state formation, civil society, and social movements across local, national and international scales. PSSM members organize sessions at the Canadian Sociological Association’s Annual Conference.
If you are interested in joining the Political Sociology and Social Movements Research cluster, and are a member of the Canadian Sociological Association, please contact the PSSM Research Cluster Co-chairs, Marie-Lise Drapeau-Bisson and Omar Faruque.
Quick Links
Awards
Best Student Paper Award
Each year, the Political Sociology and Social Movements Research Cluster grants an award recognizing the best paper presented by a graduate student at that year’s Canadian Sociological Association Conference. The award committee consists of the research cluster co-chairs and the cluster’s program committee.
2024 Best Student Paper Award
Previous Award Winners
Conference Sessions
Member Profiles
Meet just a few of our members and contact us if you would like to be listed.
| Name | Affiliation | Research Interests | Connect |
| Robert (Bob) BRYM | FRSC, SD Clark Professor of Sociology Department of Sociology |
Social movements in Canada, Russia, and the Middle East; Globalization of social movements. | Academic Profile |
| William K. CARROLL | Professor and Co-director of the Corporate Mapping Project Sociology Department University of Victoria |
Political Economy, Political Ecology, Social Movements, Corporations and Capitalism, Critical Theory and Methods | Professional Profile |
| Max CHEWINSKI | Postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Resource Economics and Environmental Sociology at the University of Alberta | Environmental politics and justice | Professional Profile |
| Dominique CLÉMENT | Professor, Department of Sociology; Royal Society of Canada (CNSAS);
Adjunct Professor, History & Classics, University of Alberta; Adjunct Professor, Sociology and Social Anthropology, Dalhousie University; Adjunct Professor, Department of Educational Policy Studies, University of Alberta |
Human rights and social movements | Professional Profile |
| Andrew DAWSON | Associate Professor Department of Sociology York University, Glendon Campus |
Political sociology, comparative historical sociology, macro/cross-national sociology, violence, state legitimacy, development. | Academic Profile |
| Emily LAXER | Associate Professor of Sociology at York University, Glendon College | Politics, nationalism, and immigration to examine how contests for political power shape the incorporation of ethno-religious minorities in largescale immigration countries. | Professional Profile |
| David PETTINICCHIO | Associate Professor, University of Toronto | Development of political constituencies and their ongoing interaction with political institutions | Professional Profile |
| Howard RAMOS | Professor and Chair, Department of Sociology at Western University | Environmental advocacy, perceptions of change, immigration, race and ethnicity, technological change | Professional Profile |
| Tony Huiquan ZHANG | Assistant Professor, University of Macau | Public opinion, social movements, Chinese politics, and quantitative methods | Academic Profile |
Resources
We welcome you to browse the blogs, journals and Canadian graduate programs specializing in political sociology and social movements.
Blogs:
- Mobilizing Ideas
- Policy Trajectories: Blog of the American Sociological Association’s Section on Comparative and Historical Sociology
- Researching Sociology@LSE
- Work in Progress: Sociology on the economy, work and inequality
Journals:
- European Journal of Political Economy
- Interface: A Journal for and about Social Movements
- International Political Sociology
- Journal of Political Economy
- Journal of World-Systems Research
- Mobilization: An International Quarterly
- New Political Economy
- Politics and Society
- Social Movement Studies
- Studies in Political Economy: A Socialist Review
Canadian graduate programs specializing in political sociology and social movements:
- McGill University, Department of Sociology specializes in “comparative political sociology.”
- University of British Columbia, Department of Sociology specializes in “environment, community, and social movements” and “work, economy and globalization.”
- University of Toronto, Department of Sociology specializes in “political sociology” and “work and labour markets.”
- York University, Department of Sociology specializes in “processes, practices and power.”