Call for Papers

The Research Committee 28 on Social Stratification and Mobility (RC28) of the International Sociological Association (ISA) invites all scholars working in the field of social stratification and social mobility to contribute to the 2027 RC28 Conference.

The 2027 conference will take place on April 15-17, hosted by the Division of Social Science at New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD). As the first RC28 conference held in the Gulf, we aim to widen the geographical reach of the community, creating exchange with scholars working in and on the region, and encouraging participation from across the RC28 community.

The conference theme, “Global Crossroads: Inequality and Mobility in Transition,” explores how demographic shifts, technological change, and economic restructuring are transforming social stratification worldwide. The proposed theme invites scholars to comparatively reflect on how local, regional, and global forces intersect to shape life chances, intergenerational mobility, and structural inequality in rapidly changing societies.

As a hub for migration and transit welcoming over 200 nationalities and connecting Europe, Asia, Africa, and the broader Middle East, Abu Dhabi offers a timely setting for discussions of cross-border mobility and comparative stratification. We welcome submissions across the full spectrum of RC28 scholarship, including education, labor markets, gender, demography, wealth, and welfare states. We explicitly welcome submissions on mobility and inequality in the Middle East and North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, alongside the strong existing streams of RC28 research on Europe, North America, East Asia, and Latin America.

Keynote speakers: Mobarak Hossain (opens in a new tab) (Assistant Professor, Department of Social Policy, LSE) and Cecilia Menjívar (opens in a new tab) (Distinguished Professor, Department of Sociology, UCLA).

The conference will also host a Special Event to honor the career of Paula England (opens in a new tab), Dean of Social Science at NYUAD, moderated by Florencia Torche (Princeton) and Kim Weeden (Cornell).

Please submit your extended abstract here (opens in a new tab).

Prepare an extended abstract (max of 1000 words, not including references and tables/figures) that includes (1) a clear description of the research question, (2) the theoretical framework, (3) the data and methods, and (4) the main findings (including tables/figures). The abstract must be sufficiently detailed to allow the scientific committee to judge the merits of the paper.

Please also include up to 5 keywords and choose the preferred format (oral/poster) for your contribution during the submission process.

Full papers are accepted.

Abstracts must be submitted by December 15, 2026 (11:59 pm Pacific). Authors will be informed of the committee’s decision by January 7, 2027. Please email rc28-nyuad@nyu.edu with any questions.

Conference participants may only present one paper but can be co-authors on other paper submissions.

You do not need to be an RC28 member to submit your abstract, but you will have to be an RC28 member to participate.

Travel awards will be available to support participants without institutional funding.

Submissions are made through the submission form (opens in a new tab), which opens on October 9, 2026, and closes on December 15, 2026.

Each submission needs a short abstract and an extended abstract of 2–4 pages or up to 1,000 words. A full paper is optional.

Accepted contributions are normally presented in parallel paper sessions or in poster sessions. You indicate on the submission form whether you would like to be considered for a paper presentation, a poster presentation, or both.

Participation in RC28 meetings requires active RC28 membership. Membership can be taken out through the ISA or directly with RC28 — see how to join RC28 (opens in a new tab).

Practical instructions for presenters, including poster dimensions, are sent with the acceptance notifications.