ASA Virtual Engagement Event Bulletin

View Recorded Sessions

Links to recorded sessions and presentations will remain posted in the online program until September 30. You may still register (free to ASA members) for the virtual engagement event to access the links. After registering, to access the virtual session information, you first need to log in to your ASA account. Once logged in, click on “Virtual Engagement Portal” listed under the Annual Meeting header. Then click “View the Online Program”. When you see “Welcome [Your Name]” at the top of the page, you are logged in to the online program. A “Browse by Online Resource” option has been added to the left menu of options. Here you will find only sessions that have listed a virtual component.

Videos of the plenary sessions, including the 2020 Presidential Address, have been posted to the ASA Annual Meeting Video Archive web page and will be retained in perpetuity. Additional presidential sessions will be added to that page as they become available.

Thank You from President Christine Williams

Well that was different.

In April, the ASA Council cancelled the 115th meeting of the American Sociological Association. They had no choice. It was the right and the only thing to do in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

The last time the Annual Meeting was cancelled was in 1945, when a different horseman of the apocalypse prevented the gathering of American sociologists. But unlike then, ASA 2020 was able to meet virtually. That we managed to put together an online event in less than four months is truly amazing.

By the last day of the event, 5,250 people had registered, a number that is comparable to attendance in recent years. Without the distractions of San Francisco, many of us attended sessions, over 600 of them. Sessions were popular even on the last day of the event—unprecedented in my experience. I hope that participants found intellectual engagement and inspiration at these sessions. I certainly did. For those who missed out, several were recorded and registrants can access them through the online program until September 30.

None of this happened automatically, of course. Just like the platform economy, which relies on unseen and often unappreciated labor, this virtual event was made possible by the dedicated efforts of many people.

Nancy Kidd and Michelle Randall, and all of the staff at ASA, worked overtime to manage the virtual event while looking out for the best interests of the Association. It has been a pleasure working with them over the past two years. Members of ASA Council have been a source of wisdom, support, and hope to me during these challenging times. I am especially grateful for the wise feminist counsel of my Vice President Joya Misra, who convinced me that we should move ahead with a virtual event. And I want to thank everyone who sent me encouraging emails over the past few months, which sustained me and buoyed me through these difficult times.

The tireless Program Committee did their job twice, first organizing a spectacular program, and then reorganizing it as a virtual event. I was told at the beginning of my term that programming the conference would be the best part of being President, and that was no lie, thanks to this wonderful group of scholars and educators.

Joya Misra, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
David Takeuchi, Boston College
Nancy López, University of New Mexico
Hae Yeon Choo, University of Toronto, Mississauga
Joshua Gamson, University of San Francisco
Adia Harvey Wingfield, Washington University in St. Louis
Allison Pugh, University of Virginia
Vinnie Roscigno, Ohio State University
Katherine Rowell, Sinclair Community College
Kristen Schilt, University of Chicago
Don Tomaskovic-Devey, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

My local planning chairperson, Katrina Kimport, working with Kimberly Richman and Josh Gamson, put together a fabulous line-up of sessions and events to spotlight the sociological significance of the San Francisco Bay Area. I am extremely grateful for their efforts, and disappointed that we could not enjoy the results together.

Finally, I want to thank the ASA members who generously and graciously worked to make this online event possible. I am grateful to the section officers, session organizers, presenters, discussants, moderators, and attendees who came together to make ASA 2020 an unforgettable experience.

ASA 2020 will go down in the record books as our first virtual conference. I am disappointed that we did not get to meet in San Francisco, but I am also hopeful for the future of our Association. In the midst of this tragic year, we found ways to connect with and support each other. We had a relatively accessible and green conference. Thanks to ASA 2020, we will be better prepared for the next horseman who threatens our gathering.

Virtual Exhibit Hall

The Virtual Exhibit Hall will remain open until September 30. Many of the exhibitors and advertisers that would have participated in San Francisco have created virtual exhibit booth web pages, including special discounts for ASA Members.