SWS-EAST

The Eastern Regional Chapter of

Sociologists for Women in Society

Our History

The Eastern Region Chapter of SWS was established in 2006 at the 76th Annual Meeting of the Eastern Sociological Society in Boston, Massachusetts. The chapter officially convened for the first time at the 2007 ESS Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During this initial gathering, members constructed a vision for how the chapter may extend the work of SWS in a regional context, namely to serve as a networking resource for those who are members of both SWS and ESS. To fulfill this goal, we have developed the following list of objectives for SWS-East:

-        To organize an “intergenerational” networking dinner to be held annually at ESS meetings. The chapter will invite renowned SWS members to dinner, offering others the opportunity to communicate and connect with influential women sociologists. Our focus on “intergenerational” places emphasis on years of experience and influence in the field rather than age.

-         To develop a regional extension of the Hand Program, which will connect senior ESS/SWS members with junior ESS/SWS members during both annual ESS and SWS meetings. As is the tradition in the national SWS Hand Program, “senior” members are defined as any SWS member who has attended a meeting in the past.

-         To maintain a strategically placed SWS table at annual ESS meetings, which will provide information about the national organization, the Eastern Region chapter, and serve as recruitment/welcoming tool for SWS.

-         To arrange for a strategically placed SWS hospitality suite at ESS meetings to serve as a gathering space for SWS members attending ESS meetings and as a recruitment/welcoming tool for SWS.

-         To cosponsor workshops, panels, sessions with standing ESS committees (i.e. Committee on the Status of Women, Committees on Graduate and Undergraduate Education, Committee on the Status of Minorities) focused on networking issues, strategies, and tips.

We would like to extend an invitation to the SWS membership to join the Eastern Region chapter, and particularly encourage other chapters located within the eastern U.S. to join and/or collaborate with SWS-East. If you are interested in being added to the ESWS chapter email list, please email Laura West Steck with your request.