ABOUT ISA

The International Sociological Association strongly condemns the systemic racism in the United States that has led to the killing of George Floyd, the attack and tasering of students, journalists, and other men, women, and children of colour by the police, that has been evident to the world, over the last few weeks.  Despite some contrition exhibited by a few state entities, the calls to militarized violence against peaceful protesters and the violent attacks continued in the United States. The International Sociological Association joins with the American Sociological Association, British Sociological Association, Sociologists for Women in Society and other professional sociological associations in support of the protests currently ongoing in the United States and other parts of the world and condemns the actions that have led to them.  

We see this as a historic and sociological event that represents a collective response to social injustice and racialized violence. We are also heartened by the involvement of diverse groups of young people, many of them students, and we call for these issues to be the subject of reflection and discussion in classrooms throughout the world. These issues are the concern of sociologists and social scientists globally who see our teaching, research and practice as an effort to critically evaluate social systems and processes to challenge structural inequalities and systems of domination which allow for violence and repression.

Institutional racism in all its forms must be condemned in the strongest possible terms, Including in higher education and academia.

As an international organisation, we support the global response and the recognition that these systems of inequality and racialized injustice are global and require all of our attention, by continued research and action.

Statements endorsed by ISA

United Nations Human Rights Council

American Sociological Association

British Sociological Association

Sociologists for Women in Society

American Society of Criminology

Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences

University of Minessota, Sociology Dept. Faculty

Graduate Sociology Students at Brown University, with the support of faculty and staff