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Research Committees

By-laws

(Previously Racism, Nationalism and Ethnic Relations; change of name approved by the ISA Executive Committee in 2017)

Updated November 2006 and July 2014

By-laws

  1. PURPOSE

The purpose of the Research Committee is:

  • To encourage research on racism, nationalism and ethnic relations;
  • To evaluate policies and explore strategies aimed at eradicating racial discrimination and unequal treatment based on ethnicity;
  • To provide a forum for discussion and dissemination of research in these fields.

 

  1. ACTIVITIES

The Research Committee engages in the following activities:

  1. Organises sessions at the ISA World Congresses;
  2. Prepares and circulates to the membership (and the ISA) a newsletter at least twice annually;
  3. Organises a mid-term international conference between World Congresses;
  4. May (co-)organise and/or (co-)sponsor other seminars on topics related to its research areas;
  5. Holds a Business Meeting of its members at least once every four years, normally during the ISA World Congress. Decisions in a Business Meeting are taken by simple majority of those present. Duties of this meeting include:
    1. to evaluage and approve the four-year report;
    2. to discharge the outgoing board of its responsibilities, including those related to the financial statement;
    3. to discuss and adopt motions on any other point that may arise;
  6. Holds a Business Meeting for exchange of information during its mid-term conference (and may hold an informal one during other (co-)sponsored/ (co-)organized conferences);
  7. Such other activities as decided by the Board or the President in consultation with the Board.

 

  1. MEMBERSHIP

Members are expected to disassociate themselves from systems of structural inequality based on ‘race’, ethnicity, faith or national origins, and to demonstrate in their scholarship, where relevant, this perspective.
Membership of the Research Committee is open to all members of National Sociological Associations as well as other scholars who have demonstrated substantial research interest in relevant fields.
Membership is gained upon acceptance of an application for membership and payment of a fee. There are only individual members. There are two categories of member.

  1. Regular members are those who have paid the appropriate fee to both the ISA and RC05. They may participate in RC05 scientific activities (organize sessions, chair sessions, present papers in sessions), receive a copy of the newsletter, vote on all matters affecting RC05 (including in RC05 elections), participate in RC05 Business meetings, are eligible for travel grants, can nominate members to the board of RC05, can be members of the RC05 board.
  2. Affiliated members are those who have paid the appropriate fee for RC05 alone. They may participate in RC05 scientific activities (organize sessions, chair sessions, present papers in sessions), receive a copy of the newsletter, vote on all matters affecting RC05 (including in RC05 elections), participate in RC05 Business meetings; can nominate members to the board of RC05. However, they are not eligible for Board positions.

In cases where for currency or other reasons the payment of a fee is deemed inappropriate, the Secretary may waive the whole or part of the RC05 fee. This normally applies to individuals or scholars from certain countries.
Fees are to be paid for a four year period. Regular members pay their fees directly to the ISA secretariat and affiliated members pay theirs to the RC05 Membership Secretary.
The fee and waiver policy is decided by the Board and reported at each obligatory Business Meeting. The present fees are specified in the By-Laws to the present Statutes.
Non-payment of the appropriate fee will lead to loss of membership 6 months after the final date on which payment was due.

 

  1. THE BOARD AND ITS OFFICERS

The activities of the Research Committee are determined by the Board. The term of a particular Board runs from one ISA Congress to the next.

The Board has eight elected members in addition to the President. Its officers are the President, Treasurer, Secretary and Newsletter Editor. The position of Secretary may be divided into Membership Secretary and Corresponding Secretary. On decision of the board, one or both of the positions of Treasurer, Secretary (ies) and Newsletter Editor may be designated by the title ‘Vice President’ (eg (‘Vice President, Finance’ for ‘Treasurer’). The new Board will designate the officers (except for the elected president), normally from among its members.

Past Presidents of the Research Committee are automatically entitled to become non-voting, ex-officio members of the Board. To be an ex-officio board member, a past president must, however, be a regular member of RC05 (ie also a member of ISA in good standing).

All board members must be Regular members of RC05 in good standing throughout their term of office.

The Board shall contain no more than three members from the same country. An effort shall be made to ensure a fair regional, national and gender representation and to ensure that each Board consists of some continuing and some new members.

The President is vested with all powers of decision making between Board meetings and is responsible for over-seeing all activities of the Research Committee. The President is also responsible for organising sessions of the Research Committee at the ISA Congress and at the RC05 mid-term meeting(s), although the latter responsibility may be shared. The President is normally the RC05 delegate at the ISA Research Council.

The Vice-President(s) (if designated) and/or other officers assist the President with those matters delegated by the President.

The Membership Secretary is responsible for: providing the nominating committee with a list of all RC05 members, including their contact information; fee collection; the maintaining of membership registers; and assisting the President with organising the Congress sessions. The Corresponding Secretary shall organize (and minute) the Business Meeting(s) and the meetings of the Board in cooperation with the President, assist the president in the preparation of reports and applications to ISA, and correspondence on behalf of RC05. The functions of membership and corresponding secretaries may be combined in a single position of secretary at the board’s discretion.

The Treasurer is the financial officer of RC05, makes disbursements under the over-all supervision of the Board, is responsible for the collection of other income and receipt of membership fees, keeps financial documentation, prepares the financial report to the Board, to be accepted by the quadrennial Business meeting and realizes financial relations between RC05 and the ISA.

The Newsletter Editor is responsible for the preparation and circulation of two RC05 newsletters annually. A copy of each newsletter is to be sent to ISA.

The Board may appoint such other officers as it deems necessary.

The Board will appoint the alternate for the ISA Research Council from among its members.

Temporary vacancies in the Board between consecutive ISA World Congresses may be filled by appointment by the President, in accordance with ISA Statute 4.5.

The places of any Board member not in good standing with either the ISA or RC05 may be declared temporarily vacant by the President, at the President’s discretion, and the vacancy filled according to the previous statement.

One of the Board members, identified by the Board, will assume the responsibilities of the President of the Board in the case of the death, incapacity, resignation, or other inability of the incumbent to carry out the responsibilities of the office of the President. Should the President fail to carry out their presidential responsibilities or allow their membership to lapse, the Secretary/Treasurer is required to inform the Board and to serve a six-month period of grace notice on the President.

 

  1. ELECTIONS

Either single candidates or pairs of candidates may be nominated for the positions of President, Secretary, Treasurer, or Editor of the Newsletter. If a pair is elected, each member of it will function as co-incumbent of the office in question (Co-Presidents, Co-Secretary, Co-Treasurers or Co-Editors of the Newsletter).

The election of Members of the Board takes place in the months preceding the ISA Congress, when the following steps are taken:

  1. The Board shall appoint a 2 or 3 member Nominating Committee, chaired by the President. Members of the Nominating Committee cannot be candidates for any position.
  2. The Nominating Committee writes to all members in good standing and invites nominations to the Board (including self-nominations), encouraging a fair regional and gender balance of candidates.
  3. A member of the Nominating Committee writes to those nominated and secures their agreement to stand as candidates, and their undertaking to remain regular members of RC05 in good standing throughout their mandate. Only members in good standing may stand as candidates. Candidates are invited to provide a brief cv and a statement of interest (1 page for each maximum).
  4. The Nominating Committee includes all those nominated who have consented to stand as candidates on a ballot which is then distributed by the Membership Secretary to all members of good standing, together with the brief cv and statement of interest provided by the candidate. Sufficient time, normally two months, is allowed to return the ballots, and votes must be received at least two weeks prior to the beginning of the ISA World Congress. Voting instructions include a reminder to members to ensure an appropriate international and gender balance on the Board. Voting is normally electronic.
  5. The ballot will make the distinction between the office of President on the one hand and other members of the Board on the other. A person may be nominated for President, other member of the Board, or both. To stand for President does not exclude the option to stand simultaneously for the position of ‘other member of the Board’. If a person has stood for both President and other member of the Board, and is elected as President, his/her votes for other member of the Board are discarded. Names are listed alphabetically on the ballot for President and for other Board members.
  6. The ballots are counted prior to the Business Meeting of the ISA Congress by two members of the Nominating Committee.
  7. The results of the ballot are announced at the Business Meeting. In case of a tie, lots will be drawn to select one of the tied candidates.
  8. Where there are more than three candidates from a single country (for president and board members), the three candidates from that country with the highest number of votes will be elected to office and the remaining board members will be from other countries.
  9. If there is only one candidate for a position that person must receive 50%+1 of the votes cast in order to be elected.
  10. The Board selects from amongst its members the Vice-President(s) and other officers.
  11. In addition to the elected members of the Board, all past Presidents are eligible to serve as members of the Board ex-officio, provided they are regular members of RC05.
  12. Elected members of the Board cannot serve more than two consecutive terms and the President may not serve more than one term.
  13. In addition to its other members, the Board may co-opt others to membership of the Board in order to secure regional and other representation.

 

  1. NATIONAL SUBGROUPS

Upon acceptance by the Board, national sub-groups of the Research Committee may be organised. When such sub-groups are established, the Board may make an agreement with the national sub-group regarding financial and membership arrangements. Usually, the Research Committee will allow the national sub-groups a share of the membership dues, provided the sub-group will take responsibility for distributing relevant information from the Research Committee to its members. The RC05 Board should be notified of major meetings, seminars etc. organised by the sub-groups. The sub-groups should provide a short statement on activities to the Research Committee Board meetings.

 

  1. ACCOUNTABILITY

The Treasurer shall provide a statement of activities and a financial report to the Business Meeting of the Committee in conjunction with the ISA Congress.

 

  1. AMENDING THE BY-LAWS

    1. Any proposal for amendments to the Statutes or By Laws may be made by any member of the Board, or by any five members in good standing of RC05.
    2. Such a proposal must be received by the Board at least one year before the World Congress.
    3. The proposal will be circulated among all RC05 members, together with an explanation of its rationale, at least six months before the next World Congress. The Board will be entitled to propose amendments, to be circulated at least two months before the World Congress.
    4. Changes to the statutes can take effect if accepted by:
      1. a two-thirds majority at a regular business meeting; or
      2. a two-thirds majority in a referendum (normally electronic) held at least four months after announcement of the proposed changes to the membership; or
      3. a simple majority at a regular business meeting, if at least three-fourths of regular members in good standing participated; or
      4. a simple majority in a referendum (normally electronic) held at least four months after announcement of the proposed changes, if at least three-fourths of regular members in good standing participated.

 

  1. DISSOLUTION

    1. The dissolution of RC05 shall be decided by the Business Meeting of RC05 following the procedures of the ISA Statutes.
    2. The dissolution shall be declared provided that a quorum of at least two thirds of the members has reached and that it has been approved by at least a two thirds majority of those present at the General Meeting of RC05.
    3. In the event of dissolution, the funds shall be transferred to the ISA.

 

By-laws

  1. Fee structure.

Currently the fees range from $US40 to $US 20 for four years, depending on status and country of residence (as defined by the ISA Country Categories A, B and C):
Members of Category A countries: $40
Student members of Category A countries: $20 (presently ‘discount’)
Members of Category B and C countries: $20 (presently ‘discount’)