Research Committees

Amended in July 2014

PREAMBLE

The International Sociological Association Research Committee on Social Movements, Collective Action, and Social Change (ISA-RC48) aims to promote intellectual, academic and scholarly exchanges between researchers of broadly defined social movements, social change and collective action.
The RC 48 recognizes the fact that contemporary social movements become a significant vehicle of social change and that they are the component of various collective endeavors, including protest politics, social struggles, class actions, union organizations, uprisings, rebellions, revolutions and revolts.
The RC 48 recognizes the fact that social movement research is done from various theoretical, methodological and epistemological premises.
The RC's purpose is to allow, to facilitate and to enhance exchange of information and fostering of research initiatives in the areas of the cognitive activity of its intellectual constituency.

ARTICLE ONE: OBJECTIVES

1.1. The RC48 shall carry out the policies of the International Sociological Association and shall enhance worldwide cooperation in theoretical and empirical research and teaching in the broadly defined field of social movements, collective action, and social change.
1.2. To achieve these ends, the RC48 shall help within its means:
(a) to promote institutional and personal contacts between sociologists and other social scientists interested in social movements, collective action, and social change throughout the world;
(b) to encourage the worldwide dissemination and exchange of sociological knowledge and expertise about social movements, collective action, and social change;
(c) to facilitate and promote research and training related to social movements, collective action, and social change;
(d) to convene meetings in the same orientation, including participation in ISA World Congresses and at least one midterm meeting every four years.

ARTICLE TWO: MEMBERSHIP

2.1. The members of RC48 shall consist of regular and affiliated members in good standing who have paid their dues.
2.2. Regular individual members shall be scholars or professionals active in teaching, research or practice related to social movements, collective action, and social change who are members in good standing of both RC48 and ISA.
2.3. Affiliated individual members shall be scholars or professionals active in teaching, research or practice related to social movements, collective action, and social change who are members in good standing of RC48 but who do not belong to ISA.
2.4. All members shall respect the principles upon which the Research Committee is founded, contribute to its purposes, and pay their dues. The amount and structure of dues are to be periodically reviewed and determined by the Assembly of RC48 members and are to be in accordance to ISA statutes. The fees of regular members shall be paid to the ISA Secretariat while the Secretary-Treasurer shall collect the fees of affiliated members.
2.5. All regular and affiliated members in good standing have the right to vote on RC48 matters and to make nominations, but only regular members in good standing can be elected to the board.

ARTICLE THREE: THE BOARD

3.1. The Research Committee has a board elected every four years according to democratic procedures and geographical distribution.
3.2. The Board consists of a President, Vice-Presidents, Secretary-Treasurer, and at least three additional officers with responsibilities such as Membership, Newsletter Editor, or designations such as Regional Representative or at-large. Elections should proceed in this sequence. In the interest of balancing the benefits of experience and renewal, at least one third of the board members should continue and at least one third should be replaced. The Assembly can increase the total number of board members for practical purposes and in consideration of regional representation as determined per majority decision. Likewise, the Assembly can allow the sharing of specific offices per specific majority decision. In addition, the Board can invite for the remaining duration of the term up to three additional board members upon the recommendation of the President and with the agreement of a majority of Board Members.
3.3. Any member in good standing may make a nomination or second to a nomination. The nominations and elections should be handled by the Secretary-Treasurer or other Election Officer, if appointed by the Board, who is a member but not candidate. Nominations shall be send at least three months before the election to the Secretary-Treasurer or other Election Officer. The endorsement of at least two other members in good standing is required for becoming a candidate. Candidates shall confirm their willingness to serve and submit a curriculum vitae and brief statement of experience and interest in the position. Candidates for the same position shall be given equal opportunity to present their experience, interests, and endorsements per written statement or speech of equal maximum length or duration.
3.4. If there is more than one candidate for a specific office, or in the case of board members at-large, more candidates than positions, then a secret ballot will be held upon request by any member in good standing. In case of competitive elections, the votes must be counted in a transparent, verifiable, and uncontested manner. A recount must be held if requested by any member in good standing.
3.5. Temporary vacancies on the Board between consecutive World Congresses may be filled by appointment by the Research Committee's president. A Board Member who does not fulfill major parts of her/his responsibilities can be replaced by the Board per two-third majority vote.
3.6. Each Board member must be throughout her/his term of office a member in good standing of RC48 and ISA in accordance with ISA statutes.
3.7. The Board shall have the task of carrying out the policies established by the Assembly of RC48.
3.8. The Board shall provide a newsletter to the membership at least twice per year. The newsletter may be distributed electronically.
3.9. The Board may convene subcommittees to make recommendations on particular matters or undertake specific activities.

ARTICLE FOUR: THE PRESIDENT AND THE VICE-PRESIDENTS

4.1. The RC48 President and Vice-Presidents shall legally represent the RC48 both internally and externally. The president shall chair the meetings of the Board and name delegate and alternate to the Research Council, unless other provisions were decided by vote. In his/her absence, the meetings shall be chaired by a Vice-President; if also absent, then by the Secretary-Treasurer. A former president becomes Past-President but will have voting rights on the board only if elected to the incoming Board.
4.2. In case of vacancy of the offices of President and/or Vice-Presidents, RC48 shall elect an interim President and/or Vice-President until the end of the term. Until a new President and/or Vice-President can be elected in a democratic and transparent manner by the regular members in good standing, the Board shall appoint an interim Acting President. In case a president fails to carry out her/his presidential responsibilities or allow membership to lapse, the Secretary-Treasurer shall serve a six-month period of grace notice on the President. If the irregularity is not resolved by the end of this period, the Secretary-Treasurer is required to inform the Board and refer the matter to the ISA Secretariat. A qualified majority of three-quarters of the Board Members is required to replace a President with another Board Member.

ARTICLE FIVE: THE SECRETARY-TREASURER

5.1. The Secretary-Treasurer maintains records and reports on the financial accounts at Business Meetings.
5.2. The Board audits the finances every four years in preparation for the Business Meeting at World Congresses.
5.3. The Secretary-Treasurer shall be discharged of financial responsibilities by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of auditing board members.

ARTICLE SIX: BUSINESS MEETING

6.1. The Research Committee shall hold a business meeting at least once during the four-year World Congress cycle for available members in good standing.

ARTICLE SEVEN: CHANGE OF STATUTES

7.1. The Research Committee’s statutes can be revised according to democratic procedures.
7.2. A change of statutes can be initiated by the Research Committee’s Board, an appointed committee, or upon a petition signed by at least ten percent of regular members in good standing. Statute-changes proposed by members shall be send to the Board along with an explanation of its rationale at least twelve months before the next Assembly meeting. The Board shall circulate proposed changes along with an explanation of its rationale at least three months before the next Assembly meeting.
7.3. Changes to the statutes can take effect if accepted by
(a) a two-third majority at a regular business meeting; or
(b) a two-third majority in a referendum held at least four months after announcement of the proposed changes to the membership; or
(c) a simple majority at a regular business meeting, if at least three-fourths of regular members in good standing participated; or
(d) a simple majority in a referendum held at least four months after announcement of the proposed changes, if at least three-fourths of regular members in good standing participated.

ARTICLE EIGHT: DISSOLUTION

8.1. The dissolution of RC48 shall be decided by the Assembly of RC48 following the procedures of the ISA Statutes.
8.2. The dissolution shall be declared provided that a quorum of at least two thirds of the members in good standing has been reached and that it has been approved by at least a two thirds majority of those present at the Assembly of RC48.
8.3. In the event of dissolution, the funds shall be transferred to the ISA.

ARTICLE NINE: AWARDS

9.1. RC48 may establish awards to encourage promising young scholars to participate in RC48 and contribute to the field.
9.2. Rules for Awards specify the criteria and procedures. Rules for Awards are adopted upon the Board’s recommendation by the simple majority of votes in the Assembly and take effect with ISA’s approval.

ARTICLE TEN: WORKING LANGUAGES

6.1. English, French, and Spanish are the recognized languages of the RC48. The administrative language of the RC48 shall be English.