Research Committees

The Research Committee on the Body in the Social Sciences (hereafter RC54) was established in 2008 in accordance with Article 4 of the ISA

Statutes. RC54 Statutes were first adopted in 2010; subsequent amendments were approved in 2012 and in November 2021.

ARTICLE I PURPOSE

1.1 The aim of the Research Committee on the Body in the Social Sciences of the International Sociological Association is to encourage and promote high quality research on the body as a theoretical and methodological problem for social sciences.
1.2 To secure and develop institutional and personal contacts among scholars and all others concerned professionally with body in society.
1.3 To enhance international cooperation and exchange of information on significant developments in broad range of subjects that examine body and society.
1.4 To act as the international representative body of the scholars working in the field of the body in the social sciences.

ARTICLE II ACTIVITIES

2.1 To fulfil this purpose the RC54 engages in the following activities:
2.2 Encourage research among its members and others and serve as a conduit for research, ideas and collaboration internationally. RC54 shall publish a copyrighted publications to further these measures.
2.3 Organize sessions at meetings of the ISA.
2.4 Provide information on significant developments in the field through publications and other means such as regular newsletter, blog, journals, and special conferences.
2.5 Sponsor international seminars of theoretical, methodological or substantive importance and sponsor international training seminars to add to the skills of researchers in the field.

ARTICLE III MEMBERSHIP

3. Members shall be either regular members or affiliated members.
3.1 Regular members shall be individuals or institutions in good standing within the ISA.
3.2 Affiliated members shall be individuals or institutions interested in the activities of RC54, who are not members of the ISA.
3.3 All regular and affiliated members of RC54 shall be entitled to vote in the discussions about organisational matters at the General Meetings according to the principle "one member, one vote" that means that one institution also has one vote.
3.4 All regular and affiliated members of RC54 shall be entitled to:

3.4.1 Participate in the scientific activities of the Research Committee
3.4.2 Receive free of charge the Newsletter and have free access to website and/or blog maintained by RC54

3.5. All regular and affiliated members of RC54 shall be obliged to:

3.5.1 Uphold the present Statutes of RC54 and to adhere to the stipulations of the present Statutes
3.5.2 Conscientiously fulfil the tasks entrusted to them by the General Meeting or other bodies of RC54
3.5.3 Pay their fees for the respective period of 4 years. The fees shall be fixed by the RC Board of at each General Meeting for both individual members and organisations. The respective amounts to be paid are specified in the By-Laws to the present Statutes.

ARTICLE IV OFFICERS

4.1 Officers of the Research Committee shall be elected once every four years just prior to the ISA World Congress of Sociology, as stipulated in Article V.
4.2 The composition of the Board shall be:
President
Vice-President(s)
Secretary
Treasurer
At least 3 other members
Ex-officio Former President(s)
4.3 The term of office shall be as established by the ISA:
President: maximum 2 terms
Officers (Vice-Presidents, Secretary, and Treasurer): no more than 2
consecutive terms
Board Members: no more than 4 consecutive terms

ARTICLE V ELECTIONS

5.1 To ensure participation of all regular and affiliated members, nomination shall be done by email. The Secretary shall prepare a form to be sent to all regular and affiliated members at least ten weeks before the election day together with a list of all regular members of RC54.
5.2 All regular and affiliated members of RC54 shall be entitled to nominate candidates for the Board. Nominated candidates shall be regular members of RC54. They shall confirm their preparedness to accept the respective position on the Board in case they are elected and to remain a regular member in good standing of the ISA and of the RC for the duration of their mandate, and shall return the signed nomination form to the Secretary, together with brief curriculum vitae.
5.3 The Secretary shall prepare a ballot listing all nominated candidates along with the respective positions on the Board. In case of several nominations for the same position, the nominated candidates shall be listed in alphabetical order. Pairs of candidates may also be nominated for the positions on the Board to function as Co-President, Co-Secretary /Treasurers, etc.

5.3.1 The ballot shall be sent to all regular and affiliated members of RC54 by email at least ten weeks before the election day. 

5.4 Regular and affiliated members shall send their ballot by email to the designated electoral officer(s). Ballots received later than two weeks before the beginning of the World Congress shall not be counted.
5.5 The candidate receiving the highest number of votes cast will be deemed elected to each office.
5.6 An election shall be valid if more than one third of the membership votes.

ARTICLE VI BOARD

6.1 The officers listed in Art. IV, para 4.1, constitute the Board.
6.2 The Board is entrusted with the direction of the activities of the Committee and to nominate a representative (and one alternate) to the Research Council of the ISA.
6.3 Major new activities undertaken by RC54 must first be approved by the Board.
6.4 The Board shall identify the themes and topics for a World Congress of Sociology and at least one mid-term conference and take responsibility for the organization of those sessions.
6.5 The President

6.5.1 The President will preside over meetings of the Committee and its Board
6.5.2 The President will initiate and carry out policies in conformity with RC54 purposes as specified by the Board and the membership.
6.5.3 The President will be responsible for overseeing that RC54 sessions at the ISA meetings are organized.

6.6 The Vice-President(s) will assist the President and conduct activities delegated by the President. They may also be assigned special duties by the President.
6.7 The Secretary is responsible for communicating RC54 activities and plans to the members twice a year through the Newsletter and/or blog.
6.8 The Secretary collects dues from affiliated members
6.9 The Treasurer oversees distribution of funds under the supervision of the Board to which s/he presents annual report.
6.10 Each member of the Board must always be a member in good standing of the RC54 and of the ISA.
6.11 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.
6.12 The places of any Board member not in good standing with either the ISA or RC54 may be declared temporarily vacant by the President, at the President’s discretion, and the vacancy filled according to article 6.11
6.13 One of the Board members, identified by the Board, will assume the responsibilities of the President in the case of the death, incapacitation, resignation, or other inability of the incumbent to carry out the responsibilities of the office of the President.

ARTICLE VII GENERAL MEETING

7.1 A General Meeting of RC members shall be held in conjunction with the ISA meeting.
7.2 Announcement of the General Meeting will be made to the members at least three months in advance, together with a tentative agenda of business.
7.3 A written petition of twenty members to the President within six months after the General Meeting can institute a mail ballot to the membership on any issue presented at the general meeting. The Board, by majority, can also institute a mail ballot to the membership at any time.4

ARTICLE VIII REVISION OF THE STATUTES

8.1 Proposals for the revision of these Statutes may be submitted to the membership upon written petition of twenty members to the President, or a resolution of the Board.
8.2 Revision requires approval by a majority (51 per cent) of the whole membership in an email ballot.

BY LAWS

Individual membership fees are fixed as follows
Regular member: US$ 50 for a 4-year period
Discount member (students up to PhD and members residing in countries classified in category B and C): US$ 20 for a 4-year period
Life member: US$ 50 (available only to ISA Life Members)
Institutional membership fees as fixed at US$500 for a 4-year period