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International Sociological Association

RC34 Executive Board meeting

Roskilde

12/13 June, 2003

Present: Helena Helve (President), Jim Cote (IBYR), Manuela du Bois Raymond, Ola Stafseng, Carmen Leccardi, Reingard Spannring (Treasurer), Howard Williamson (Organisational Secretary).  [Siyka Kovacheva some of the time]

Apologies: all Vice-Presidents! [though written reports received from Ngai, Henk/Carles]

1) Agenda emailed by HH (13.5.03) adopted

2) Brisbane minutes & ad hoc Moscow meeting notes accepted

3) Reports by Presidents and Vice-Presidents

Report from Ngai Discussion of issues concerning receiving subscriptions from members in China and how to deal with the money.  Action: HH

President’s report

HH thanked committee for communication, contact and activity – with special thanks to Jim and his work on IBYR.  ISA contribution to RC34 will provide further support for IBYR.

Membership renewal? HW reported on mechanisms for dealing with lapsed membership and recording of new members.

Problems for some people of finding the appropriate mechanisms for payment: Action: RS/HW

IBYR development ideas: Action JC

HH reported on contact with networks and network-building: Asia, Latin America and Central & Eastern Europe.

RC34 support for Carles Feixa’s Masters programme in Lleida.

 

4) Reports by Secretary and Treasurer

Secretary’s Report

HW reported on reactive activity re. membership and information.

Treasurer’s Report

RS reported on current state of finances.  Further investment in IBYR agreed.

 

5) Book proposals

Three book proposals are in.  One, edited by Helena and Gunilla, has an application in with Ashgate.  Publishing strategy should be an item for the agenda for the next meeting.

Other two: history of RC34 (Claire and Lyudmila); and Brisbane papers (Lynne).

MduBR suggested that there may be a publisher who would be interested in an RC34 series – scholarly and international.

HH suggested a small publishing committee, to prepare a short proposal for consideration at the next meeting.

 

6) Activities of RC34

 a) Youth in a globalised age?

Salerno: Carmen outlined the proposal for a meeting in 2004/2005 (draft paper proposal made available).  General theme and thematic clusters. CL will explore such issues further.  HH will make direct contact with Lello Rauty, who has established the idea.    OS will raise the issue of Council of Europe involvement at the national youth research correspondents meeting in Budapest in July.

 b) Children’s conference

Oslo: end of June 2005.  OS reported that a small group of seven had been working on this conference since May last year.  OS repeated that the planning arrangements are about a number of working groups shaping the content of elements of the overall programme.  Publishing plans.  Sponsorship ideas to ensure involvement of those with fewer resources.  There is likely to be a competition for the privilege of contributing to the overall organisation.  RC34 needs to register its interests in securing the c40,000€ for preparatory work.  A small group with global representativeness (Mexico, Phillippines) needs to be the visible front of an RC34 bid.  The thematic frame should be both general and more specifically geared around the role of education in the cementing of democracy (participation, citizenship).  Likely time for a bid will be the autumn (2003).  Process:

·        HH to write immediately to V/Ps, asking for a response to the idea (either from themselves or through delegation of the responsibility), with a single page outline of what their regions should contribute to such an event.

·        The working group (HH, CL, JC) gather this material and await notification from OS about the ‘template’ for applications

·        The working group ‘fits’ the material provided by V/Ps into the Norway template – or seeks further information/confirmation from the V/Ps, and then does so.

·        Application to be submitted – with the ‘working group’ being expanded to include names from around the world!

 c) Masters’ course:

[see also note above in agenda item 3]

Lleida: Xavier Estrada is the contact person and supporting letter may be needed to show involvement of RC34 members if requested.  HH to contact Carles/Xavier to say that RC34 has indicated its support for the course, and appreciates its work

 d) Doctorate in Child and Youth Studies:

Columbia: note from German Munoz, for information and support.  RC34 has no money to provide active support, but can convey symbolic support and, where possible, be reactive to professional/academic requests (writing, refereeing, funding partnership).  In the longer term it may be possible to develop exchange programmes.  HH to write to German conveying this position, and informing him that RC34 will endeavour to support him in relation to more specific requests.

CL suggested a small ‘south America’ contact group (Carles, Rene Bendit, HW) who could be responsible for responding to requests from that region.

OS mentioned MACESS and a comparative education course in Stavanger: Jim to use IBYR to request:

·        course outlines

·        information on comparative programmes of study

·        information on sources of support for exchanges across comparative programmes of study

e) Bratislava conference:

Ladislav has organised a conference on Latin American studies and will act as the RC34 ambassador at the event.

f) China:

Waifs conference (Helen Ju), October 2003.  Probably will not go ahead because of SARS.  We will wait for further information.  HH to write to Ngai expressing support for the conference and indicating that he can have discretion over the 7,000? (c.700-800$) kept in China.

 g) Australia:

CL said that contact should be made with Johanna Wyn about what she is planning over the next two years.  HH said that she has already done this – but HH will do so again (requesting a plan of action).

[Led to general discussion of role and responsibilities of Vice-Presidents, and their production of a plan.  Ngai has sent apologies; Carles a plan – but concern was expressed about the lack of communication from other V/Ps]

HW gave JC an email from the Australian Clearing House for Youth Studies who want to be added to the IBYR mailing list.

h) Chile:

HW reported on a letter received from Eugenio Ravinet, Director the Junior Ministry for Youth in Santiago and currently the President of the Iberoamerican network of government’s youth policy sections (21 countries).

May be overload to consider a further event in south America in 2004 – but connect with discussion of Young Researchers’ Conference (below).

 i) Young Researchers’ conference(s)

There had been an intention to run such a course in South America, Chile (it would be the fifth – after three in Budapest, and one in Moscow).

Reflections on Moscow.

Working group: HW, RS – how to build up the structure.  JC mentioned the idea of a Handbook, which had been raised in Brisbane.  HW suggested that this might be premature, and that further courses with clearer goals, organisation and implementation needed to be done.

Needs to be discussed further with the CoE national youth research correspondents: OS to raise in Budapest in July.

RS and Ladislav are to press ahead with running this kind of course in central and eastern Europe (in 2004).

[Outside of the meeting RS agreed to develop a course outline with Ladislav, and then to use HW as a sounding board for its ‘working up’ in relation to speakers and process]

j) Young researchers award

RC34 to sponsor a young researcher award for ‘ best article’.  The prize will be an award for travel to Durban in 2006, the article published in YOUNG (and perhaps an adapted version later on IBYR), 500€, and some kind of plaque or diploma/certificate.  Jim to approach the Jacobs Foundation as a possible source of funding support for this idea.

In the call for submissions, emphasis that only serious papers will  be considered and reviewed: they will be required to be in ‘journal-quality’ condition.

There will be strong encouragement of papers from eastern Europe, Asia, south America, and Africa.

 

Howard Williamson

13^th June, 2003

[tidied up 15^th June 2003]

[amended 8^th July 2003 Budapest]