Dear RC 31 Migration Colleagues,

I hope this summer 2026 newsletter finds you well!

As migration continues to reshape political debates, policy responses, and lived experiences across every region of the world, I am reminded once again of why our work matters so much. In the pages of this newsletter, you will find news from colleagues around the globe, and I hope you find opportunities, inspiration, and ideas to spark your migration research and work.

In this issue:

The upcoming 2027 ISA Congress in Gwangju, South Korea (July 4-10, 2027). Under the Congress theme, "Global Sociology in Turbulent Times," the RC31 program is entitled "Mobility and Displacement in a Global Context" and will explore the critical role of migration in shaping our contemporary world. Migration remains a central feature of global instability, driven by inequality and opportunity, civil conflict and war, and environmental crises. It also represents a profound restructuring of social, economic, and political spaces. We seek papers that examine how migrants, refugees, and mobile populations navigate, resist, and redefine these conditions. We welcome empirical, theoretical, and comparative studies. I hope you will join us. Look for the paper submission window to open in early August. There is more information about the Congress later in this newsletter. We look forward to seeing and making memories with you in Gwangju.

Please look forward to information in the coming months about our RC31 Migration Mini-Conference to be held in Gwangju, South Korea on July 3, 2027, the day before the Congress. We are planning a pre-conference workshop that will provide professionalization opportunities, such as a dedicated space for recent authors and soon-to-be authors to discuss their book projects. Adding to this, we are planning potential field trips during the 2027 Congress to the Goryeo-in Village in Wolgok-dong with Russian-speaking return migrants, and/or possibly to learn about Gwangju's history as it supports democracy and global refugees and migrants in South Korea. We are also organizing a social evening for our members following the RC31 Business Meeting.

Many thanks for doing your research on this important topic of Migration, even when it is politically, physically, and emotionally difficult to do so.

Wishing you the best,

Loretta Bass

President, 2023-27, ISA RC 31 Sociology of Migration

We encourage you to continue submitting your contributions for the upcoming December 2026 Sociology of Migration newsletter through the link:

https://forms.gle/m6yieAp9BHmzsn7y7

Inquiries and comments: isa.rc31.newsletters@gmail.com