Call for Applications: Problem-Solving Sociology Dissertation Proposal Development Workshop (deadline February 7, 2025)

Doctoral students in departments of sociology who have not yet defended their dissertation proposals are invited to apply to a one-day dissertation proposal development workshop on “problem solving sociology” to be held on Friday, May 16, 2025 in Baltimore, MD.  Johns Hopkins University will pay for travel to/from points within the continental United States, and accommodation in Baltimore, plus meals and transportation expenses.

Problem-solving sociology uses sociological insights to attempt to solve (not just describe) contemporary social problems and uses investigation of social problems to further sociological theory.  For more on problem-solving sociology see our website at https://problemsolvingsociology.com.

The workshop will include discussion of principles and techniques of problem-solving sociology and examples of sociological scholarship that applies the approach, plus extensive feedback on individual student projects.

Please send in your application by February 7, 2025.  Send an email to Jennifer Harris-Ebelugwu, jharr132@jhmi.edu, with the subject line “application for problem solving DPD workshop.”  Attach ONE PDF that includes (1) a title page with your name, email address, university, department, year in the program, whether or not you have defended your dissertation proposal, and (if you know it) the date you expect to defend your proposal (we also welcome students who are several years away from defending) and (2) a proposal, no more than 2 single spaced pages, responding to some or all of the following questions (not all questions will be relevant for all applicants):

1. What is the social problem that you seek to solve?

2. What is your research project for solving it?

   • What do scholars already know about solving this problem, and what do they not yet know?

   • What social theories or approaches might be useful in solving this problem?  If none, can you use this research as a way to critique and reformulate existing theories?

   • What methods will you use in your research?

   • What have you already accomplished on the project?

3. What are some potential solutions?

4. (more relevant for some topics than others) Have you been involved with non-academic groups that work on this problem?

5. (if possible) How could short-term solutions feed into longer-term, structural change on this problem?

The title page and the proposal should be combined into one PDF.  (You may include a bibliography if you wish, which does not count against the 2-page limit.)

We welcome creative and ambitious ideas, as well as focused and practical ideas, as well as ideas that are somewhere in between.  If the problem is the basic structure of the economic system and the only solution that you see is revolution, then think about how to bring about revolution.  If the problem is colleges closing over spring break and low-income students having nowhere to go, think about how to nudge institutions to respond to the needs of nontraditional members.  If the problem is racism or sexism, think about how to solve (not just describe) racism or sexism.  If you already know the solution to the problem, but the problem is convincing policymakers, then focus on how to convince (or change) policymakers.

Students tell us that meeting other students from across the nation interested in this kind of research is one of the most valuable results of this workshop.  Here are some testimonials from participants in this workshop from prior years:

“Amazing!  Eye-opening in terms of what can be done.  Removed mental blocks”

“This workshop is responsible for many of the most valuable and rigorous components of my dissertation”

“I’m going to encourage everyone in my department to apply to future versions”

“Need to keep it going! (and growing)”

“Sometimes difficult, but worth it!”

“I feel we’ve pulled back the veil to reveal the process & struggle”

“Incredibly helpful, grateful for all of the work”

“I think this was an amazing initiative”

“it was a wonderful experience”