Democracies around the world face unprecedented challenges, from the rise of populism and conservative movements, and the increase in social inequalities and violence, to cyber threats and the climate crisis. The Portuguese Sociology Association and the University of the Azores look forward with positive expectations to the participation of sociologists in this important and stimulating event.

Argument

The XIII Congress of the Portuguese Sociology Association will take place at the University of the Azores from the 8th to the 11th of July 2025. The 13th edition is doubly significant, as it marks a special occasion, celebrating 40 years of our association, and will be held in the only higher-education institution with a degree in sociology that has yet to organize this significant event for our community.

The theme of the XIII Congress, " Challenging democracies: risks and uncertainties", is especially relevant in today’s sociopolitical context. Democracies around the world face unprecedented challenges, from the rise of populism and conservative movements, and the increase in social inequalities and violence, to cyber threats and the climate crisis. The congress aims to explore these and other relevant issues through a sociological lens, bringing together researchers, academics, and professionals to discuss and debate the threats and opportunities facing contemporary democracies.

Sociology plays a crucial role in understanding the mechanisms that underlie democracies, their dynamics and their vulnerabilities. Through the analysis of social structures, power relations, and dynamics of inequality and discrimination, and of processes of social change, sociologists offer valuable contributions on how democracies standing at a crossroads can adapt and survive. The congress seeks to foster interdisciplinary dialogue that contributes to strengthen democracies, exploring topics such as:

• Political populisms and extremisms;
• Social inequalities;
• Gender and intersectional inequalities;
• Human rights and backlash movements;
• Migrations, mobilities, and diasporas;
• Economic and social disparities;
• Technology and democracy and the impact of digital technologies on democratic governance (privacy, cybersecurity, and disinformation);
• Climate crisis;
• Public policies;
• Urban transformations and territorial dynamics;
• Cultural diversities;
• Education and knowledge production;
• Civic participation and social movements;
• Portugal and Europe.

These topics span the foundations of a sociology that aims to promote:

• a critical analysis of power structures and social processes that perpetuate democratic vulnerabilities, including the analysis of public policies, institutions, and social norms;
• opportunities for empirical research that allows collecting data on behaviours, attitudes, and social conditions, providing an empirical basis for understanding contemporary democratic dynamics;
• the enrichment of sociological theories that encourage analytical frameworks for interpreting emerging, challenging, and threatening social phenomena, such as populism, social inequalities, artificial intelligence, and digitization, toward a deep understanding of the causes and consequences of democratic vulnerabilities;
• public engagement, by promoting debate, and seeking to influence policies and practices through public sociology actions.

The University of the Azores, located in Ponta Delgada, on the island of São Miguel, offers a unique and inspiring setting for this event. Participants will have the opportunity to explore the rich culture and natural beauty of the Azores, while participating in relevant academic discussions. The XIII Portuguese Congress of Sociology promises to be a landmark event, functioning as a platform for the exchange of knowledge and the discussion of ideas on how to strengthen democracies in the face of current risks and uncertainties.

The Portuguese Sociology Association and the University of the Azores look forward with positive expectations to the participation of sociologists in this important and stimulating event. Join us in exploring the challenges and opportunities of contemporary democracies.

Submission guidelines

Abstract submission

Abstracts must be entered by the authors on the XIII Congress website: https://xiii-congresso-aps.eventqualia.net/en/2025/home/abstracts/submission-guidelines/

until October 28th 2024.

When submitting an abstract, the following fields must be filled in:

1. Thematic Area/Section
2. Type of presentation (you can choose communication or poster)
3. Title
4. Abstract (between 1750 and 2500 characters without spaces)
5. Keywords
6. If there is more than one author, indicate their order, name, institutional affiliation and email address.

Language and participation limit

Abstracts can be submitted in Portuguese, Spanish, English or French; you can participate in a maximum of three proposals, but you can only submit two proposals as first author (i.e. two proposals as an individual author or one proposal as an individual author and another as first author of a collective proposal, or two proposals as first author of a collective work).

Evaluation of abstracts

The result will be expressed in one of the following ways:

1. Paper proposal accepted at ST/AT
2. Poster proposal accepted at the TS/TA
3. Paper proposal not accepted at ST/AT
4. Poster proposal not accepted at ST/AT
5. Paper proposal accepted on condition that it becomes a poster at ST/AT

It may also happen that a proposal submitted to a particular Thematic Area is considered by the respective evaluators to be better suited to another Section/Thematic Area, and is therefore forwarded to that Section/Thematic Area in order to be evaluated there.

Full Article

It is not necessary to submit a final paper in order to present your work at the congress.

After the congress, a new submission/review phase will open for inclusion in the proceedings of the XIII Portuguese Congress of Sociology, where participants with papers presented will be able to submit the final article. The writing guidelines will be made available on the website in due course.

After the Congress, the Proceedings will be published in electronic format, with DOI registration. Acceptance of the abstract and presentation of the paper at the Congress does not guarantee publication of the final text in the Congress Proceedings. The texts will be subjected to an evaluation and selection process under the responsibility of the current coordinators of the sections/areas in collaboration with the new coordinators who will be elected in the electoral process for the Thematic Sections that will take place after the Congress. The evaluation process will be based on the criteria used by the journal SOCIOLOGIA ON LINE.

Special issue of the journal Sociologia On Line

The coordinators of the sections/thematic areas will select the best texts from their areas to be included in a thematic/special issue of SOCIOLOGIA ON LINE, if the authors agree.

Poster Submission Rules

An academic poster is a formal presentation of the results of a research project. A Poster makes it possible to publicize ongoing research or to report on its main final results (if already completed), ideally combining text and images, suggesting a quick and efficient (re)acquaintance with the work that is being carried out or that has already been completed.

The main requirements of a Poster are:

• Legibility - readability is a measure of how easy it is to read, in terms of the relationship between the parts (chapters, see Point 6) and the conciseness of the paragraphs (ability to summarize).
• Presentation - this refers above all to the appropriate choice of graphic fonts (see Point 4), including the colors and patterns used in graphs, diagrams and figures;
• Organization - spatial organization is fundamental to the overall understanding of what is being presented.

More information and contact

Congress website : https://xiii-congresso-aps.eventqualia.net/  

Contact : congresso-aps@eventqualia.net

Organizing Committee

• Paulo Peixoto (President), APS Executive Committee / FEUC
• Alexandra Aníbal, APS Executive Committee / IEFP
• Bruno Dionísio, APS Executive Committee / Uévora
• Dalila Cerejo, APS Executive Committee / NOVA FCSH
• Daniela Almeida Soares, University of Azores ,  Interdisciplinary Centre for Social Sciences, CICS.UAc/CICS.NOVA.UAc
• José Carlos Marques, APS Executive Committee / IPLeiria
• Lígia Ferro, APS Executive Committee / FLUP
• Maria Piedade Lalanda, University of Azores ,  Interdisciplinary Centre for Social Sciences, CICS.UAc/CICS.NOVA.Uac
• Nuno Amaral Jerónimo, APS Executive Committee / UBI
• Nuno Dias, Direcção APS / ISCTE-IUL
• Pilar Damião de Medeiros, University of Azores ,  Interdisciplinary Centre for Social Sciences, CICS.UAc/CICS.NOVA.Uac
• Rosa Monteiro, APS Executive Committee / FEUC
• Sofia França, University of Azores
• Vítor Sérgio Ferreira, APS Executive Committee / ICS-UL

Scientific Committee

• Lígia Ferro (President), APS Executive Committee/  FLUP (DS/IS-UP)
• Alcides Almeida Monteiro, CC APS / UBI
• Ana Maria Brandão, CC APS / IS-UM
• Ana Nunes de Almeida , CC APS / ICS-UL
• Ana Romão , CC APS / Academia Militar
• Anália Torres, CC APS / ISCSP-UTL
• António Firmino da Costa , CC APS / ISCTE-IUL 
• Carina Gomes, CC APS / UAveiro
• Carlos Fortuna , CC APS / FE – CES/UC
• Dalila Cerejo, APS Executive Committee / NOVA FCSH
• Helena Machado, CC APS / FCSH-UNL
• João Filipe Marques, CC APS / UAlgarve
• João Peixoto, CC APS / ISEG-UL
• João Sedas Nunes, CC APS /  NOVA FCSH
• João Teixeira Lopes , CC APS /  FLUP
• José Madureira Pinto, CC APS / IS-UP
• José Manuel Mendes, CC APS / CES-UC
• José Resende, CC APS / UÉvora
• Luís Baptista , CC APS /  NOVA FCSH
• Manuel Carlos Silva, CC APS / UM/
• Manuel Lisboa, CC APS /  NOVA FCSH
• Maria das Dores Guerreiro , CC APS /  ISCTE - IUL
• Mónica Diniz, CC APS /  CML
• Paulo Peixoto, APS Executive Committee /  FE – CES/UC
• Piedade Lalanda, CC APS / UAçores
• Pilar Damião de Medeiros , UAçores
• Rui Pena Pires, CC APS /  ISCTE - IUL
• Sara Falcão Casaca, CC APS / ISEG-UL
• Teresa Carvalho, CC APS / UAveiro
• Virgílio Borges Pereira, CC APS /  FLUP