ABOUT GATS RESEARCH CLUSTERS
Research clusters are networks of GATS researchers based on shared scholarly interests, and were created, to quote Peggy Levitt when she was 2016-2017 GATS chair, to “serve as spaces where scholars can develop social networks, disseminate ideas and papers, and explore opportunities for collaboration.” They are a way to make a big section small.
HOW ARE RESEARCH CLUSTERS DIFFERENT FROM ROUNDTABLES?
Research clusters and roundtables differ in terms of topics and the relationship among participants.
Topics
- Research Clusters: topics emerge from the membership/people who are interested in participating.
Roudtables: topic are generated from a wide array of papers that are forwarded to the GATS roundtable organizers, who then try and sort the papers thematically.
Relationship among Participants
- Research clusters: voluntary, and intentionally involve senior scholars, junior scholars and graduate students in a mentoring and intellectual community which serve to provide feedback on the currency of our field: our ideas and papers.
Roundtables: hodgepodge of papers and people from different ranks submitting papers to the GATS roundtable session at the annual ASA meeting
WHAT’S THE LEVEL OF COMMITMENT FOR JOINING A RESEARCH CLUSTER?
It’s up to you and to the collective desires of each cluster. These are designed to be useful. As such, each cluster can decide what is more or less useful – meeting at ASA? Creating a year-round community where you exchange papers among one another? These decisions are made by each cluster.
WHEN DO THEY MEET?
How each cluster is organized may differ. Some have monthly calls among their members, while others only meet at the ASA. The section is committed to providing support for the research clusters, and in previous years, this meant providing tables for research clusters to meet at the ASA roundtable session. However, research clusters meet as often as they desire.
HOW ARE THEY FORMED?
By you, the membership! These are meant to be clusters that form from the ground-up, having members decide which topics and themes could be the basis from which they connect with other scholars. That is, they are a way to make a big section smaller.
CAN I CREATE ONE?
Yes! Just make sure that your idea, or a similar one, doesn’t already have a research cluster created.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF JOINING A RESEARCH CLUSTER?
Some of the benefits include the ability to connect with scholars who work in similar areas, as well as to provide opportunities for mentorship, collaborations, and exchanges
HOW CAN I JOIN A RESEARCH CLUSTER?
Contact research cluster leaders and/or join their listservs! See below for information:
Arts, Culture, and Religion: contact Shai Dromi, shai.dromi@g.harvard.edu
Empire and its Legacies: Ricarda Hammer, ricarda_hammer@brown.edu
Gender and Sexuality: contact Reya Farber, rdfarber@wm.edu
Global Environmental and Climate Crisis: contact John Foran, Foran@soc.ucsb.edu
Global Human Rights: Kristopher Velasco, krisvelasco@utexas.edu
Global Populism: Sefika Kumral, s_kumral@uncg.edu & Zachary Levenson, zblevens@uncg.edu
Social Movements: Selina Gallo-Cruz, sgallo@holycross.edu
INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING TO LEAD A CLUSTER?
Contact Durgesh Solanki (dsolank1@jh.edu)