Boston Sociology Graduate Society

Develop in Scholarly Community

Beginning in the Fall 2025 semester, the Boston Sociology Graduate Society will sponsor Working Groups to encourage the development of research in community.

For working groups, participation is oriented toward any doctoral scholar at any stage of their program.

In our first semester rollout, working groups will be limited to 8-12 scholars—selected by the Working Group Chair based on stated interest, program diversity (we are encouraging connections across programs/universities), and/or lottery.

If you would like to be a Chair of a future working group on a specific topic/method/interest, please feel free to connect with Society Co-Chairs at bostonsociologygraduatesociety@gmail.com.

Supporting Trauma-Informed Research Group

Dates: Thursdays
Time: 5:30-7:30 PM EST
First Session: September 25, 2025
Location: 415 McGuinn Hall, Boston College
Chair: Ami Campbell

Description: For Sociology graduate students conducting research or preparing to start. This supportive in-person group reflects on practice for addressing trauma in the lives of research participants. The group will also engaged themes around self-care strategies for researchers, including the option to process trauma-work together. At least one session this semester will be moderated by Lucía Flores, Boston/Cambridge-area therapist who specializes in complex trauma and PTSD from an anti-oppressive lens. Participation is free, but space is limited. Registration required. Co-Sponsored by the Boston College Sociology Department.

To sign up for the Fall 2025 Supporting Trauma-Informed Research Group, please fill out this form. For more information: ami.campbell@bc.edu.

Qualitative Working Group

Dates: Fridays
Time: 2-4 PM EST
Location: Zoom (Remote)
Chair: Aaron Benavidez

Description: The Qualitative Working Group will meet five times during the Fall 2025 semester. Our first session will be geared for long-form introductions and the crafting of community expectations and connections. For all future sessions, we will offer focused, collective feedback on specific research issues or works/papers/chapters. Each session will be organized around two featured presenters. Papers intended for high quality feedback will be circulated one week in advance of the session. Scholars at an early stage of research should feel free to sign up to discuss approaches/issues in the field/early thinking/etc. for group advice, suggestions, and reflection. Fall 2025 members of the Qualitative Working Group are not required to present but all participants are expected to attend sessions, read work, and offer comments. To foster a culture of encouragement and action, feedback will begin with strengthens and then suggestions. We will additionally encourage presenters to respond to feedback with a short post-session reflective memo with next steps—an inspiration and strategy adopted from the late Michael Burawoy.

To sign up for the Fall 2025 Qualitative Working Group, please fill out this form by September 25, 2025. Any questions? Email Aaron at benavidez@fas.harvard.edu