A number of professional organizations have formed across the US to link Sociologists. Typically, these organizations publish a scholarly journal (or more than one) and newsletters, and hold annual conferences at which members of the organization present and discuss their research in the discipline. Each organization also maintains a website which offers numerous resources including publications, news updates, conference information, job listings, careers in the discipline, and issues around teaching in the field.

The national organization of sociologists is the American Sociological Association (ASA). It publishes a number of exceptional scholarly journals. Its annual conference is held in August. The 2000 conference will be held in Washington, D.C. You can find out more about the organization by accessing its website at www.asanet.org.

There are several regional organizations of sociologists as well. In this part of the country, the Midwest Sociological Society (MSS) brings sociologists together at an annual conference and through its scholarly journal, The Sociological Quarterly. This year’s conference (held in April) will be staged in Chicago. The MSS’s website can be accessed at www.drake.edu/mss.