Date: February 15-16, 2014
Venue: Chiang Mai University
URL：http://rcsd.soc.cmu.ac.th/web/APSA2014/home.php
About the conference
Asia and the Pacific today faces momentous challenges as it enters the second decade of the 21st century, in the wake of the rapid processes of social transformation in the region precipitated by globalization. While we see bustling cities and towns and modernization of rural areas in some parts, we also witness the choking of cities and the ensuing culture shocks, as well as the uprooting and depopulation of rural communities/areas.
Various countries in the region – from China to the Pacific Islands, from the South China Sea to the Indian subcontinent and beyond – are experiencing different degrees and speeds of urbanization, industrialization and development. It is a region of great promise and huge potentials. Yet, it is also a region full of diversity and paradoxes. It must also be recognized that many countries in the region face rising inequalities and conflicts that threaten their social fabric and stability. Various classes and groups of people, in particular the younger generation and indigenous communities, face a revolution of rising expectations, yet many experience a revolution of rising frustrations. Issues of identity revolving around ethnicity, religion, and sub‐regions often crop up, raising tensions and anxieties. All these must be addressed effectively and with a long range view, bearing in mind that people in the region face a common future.
Given the above background, the role of sociology in particular and social sciences in general as the corpus of knowledge to analyze and interpret changes in the 21st century is very critical. Sociologists and other social scientists must use their critical faculties to make sense of these contestations and challenges, examine possible convergences, and suggest alternatives for the benefit of the respective societies and for humankind.
