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BYLAWS: SECTION ON THE SOCIOLOGY OF CULTURE

Revised 1996

Purpose: The purpose of the Section on the Sociology of Culture is to encourage development of this perspective through the organized interchange of ideas and research. It will do so through meetings, conferences, publications, and other means considered appropriate by the Council of the Section. The term Culture shall be interpreted in its broadest sense to include material products, ideas, and symbolic meanings, as these relate to social behavior and organization.

Officers of the Section: The Officers of the Section shall be a Chairperson, a Chairperson-elect, a Secretary-Treasurer, and a Council of eight members. The Chairperson-elect shall serve in that position for one year before automatically succeeding to a one-year term as Chairperson (making a combined two year term). The Secretary Treasurer will serve a three-year term. The Council is composed of six regular and two student members. Two regular members will be elected each year and serve
three-year terms. One student member will be elected each year and serve a two year term. Officers shall not succeed themselves. The Chairperson, Chairperson-elect, and Secretary-Treasurer shall also serve as members of the Council, with the following specific duties: the Chairperson-elect shall chair the Program Committee; the Secretary-Treasurer shall take and circulate minutes, and keep and present official documents and financial records of the Section.

In the first election of the Council following the adoption of these amended by-laws all elections will proceed as above except that one student Council member will be elected for a two-year term and one a one-year term. Thereafter each annual election will be for a Chairperson-elect and three Council seats, with Secretary-Treasurer elected every third year.

All voting members of the Section are eligible for election as Officers. If an elected office is vacated before the term is completed, it shall be filled for the unexpired term through appointment by the highest ranking officer, subject to confirmation by the Council at its next meeting.

Powers of the Council: The Council is vested with the power to carry out all necessary operations for the Section, acting as the representatives of the membership of the Section. To that end, it shall meet on the occasion of the ASA Annual Meeting if not more often. The Council shall make decisions by majority rule of its attending members. Questions to be brought before the Section membership for approval may originate with the Council itself, by a petition of l0 percent of the Section membership or by 25 members of the Section (whichever is less), and may be referred to a mail ballot of Section members by the same means. Any resolution passed by the Annual Business Meeting of the Section and not subsequently accepted by the Council shall automatically be submitted to the Section membership by mail ballot.

Elections and Voting: The elections of the Section shall be carried out by mail in cooperation with the American Sociological Association and coordinated to its schedule. Newly elected officers shall assume office immediately after the adjournment of the Business Meeting of the Section at the Annual Meeting of the ASA. A simple majority of the members voting for Chairperson-elect and Secretary-Treasurer shall determine the outcome, as it shall for all referenda or revisions of bylaws as may be submitted for vote. Otherwise, in the elections for seats on the Council (normally with
four candidates for two positions), the two candidates having the largest number of votes shall be elected.

Committees: There shall be a Nominating Committee, elected each year by those members of the Section present at the open Business Meeting of the Section. It shall be constituted of at least four members, none of whom are currently serving as Section Officers, and none of whom shall serve for
more than two consecutive years. The Nominating Committee shall present two people for each office to be voted on by the voting members of the Section by mail ballot, as stipulated above.

There shall be a Program Committee, consisting of at least three members to be appointed for two-year terms, including at least one currently elected member of the Council. The Program Committee shall be chaired by the Chairperson-elect of the Section, who shall appoint the other members in consultation with the Chair of the Section. The purpose of the Program Committee shall be to develop sessions of interest to the Section at each Annual Meeting of the ASA, in cooperation with the Program Committee of the Association.

There shall be a Publications Committee consisting of at least three members to be appointed for two-year terms, including at least one current elected member of the Council. The Chair of the Publications Committee shall be appointed by the Chairperson of the Section, and shall serve as
Editor of the Section Newsletter, in addition to appointing the other members of the Publications Committee. The purpose of the Publications Committee shall be to prepare a Section Newsletter to be distributed to all Section members four times a year through the American Sociological Association.

Membership: The membership of the Section is open to any member of the American Sociological Association without regard to the classification of membership. Members who do not pay their Section dues shall be dropped from the rolls.

Dues: Dues shall be set by the Council to cover the operation of the Section in accord with the requirements of the American Sociological Association.

Annual Meeting Participation: The Culture Section members support the scholarly aims and organizational integrity of the Section by requiring all who present papers or take part in discussions on referred roundtables at the Annual Meetings to become members in their appropriate category, effective as of the 1990 ASA Meetings. (spring l989 ballot)


 

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The American Sociological Association Section on the Sociology of Culture