International Society for the Sociology of Music Education
Call for Papers, 2025 Symposium for the Sociology of Music Education June 9-12, 2025
William Paterson University, Wayne, New Jersey

What Thinking Sociologically Can Teach Us about Music Education

Submission deadline extended: Proposals due January 31, 2025.

The 2025 conference organizers invite proposals for papers on aspects of theory, philosophy, research and practice in the sociology of music education. We welcome scholarly investigations into a wide range of contexts, such as schools, universities, festivals, communities, the media, homes and the Internet. ‘Music education’ is understood to include all forms of teaching and learning music – formal, informal and non-formal.

Submissions are encouraged from researchers at all career stages, and qualitative, quantitative, mixed-method or philosophical approaches are welcome. Scholars focusing on music and musical practices outside of Euro-American traditions are especially encouraged.

Topics that may be addressed include:

Music Education as embedded in and/or across the micro-, meso- and macrosystems of education, politics,
and personal wellbeing
Connections between policy, sociology, and music education
Where sociology fits into music education / where music education fits into sociology
What can be learned from a sociology of music education
The role, place, value, of sociology for understanding the role of music in schools, communities, and other
socio-cultural entities
Why do we need to bring sociology into conversations about Music Education (and who is “we” and what
is the “need”?)
Influences of sociology in music education
Possible presentation formats may include:
- Full paper (20-minute, 5-minute Q & A)
- Round-table of 3-4 works in progress (30-minute; 10-minute Q & A)
- Lightening talk or pechakucha (10-minute talk)
- Other, to be proposed and explained in your abstract
  Please mention 1st and 2nd choice of format in your proposal.

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION PROCESS

Please submit both: a proposal of no more than 800 words (references not included in word count) and an abstract of no more than 100 words as email attachments. Incomplete submissions will not be considered. State your name, institutional affiliation, email address, and other contact information in the body of the email only. There should be no identifiers on proposals or abstracts. Submit by January 31, 2025 to: ISSMEabstracts@gmail.com

Proposals will be reviewed anonymously by committee and evaluated according to how well their topics and frameworks apply sociological thinking to music education. See bullets above for ideas.

Notification of acceptance will occur by email no later than March 15, 2025. Registration will open April 1, 2025. Primary presenter and any co-presenters must register for the conference no later than May 15, 2025, or may forfeit their acceptance. Accepted abstracts will be posted to the ISSME website by May 15, 2025 and cannot be changed after that date.

Registration information will be posted on the website of the International Society for the Sociology of Music Education https://www.internationalsocietyforthesociologyofmusiceducation.com

QUESTIONS? Please contact us at: ISSMEabstracts@gmail.com