French Sociological Association

Table of Contents

History of the French Sociological Association (AFS)

The discipline of sociology emerged in France through the works of Auguste Comte in the 19th century and afterward spread to the rest of the world. French Sociological Association, also known as Association Francaise de Sociologie in French with the acronym AFS, debuted only in 2002. French Society of Sociology, created in 1962, is the predecessor organization associated with sociology in France.

Mission of AFS

Dedicated to all sociological views accepting the literary and scientific character of the profession, the association promotes and represents sociologists in France in fields of research and education.

The French Association of Sociology seeks to further sociology’s theoretical and applied growth by strengthening connections between sociologists and other academic fields like anthropology, history, economics, psychology, and political science.

Within global organizations, AFS represents and promotes French sociology.

Organizational Structure of AFS

AFS is developed under the statute ‘Law of 1 July 1901’ which defines rules and regulations for associations in France. The headquarters of AFS is at 59 Rue Pouchet75017 Paris, France.

A twenty-one-member executive committee chosen for a four-year term is in charge of AFS operations. The General Assembly meets at its congress and conducts the presidential and executive committee elections. AFS now has 50 Thematic Networks with more than 1555 members combined.

Activities of French Sociological Association

AFS aims to create centers for scientific learning and research in society.
AFS aims to provide as many sociologists with the opportunity to present and discuss their individual and group research projects on a common platform.
AFS is ready to engage in any actions that will help sociology advance.
Every two years, the AFS has a national-level Congress in which all universities and students related to sociology actively engage.
Plan conferences, study sessions, or other discussions.
AFS publishes and funds sociological research and studies.
AFS issues awards to recognize and honor sociologists’ scholarly and professional accomplishments.
The association supports networks of theme research committees in their efforts to collaborate with worldwide research committees.

Charter to combat gender-based and sexual violence

According to AFS, all conference participants should feel safe and welcome. To guarantee a safe atmosphere, the AFS Executive Committee has formed a working group in 2020 to counter gender-based and sexual violence. It aims to develop and provide measures for preventing this violence within the framework of the association’s operations and congress.

AFS Congress

The Executive Committee of AFS is responsible for organizing the association’s congress every two years. There are plenary and semi-plenary sessions, a general assembly, discussions, presentations, and workshops during the conference. Paris, Bordeaux, Grenoble, Nantes, Amiens, and Aix-en-Provence are among the major destinations for the Congress.

Publication of AFS

Socio-Logos Journal of French Sociological Association

Socio-Logos is a biannual magazine established by AFS in 2006 and published online by OpenEdition. It started as a generalist magazine, but following a resolution by the AFS Executive Committee in 2018, it became a sociology-focused publication. It covers a variety of sociological subfields, stays accessible to other disciplines, and promotes the diversity of sociological perspectives. A special issue on academic recruitments in sociology has been produced in collaboration with the Association of University Sociologists, commonly known as ASES.

Carnet Hypotheses

In the Carnet Hypotheses portal, sociologists discuss and publicize themes and topics brought up within the scientific community and are made available to a wider audience.