Sociology Plus
History of Westermarck Society of Finnish Sociologists (WSFS)
The Westermarck Society of Finnish Sociologists debuted in 1940 at Turku, Finland’s Abo Akademi University’s Department of History. Uno Harvan, Yrjo Hirn K. Rob, and V. Wikman, who were the disciples of Edvard Westermarck, took the initiative to form an official national sociological society in Finland. English, Finnish, and Swedish are the three official languages of the Westermarck Society.
The mission of Westermarck Society
The sociological association of Finland’s mission is to further sociological and philosophical research in Finland.
Activities of Westermarck Society of Finnish Sociologists
The WSFS routinely organizes the National Meeting, the Edward Westermarck Memorial Lecture, and seminars for sociologists and anyone interested in sociology.
The community promotes, participates in, and supports publishing sociological works and sociological research projects.
International outreach of WSFS
The Nordic Sociological Association, the European Sociological Association, and the International Sociological Association are the major international collaborations of the Westermarck Society.
WSFS Publications
The association has been publishing the prestigious national magazine of social sciences, Sosiologia/Sociology, since 1964. Sosiologia is a quarterly journal in Finnish with English abstracts published by it.
The Society publishes its study series under the title “Transactions of the Westermarck Society,” of which four volumes have so far been released. Doctoral dissertations are published in “Transactions of the Westermarck Society” to aid the work of younger sociologists.
The Westermarck Society has funded the production of publications like Rolf Lagerborg’s biography of Edward Westermack and awarded research grants to Finnish academics.
Membership in Westermarck Society
The Finnish sociological society web portal provides membership in three categories: annual membership, permanent membership, and student membership.
Westermarck Society of Finnish Sociologists Awards
The Westermarck Society has been awarding a prize for the top sociology master’s dissertation since 1984.
WSFS Sociology Days
- Since 500 academics and students from the social sciences participate in the event each year, Sociological Days have become a yearly gathering place for Finnish sociologists.
- The Sociology Days of the Westermarck Society are the most important annual domestic sociology conference and the major social science conference in the Finnish educational community.
- Sociological Days have theme-based and subject-based working groups in which social research scientists present their research and receive feedback.
- Sociology Days present an opportunity for the humanities community to learn about the updations in the social science field in Finland.
Westermarck Memorial Lecture
Together with the Finnish Anthropological Society, the Westermarck Society hosts the annual National Sociology Conference, also known as the Westermarck Memorial Lecture.
It began in 1983 as a lecture series in memory of the late Professor Westermarck, a significant figure in Finnish sociology and anthropology.
