Abstract Submission

We invite submissions that speak to the overall theme of the conference, Work and Employment in the Great Reshuffle: Navigating the Polycrisis, related to the implications of the polycrisis in work and employment, and to the following topics (this list is alphabetical and not exhaustive!):

Algorithmic management, platform labour, and reconfigurations of control in the Global North and South
Autonomy, resistance, and worker subjectivities in contemporary work
Career insecurity, precarity, and shifting labour market trajectories
Contextualised corporate social responsibility (CSR): prioritising local development, institutional voids, and post-colonial equity in the Global South
Crisis of care, social reproduction, and the future of work
Deglobalisation, degrowth, labour market reordering, and emerging geographies of work
Democracy, governance and the political economy of work (e.g., challenges of democratic institutions, erosion of workers' rights and voice; resurgence of populist politics across regions) and trade unions
Embodiment, emotion, and professional identity in an era of technological and organisational change
Global value chains, labour standards, and transnational inequalities in work and employment
Intersectional inequalities in work and employment: gender, race, class, and social stratification
Migration, mobility, and the reconfiguration of labour across the Global North and South
Negotiating work quality, skills, and supply chain accountability
Reshaping workplaces: hybrid practices, reconfigured labour processes, and emerging forms of organisation
Sociological theories and methods for understanding the role of the Anthropocene in the polycrisis
Trade union advocacy for a globally just transition: addressing climate vulnerability, financial equity, and decent work

We welcome contributions on any aspect of the sociology of work and employment. We have two special presentation types along with oral research presentations, special events and posters, which align with special features of WES: PhD Showcase to highlight PhD work and On the Front Line foregrounding the experiences of workers. Full details of presentation types below.

Submission of Abstracts

Abstracts should be submitted online.

All abstracts should be a maximum of 500 words and submitted by 20 March 2026. They should enable referees to determine the issue, development or problem being investigated; how it is being investigated; and the findings and contribution. Please provide information about the theoretical position, the methodology, data set (if relevant) and the stage of the research. Submissions are anonymously reviewed.

Types of Submission:

Oral presentations: We particularly encourage papers reporting research findings as well as abstracts related to sociological theory, social policy, ‘work in progress’ or those testing out new and imaginative ideas.
Poster presentations: We welcome submissions for poster presentation.
Special event: A special event may offer theoretical, empirical, methodological or policy-related contributions. The format may include multiple speakers (with multiple abstracts), an author with a discussant, or more creative presentation formats. Please indicate in your application whether speakers are confirmed or provisional.
PhD Showcase (oral presentations): Submissions are designed to feature PhD work and will be supported by an experienced discussant. This aligns with the new WES PhD Showcase and is designed for those within three years of PhD, looking for a supportive experience.
On the Front Line: These submissions foreground the experience of workers in collaboration with academic colleagues. Please indicate if any speakers are not academic presenters.

Please view the Submission Guidelines for more information.

When submitting an abstract, delegates will be asked to choose the most relevant conference stream for their paper:

Algorithmic work and data justice
Care infrastructures, social reproduction and the crisis of care
Conceptual foundations and methods of the Anthropocene and the polycrisis
CSR and global governance
Deglobalisation, degrowth, geopolitical shifts, and market reordering
Global value chains, supply chain governance, and transnational work inequality
Hybrid work, organisational restructuring and emerging workplace forms
Intersectional inequalities, precarity and labour market stratification
Just transition: climate and sustainable futures
Migration, mobility and labour reconfigurations
Populist governance, worker rights and collective action
Worker subjectivities, experience, and agency
Open stream

Key Dates

Abstract Submission Deadline: Friday, 20 March 2026
Abstract Decisions sent out: no later than Friday, 15 May 2026
Presenter Booking Deadline: Monday, 6 July 2026

Contact Information

BSA Events Team
Email: events@britsoc.org.uk
Tel: 0191 383 0839