2026 annual meeting

Boundaries: Social Constructions of Space, Identity, and Power

Annual Conference of the Hungarian Sociological Association, 2026 Szeged

 

Boundaries primarily function as mechanisms of separation—whether spatial, political, social, or mental. They are social and political constructs that evolve over time and across cultures, often contested and subject to reinforcement or loosening. Boundaries are key instruments of differentiation, exclusion, and domination, helping to reproduce social order through categories such as “us” and “them.” They arise from discursive and institutional practices that control access to resources, define social and spatial belonging, and regulate mobility. Simultaneously, boundaries also form contact zones where diverse social positions, ethnic and cultural identities, and power relations intersect. These contact zones, or borderlands, function as areas of both resistance and hybridisation, where interaction and conflict are fundamental, not incidental. Today, artificial intelligence and digital infrastructures forge new boundary definitions that are frequently depoliticised. Algorithmic governance and data-driven surveillance create hidden yet structural boundaries that contribute to the reproduction of social inequalities. The conference aims to critically explore how boundaries shape Hungarian and East-Central European societies, focusing on the economic, political, symbolic, and mental mechanisms that perpetuate social differences.

The conference, particularly but not exclusively, welcomes papers and session proposals on the following themes:

  • Boundaries between social groups: class, stratification, ethnicity, gender, generations
  • State, political, and geopolitical boundaries; migration, mobility, and refuge
  • Center and periphery; urban–rural divides; center-semi-periphery relations
  • Cultural, symbolic, and identity boundaries
  • Institutional boundaries: education, labour markets, healthcare, welfare systems
  • Digital and technological boundaries; artificial intelligence, algorithmic governance, surveillance, and data power
  • Paid work and private life; boundaries between the private and public spheres
  • Boundaries in the age of globalisation and “liquid modernity”
  • Normality and deviance; inclusion and exclusion; rethinking boundary phenomena
  • Methodological boundaries: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods; the relationship between data and interpretation

The annual meeting aims to provide a forum for diverse sociological interpretations of boundaries and to foster dialogue across research agendas, theoretical perspectives, and methodological approaches. At the same time, the highlighted theme does not imply exclusivity. In line with the conference’s inclusive tradition, session proposals outside the central theme are also welcome.

KEY INFORMATION:

The organisers first invite session and panel discussion proposals in Hungarian and English by 22 March 2026, to be selected by the conference committee by 10 April 2026. The selected sessions will then be published. Submission of abstracts will then be accepted from 23 April to 3 June 2026.

 

CALL FOR PANEL AND SESSION PROPOSALS

Deadline: 22 March 2026.

For panel proposals, please submit: the name and affiliation of the panel organiser and invited participants, the language of the panel, and an abstract of up to 300 words in Hungarian and English.

Application form: will be available on szociologia.hu

In case of a session proposal, please submit: the name and affiliation of the session organiser, the language of the session, and an abstract of up to 300 words in Hungarian and English. Interested parties may apply for the sections at a later stage. Applications from researchers working in different workshops are preferred for accepted sections. Session proposals will be evaluated anonymously.

Application form: https://szociologia.hu/en/meetings/registration

 

CALL FOR ABSTRACT - application for sessions and open call

Application deadline: 3 June 2026

Application form: not yet available

To apply, please submit a bilingual (Hungarian and English) abstract.

Submitted abstracts will be selected by the organising committee.

Application form: will be available on szociologia.hu

23 April to 3 June 2026

 

The Organisers are:

The Hungarian Sociological Association (MSZT) and the University of Szeged, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Sociology