The Society for the Study of Social Problems (SSSP), founded in 1951 by Elizabeth Briant Lee and Alfred McClung Lee, is a non-profit interdisciplinary community of scholars, practitioners, advocates, and students interested in the application of critical, scientific, and humanistic perspectives to the study of vital social problems

Social problems

Social problems are problems and difficulties that people often face in society. These include:*crime*corruption*poverty*homelessness*hunger*disease*drug addiction*alcoholism*schizophrenia*depression*pollution...

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Additional information about the SSSP can be found in "Marginality and Dissent in Twentieth-Century American Sociology: The Case of Elizabeth Briant Lee and Alfred McClung Lee", by John F. Galliher and James M. Galliher.

Additional information about Elizabeth Briant Lee and Alfred McClung Lee can be found courtesy of Havard Square Library at http://www.harvardsquarelibrary.org/unitarians/lee.html.

Purpose

The SSSP’s stated purpose is to promote and protect sociological research

Sociology

Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...

 and teaching on significant problems of social life

Social life

Social life may refer to:* an individual's Interpersonal relationships* Social relation * Social Life, an album by Koufax* Social Life, the indie/punk band from Greensboro, North Carolina....

 and, particularly, to encourage the work of young sociologists; to stimulate the application of scientific method and theory to the study of vital social problems; to encourage problem-centered social research

Social research

Social research refers to research conducted by social scientists. Social research methods may be divided into two broad categories:* Quantitative designs approach social phenomena through quantifiable evidence, and often rely on statistical analysis of many cases to create valid and reliable...

; to foster cooperative relations among persons and organizations engaged in the application of scientific sociological findings to the formulation of social policies; to foster higher quality of life, social welfare, and positive social relations in society and the global community and to undertake any activity related thereto or necessary or desirable for the accomplishment of the foregoing purposes.

Activities

The SSSP promotes dialogue through presentations at the annual meeting, and through listservs and newsletters throughout the year; publishes research in the journal Social Problems

Social problems

Social problems are problems and difficulties that people often face in society. These include:*crime*corruption*poverty*homelessness*hunger*disease*drug addiction*alcoholism*schizophrenia*depression*pollution...

; presents awards to community groups; supports graduate students, young scholars and activists with professional support, leadership

Leadership

Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". Other in-depth definitions of leadership have also emerged.-Theories:...

 opportunities, and scholarship

Scholarship

A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...

s; passes and acts upon public resolutions; and fosters the generation of new ideas.

Membership

Most members are from the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, but the Society enjoys the significant participation of international scholars, practitioners, students, and advocates as well. Membership is open to individuals and university and college departments who support the SSSP's goals. Since many of the Society’s members are sociologists, the SSSP holds annual meetings in the same location and time as the American Sociological Association

American Sociological Association

The American Sociological Association , founded in 1905 as the American Sociological Society , is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the discipline and profession of sociology by serving sociologists in their work and promoting their contributions to serve society.The ASA holds its...

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Special Problems Divisions

The SSSP has twenty-two special problems divisions, each with its own newsletter

Newsletter

A newsletter is a regularly distributed publication generally about one main topic that is of interest to its subscribers. Newspapers and leaflets are types of newsletters. Additionally, newsletters delivered electronically via email have gained rapid acceptance for the same reasons email in...

, that provide members with common interests the opportunity to interact more intimately with one another. Division activity shapes the annual meeting of the Society by organizing paper sessions and panels. Divisions provide an opportunity for young scholars to present their work to a critical audience of scholar advocate

Advocate

An advocate is a term for a professional lawyer used in several different legal systems. These include Scotland, South Africa, India, Scandinavian jurisdictions, Israel, and the British Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man...

s interested in good research and social action to move toward solutions for social problems. Division chairs form the nominating committee for the major officers of the Society and for the Board of Directors. Members interested in emerging areas of social problems can form new divisions. For a list of and information on divisions, visit http://www.sssp1.org/index.cfm/m/21.

Scholarships and Awards

The SSSP grants scholarships and awards in recognition of meritorious work by outstanding scholars, practitioners, advocates, and student

Student

A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...

s who demonstrate active pursuit in the application of critical, scientific, and humanistic perspectives to the study of vital social problems. One of these awards is the prestigious C. Wright Mills

C. Wright Mills

Charles Wright Mills was an American sociologist. Mills is best remembered for his 1959 book The Sociological Imagination in which he lays out a view of the proper relationship between biography and history, theory and method in sociological scholarship...

 Award, awarded to the previous year’s most outstanding book in the tradition of the individual for whom the award is named. For a list and description of these awards and scholarships, visit http://www.sssp1.org/index.cfm/m/24.

Social Problems and other Publications

The Society publishes Social Problems

Social problems

Social problems are problems and difficulties that people often face in society. These include:*crime*corruption*poverty*homelessness*hunger*disease*drug addiction*alcoholism*schizophrenia*depression*pollution...

, one of the leading referred and most widely read social science journals in the United States, a newsletter Social Problems Forum, and a number of other miscellaneous publications. For more information on the Society’s publications, visit http://www.sssp1.org/index.cfm/m/322.

SSSP Presidents

The following is a list of presidents of the Society from its founding in 1951 to 2012.

#	Name	Term
1	Ernest W. Burgess, University of Chicago University of Chicago The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...	1952–53
2	Alfred McClung Lee, Brooklyn College Brooklyn College Brooklyn College is a senior college of the City University of New York, located in Brooklyn, New York, United States.Established in 1930 by the New York City Board of Higher Education, the College had its beginnings as the Downtown Brooklyn branches of Hunter College and the City College of New...	1953–54
3	Herbert Blumer, **	1954–55
4	Arnold M. Rose, University of Minnesota University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...	1955–56
5	Mabel Elliott, Chatham College Chatham College Chatham University is an American university with a women's undergraduate college and coeducational graduate programs through the doctoral level, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's Shadyside neighborhood. The campus population of approximately 2,300 includes undergraduate women and graduate...	1956–57
6	Byron Fox, Syracuse University Syracuse University Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...	1957–58
7	Richard Schermerhorn, Western Reserve University	1958–59
8	Alfred R. Lindesmith, Indiana University Indiana University Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...	1959–60
9	Alvin W. Gouldner, Washington University	1960–61
10	Marshall B. Clinard, University of Wisconsin	1961–62
11	Marvin B. Sussman, Western Reserve University	1962–63
12	Jessie Bernard, Pennsylvania State University Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...	1963–64
13	Irwin Deutscher, Syracuse University Syracuse University Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...	1964–65
14	Howard S. Becker, Northwestern University Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....	1965–66
15	Melvin Tumin, Princeton University Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....	1966–67
16	Lewis Coser, Brandeis University Brandeis University Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...	1967–68
17	Albert J. Reiss, Jr., University of Michigan University of Michigan The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...	1968–69
18	Raymond W. Mack, Northwestern University Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....	1969–70
19	Kai Erikson, Yale University Yale University Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...	1970–71
20	Albert K. Cohen, University of Connecticut University of Connecticut The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...	1971–72
21	Edwin M. Lemert, University of California-Davis	1972–73
22	Rose Coser, SUNY-Stony Brook	1973–74
23	Stanton Wheeler, Yale University-Law School	1974–75
24	S.M. Miller, Boston University Boston University Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...	1975–76
25	Bernard Beck, Northwestern University Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....	1976–77
26	Jacqueline Wiseman, University of California-San Diego	1977–78
27	John I. Kitsuse, University of California-Santa Cruz	1978–79
28	Frances Fox Piven, Boston University Boston University Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...	1979–80
29	James E. Blackwell, University of Massachusetts-Boston	1980–81
30	Egon Bittner, Brandeis University Brandeis University Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...	1981–82
31	Helena Z. Lopata, Loyola University-Chicago	1982–83
32	Louis Kriesberg, Syracuse University Syracuse University Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...	1983–84
33	Joan W. Moore, University of Wisconsin	1984–85
34	Rodolfo Alvarez, University of California-Los Angeles	1985–86
35	Arlene Kaplan Daniels, Northwestern University Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....	1986–87
36	Doris Y. Wilkinson, University of Kentucky University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...	1987–88
37	Joseph R. Gusfield, University of California-San Diego	1988–89
38	Murray Straus, University of New Hampshire University of New Hampshire The University of New Hampshire is a public university in the University System of New Hampshire , United States. The main campus is in Durham, New Hampshire. An additional campus is located in Manchester. With over 15,000 students, UNH is the largest university in New Hampshire. The university is...	1989–90
39	James A. Geschwender, SUNY-Binghamton	1990–91
40	Stephen J. Pfohl, Boston College Boston College Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...	1991–92
41	William Chambliss, George Washington University	1992–93
42	Barbara Katz Rothman, CUNY-Baruch College	1993–94
43	James D. Orcutt, Florida State University Florida State University The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...	1994–95
44	Peter Conrad, Brandeis University Brandeis University Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...	1995–96
45	Pamela A. Roby, University of California-Santa Cruz	1996–97
46	Beth B. Hess, County College of Morris County College of Morris County College of Morris is a public community college located in Randolph, New Jersey. The college was founded in 1966, and first opened its doors to students in 1968....	1997–98
47	Evelyn Nakano Glenn, University of California-Berkeley	1998–99
48	Robert Perrucci, Purdue University Purdue University Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...	1999-00
49	John F. Galliher, Missouri University-Columbia	2000–01
50	Joel Best, University of Delaware University of Delaware The university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...	2001–02
51	Nancy C. Jurik, Arizona State University Arizona State University Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...	2002–03
52	Kathleen J. Ferraro, Northern Arizona University Northern Arizona University Northern Arizona University is a public university located in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. It is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and has 39 satellite campuses in the state of Arizona. The university offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees.As of...	2003–04
53	Gary Alan Fine, Northwestern University Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....	2004–05
54	Claire M. Renzetti, University of Dayton University of Dayton The University of Dayton is a private Roman Catholic university operated by the Society of Mary located in Dayton, Ohio...	2005–06
55	Valerie Jenness, University of California - Irvine	2006–07
56	Nancy A. Naples, University of Connecticut University of Connecticut The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...	2007–08
57	Steven E. Barkan, University of Maine University of Maine The University of Maine is a public research university located in Orono, Maine, United States. The university was established in 1865 as a land grant college and is referred to as the flagship university of the University of Maine System...	2008–09
58	JoAnn L. Miller, Purdue University Purdue University Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...	2009–10
59	A. Javier Treviño, Wheaton College Wheaton College (Massachusetts) Wheaton College is a four-year, private liberal arts college with an approximate student body of 1,550. Wheaton's residential campus is located in Norton, Massachusetts, between Boston, Massachusetts and Providence, Rhode Island. Founded in 1834 as a female seminary, it is one of the oldest...	2010–11
60	Wendy Simonds, Georgia State University Georgia State University Georgia State University is a research university in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1913, it serves about 30,000 students and is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities...	2011–12

External links

• The Society for the Study of Social Problems