Thank you for a great 25th Anniversary!

A big thank you to all of our group members, presenters and sponsors for a fantastic 25th Anniversary Conference in 2013!  New York provided an exciting backdrop to some great presentations and enlivening discussions.  Thank you to our presenters, sponsors, and all of our members for keeping the community vibrant and engaged.    We are looking forward to a great conference next year in San Francisco!

If you are already a participant, or you would like to join the Group Processes community, please take the time to fill out this online form, and we will add you to the email list.    Click for the form

We thank our event sponsors for making the event possible! 

Updates to the Group Processes 25th Anniversary Conference

The Twenty Fifth Anniversary Group Processes Conference is planned for the Sheraton New York on August 9 (immediately preceding ASA 2013). The conference celebrates the accomplishments of researchers in group processes over the last 25 years while looking forward to exciting new developments in the field.  The special focus of the conference is on bridging between the research traditions of group processes and the growing area of research in social media and systems of computer mediated interaction.

During the morning program scholars in several major areas of research in groups processes will set the stage for the future of research in group processes. The afternoon program will focus on building new research opportunities in theories of group processes. The program includes graduate student round tables, current research presentations, and a panel discussion on group processes, the internet, and research collaboration between academia and social media industry professionals. 

New York City is a fitting venue for the Group Processes 25th Anniversary Conference. Through the generous support of our sponsors we are able to partly subsidize the cost of attendance for all participants, and especially for graduate students.  For their generous support we would like to thank facebook, Emerald Publishing, Ohio University, State University of New York at Albany, and Ashland University. 

Organizers:

Robert Shelly, Ohio University

David Wagner, SUNY at Albany
Howard T. Welser, Ohio University

Ann Shelly, Ashland University

Contact us:  

(shelly@ohio.edu; welser@ohio.edu)

Group Processes 2013: Call for papers and participation

Twenty Fifth Anniversary Conference on Group Processes

We are planning an exciting program for the Twenty Fifth Anniversary Group Processes Conference in New York August 9.  The event, which immediately precedes ASA 2013, will take place either in the ASA conference space or in an alternative venue in the Chelsea neighborhood depending on availability.  

The conference will celebrate the accomplishments of researchers of group processes over the last 25 years while looking forward to exciting new developments in the field.  The special focus of the conference is on bridging between the research traditions of group processes and the growing area of research in social media and systems of computer mediated interaction.

Scholars in several major areas of research in groups processes will set the stage in the morning program:  

• Morris Zelditch;  Review of progress in group processes research
• Linda Molm; Social exchange
• Joseph Berger; Expectation states theory
• Dawn Robinson and Neil MacKinnon; Affect control theory
• Ed Lawler and Shane Thye; Rational choice and cohesion
• Peter Burke and Jan Stets; Identity theory
• David Willer; Elementary theory and network structure

The afternoon program will focus on building new research opportunities in theories of group processes, especially utilizing data from social media and computer mediated interaction.  Participants with backgrounds in social networks, group processes, rational choice, computer mediated interaction, information science, and related areas are invited to participate through a series of presentations, roundtables and panel discussions. We solicit three types of papers:

• Current research in group processes: are research papers that build from research programs in groups processes that have provided so much vitality and direction over the past twenty five years.  We would like authors to consider both new theoretical and methodological avenues for advancing our understanding of how individual and group processes affect human behavior.
• New opportunities:  are concept papers on opportunities for research synergy at the intersection of group processes and social media.  These short, 1500-2000 word, papers will be discussed in round table sessions and will, upon revision and extension be candidates for a competitive peer reviewed special issue or edited book.  
• Graduate student research reports:  are short papers that describe current graduate student work.  These reports can include solo as well as collaborative work, but should highlight the contributions of graduate student researchers. Work testing theories of group processes, studying dynamics in social media, and work that bridges these areas are all welcome.

Deadline extended to Monday April 29th, 2013.
Deadline for paper submissions is Wednesday April 3rd, 2013.
Send all papers to Robert Shelly shelly at ohio.edu

We encourage participation from members of the group processes community, sociologists in related areas of research attending ASA, and especially researchers and professionals working in the areas of social media and online community.  Please share this invitation with interested scholars and check the 25th Anniversary Blog for updates.   Contact Bob Shelly or Ted Welser with questions or suggestions. (shelly at ohio.edu; welser at ohio.edu)

25th Anniversary Conference in Planning

Group Processes Silver Anniversary Conference in New York

The Silver Anniversary Group Processes Conference will be held August 9 in New York, immediately preceding the American Sociological Association Annual Meeting. Planning is underway under the direction of Bob Shelly, Ann Shelly, Dave Wagner, and Ted Welser.   Please communicate suggestions for sessions and papers to Bob Shelly at shelly@ohio.edu.  Details about venue, times, and costs will be forthcoming as soon as ASA can reply (April).