Tag: inequality mechanisms

Call for Papers for the 3rd Equitable Opportunity Conference

On By Neha JangetiIn Announcements, Calls for Papers, ConferencesLeave a comment

3rd Equitable Opportunity Conference:

Diagnosing and Addressing Inequality Mechanisms

Call for Papers

May 15-16, 2026

Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill University, Montreal

Organizers: Lisa Cohen & HJ Jung (McGill) and Chris Rider (Michigan)

Submission Deadline: February 28, 2026

We use the term “equitable opportunity” deliberately. “Equitable” indicates circumstances in which no disparities result from “differential treatment” (i.e., unequal treatment yields different outcomes) or “disparate impact” (i.e., equivalent treatment yields different outcomes). “Opportunity” highlights possibilities to obtain an education or a job, launch a business, experience socioeconomic mobility, etc. that vary across people, time, and place. “Equitable Opportunity”, therefore, focuses us on understanding and addressing situations where differential treatment or disparate impact generate uneven distributions that violate our notions of equity.

The conference aims to:

  • Promote equity research on organizations that spans disciplines and fields, highlighting novel theories, methodologies, findings, and implications for research, practice, and policy.
  • Foster the exchange of ideas and practices among researchers, practitioners, and policymakers, bridging gaps between theory and practice.
  • Facilitate research collaborations between researchers and organizations interested in  collaborating on research projects, policymaking, and organizational interventions.
  • Feature multidisciplinary approaches to understanding the equity challenge that organizational leaders face as they try to be inclusive of diverse notions of fairness and justice. 

Preliminary Program Highlights

Keynote Address: Damon Phillips (Wharton)

Plenary Speakers: Laura Adler (Yale), Stephanie Creary (Wharton), Sonia Kang (Toronto), Zoe Kinias (Western Ontario), and András Tilcsik (Toronto)

  • Editors’ panel featuring editors from top journals like AMJ, ASQ, MS, and Organization Science.
  • Informal networking opportunities.
  • Pre-conference workshop for PhD students

Call for Presentations and Posters

Submissions are invited from faculty, doctoral students, and researchers on equity and opportunity in organizations.

Submission Guidelines

·       Contact name, affiliation/institution, and email address.

·       Names and affiliations of all contributing authors in order.

·       Presenter’s name, affiliation/institution, and email address.

  • Title of the presentation.
  • Short abstract (max 150 words) for the program.
  • Indicate your preference for presentation type:  (1) oral paper presentation; (2) poster presentation; or (3) either oral or poster.
  • Extended abstract (max 1,500 words) with sections: (1) Motivation & Research Question; (2) Theoretical Objectives, (3) Methodological Approach; (4) Data & Results (if applicable); (5) Intended Contribution; and (6) Relevance for the “Equitable Opportunities” Theme.

Submissions should be entered here. The deadline is February 28, 2026.

Conference submissions will be reviewed by the EOC Scientific Review Committee. Papers will also be considered for publication in a volume of Research in the Sociology of Organizations on this theme.

Pre-Conference Doctoral Student Workshop

Doctoral students may also apply to attend a doctoral student pre-conference workshop on the morning of Friday, May 15th.  Interested applicants should submit a CV and a statement of no more than two pages here. The statement should specifically describe how their research addresses the concept of “equitable opportunities” and why they wish to participate.

Registration

This year, we will charge a nominal registration fee and offer fee waivers to scholars who lack funding to attend this conference. Information on how to register will be distributed after the paper submission deadline. Space will be limited but we hope to include attendees who do not submit papers.

Scholars at all career stages are encouraged to submit proposals. We also encourage submissions from practitioners who are interested in engaging researchers on the concept of equitable opportunities.

The conference will begin with lunch on Friday,  May 15th and will end about 5pm on Saturday, May 16th. For more information, please contact Chris Rider at riderci@umich.edu or Lisa Cohen at lisa.cohen2@mcgill.ca.

New Publication: “Fuzzy Boundaries: A Mechanism for Group Accumulation of Advantage” by Dr. Heba Alex

On By Neha JangetiIn Announcements, PublicationsLeave a comment

Alex, Heba. 2025. “Fuzzy Boundaries: A Mechanism for Group Accumulation of Advantage.” Sociological Theory. Online first. https://doi.org/10.1177/07352751251378516

Abstract:
This article describes a strategic mechanism, fuzzy boundaries, that groups use to accumulate advantage. In contrast to the dominant view that rigid, well-defined boundaries maximize group rewards, I argue that ambiguity in membership criteria can, under certain conditions, more effectively secure and promote group benefits. Fuzzy boundaries are defined by two features: an intentionally ambiguous criterion for inclusion and the selective, inconsistent application of that criterion to adjust the insider-outsider line as needed. I illustrate the operation of fuzzy boundaries through a historical analysis of occupational boundary drawing in the nineteenth-century United States. Ultimately, the study offers a generalizable framework for understanding how strategic ambiguity in group boundaries can serve actors seeking to preserve privilege across domains, such as education, hiring, and professional accreditation. Unlike well-defined qualifications, the malleability of fuzzy boundaries often insulates them from legal challenge, making them an effective mechanism for maintaining social and institutional advantage.

Dr. Alex is a Teaching Fellow in the Department of Sociology at the University of Chicago, and studies topics related to evaluation, differentiation, and morality in diverse institutional contexts such as lower courts, rights, and occupational organizations.

At present, Dr. Alex is developing a book about the moral character clause (being of good moral character) in licensing laws in nineteenth-century America.  You can read an article that emerged from one aspect of this project here. Dr. Alex is also in the early stages of a comparative study examining how the moral clause relates to voting and jury rights during the same period.

Dr. Alex received their Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Chicago in 2025. Before that, Dr. Alex obtained a B.A. in History from Sarah Lawrence College and an M.A. in Gender and Women’s Studies from UW–Madison. Dr. Alex’s professional journey includes a year at the International Center for Transitional Justice in New York and a Doctoral Fellowship at the American Bar Foundation.