Rethinking Development in a Post-Western World
Dates and Location: Feb. 13-15, 2026. Princeton University (Princeton, NJ)
Deadline to Apply: Oct. 25th, 2025
The U.S. has enacted sweeping reductions in foreign aid, effectively ending decades of American leadership in global development. Europe, facing internal crises and fiscal austerity due to increased military expenditure, has also scaled back its commitments, deepening the vacuum. At this crossroads, one option is for actors across the Global South to reimagine and propose alternative development frameworks. Another—perhaps the baseline for the former—is to understand the political economies and institutions of the Global South on their own terms. As traditional models recede, the imperative grows to center local contexts, histories, and institutional logics.
The section invites abstracts (max 250 words) for papers for a conference hosted by the American Sociological Association Sociology of Development section. While we hope to reflect upon the current moment of development, we invite contributions from any topic relevant to the Sociology of Development.
To submit an abstract, please fill out this form before 25th of October. You can also fill out the form to act as a discussant/presider or simply join without a role. Acceptance e-mails will be sent by the end of November. If you are coming from overseas and need a visa, we are happy to expedite the process and provide you with a letter of invitation sooner.
Please direct any questions to the organizers (Yunhan & Livio): socdevconference@gmail.com
Sociology of Development 