Research Committee on Sociology of Communication,
Knowledge and Culture RC14
Statutes
The Research Committee 14 (hereafter RC14) on Sociology of Communication, Knowledge and Culture, originally Sociology of Mass Communication (1959) was named RC 14 Sociology of Communication, Knowledge and Culture in 1978. RC14 Statutes were adopted in 1994.
ARTICLE I: PURPOSE
1.1 The aim of RC14 of the International Sociological Association is to encourage research of high quality (in English, French and Spanish) on the Sociology of Communication, Knowledge and Culture.
1.2 To establish contacts and to encourage collaboration among scholars working in the field of Communication, Knowledge and Culture throughout the world.
1.3 To enhance international cooperation and exchange in theoretical and empirical research in the sociology of Communication, Knowledge and Culture.
1.4 To link theoretical and empirical research in the sociology of Communication, Knowledge and Culture with any related specialist fields or disciplines.
1.5 To act as the international representative body of the sociology of Communication, Knowledge and Culture.
ARTICLE II: ACTIVITIES
2.1 To fulfil the above purposes RC14 engages in the following activities:
2.2 Encourage research among its members and others and serve as a conduit for research, ideas and collaboration internationally.
2.3 Organize sessions at meetings of the ISA.
2.4 Provide information on significant developments in the field through publications and other means such as regular blog, journals, and special conferences.
2.5 Sponsor international seminars of theoretical, methodological or substantive importance and sponsor international training seminars to add to the skills of researchers in the field.
ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP
3. Members shall be either regular members or affiliated members.
3.1 Regular members shall be individuals or institutions in good standing within the ISA.
3.2 Affiliated members shall be individuals or institutions interested in the activities of RC14, who are not members of the ISA.
3.3 All regular and affiliated members of RC14 shall be entitled to vote in the discussions about organisational matters at the General Meetings according to the principle "one member, one vote" that means that one institution also has one vote.
3.4 All regular and affiliated members of RC14 shall be entitled to:
3.4.1 Participate in the scientific activities of the Research Committee
3.4.2 Receive/access free of charge the Newsletter / website / blog maintained by RC14.
3.5. All regular and affiliated members of RC14 shall be obliged to:
3.5.1 Uphold the present Statutes of RC14 and to adhere to the stipulations of the present Statutes
3.5.2 Conscientiously fulfil the tasks entrusted to them by the General Meeting or other bodies of RC14
3.5.3 Pay their fees for the respective period of 4 years. The fees shall be fixed by the RC Board of at each General Meeting for both individual members and organisations. The respective amounts to be paid are specified in the By-Laws to the present Statutes.
ARTICLE IV: OFFICERS
4.1 Officers of the Research Committee shall be elected once every four years just prior to the ISA World Congress of Sociology, as stipulated in Article V.
4.2 The composition of the Board shall be:
President
Vice-President(s)
Secretary/ Newsletter Editor (it is possible to elect two different persons to undertake the related responsibilities).
Treasurer
At least 3 other members
Ex-officio Former President(s)
4.3 The term of office shall be as established by the ISA:
President: maximum 2 terms
Officers (Vice-Presidents, Secretary, and Treasurer): no more than 2 consecutive terms
Board Members: the board members can serve no more than 2 consecutive terms.
ARTICLE V: ELECTIONS
5.1 To ensure participation of all members, nominations shall be done by email. The Secretary shall prepare a form to be sent to all members at least ten weeks before the elections day together with a list of all regular members of RC14.
5.2 All regular and affiliated members of RC14 shall be entitled to nominate candidates for the Board. Nominated candidates shall be regular members of RC14. They shall confirm their preparedness to accept the respective position on the Board in case they are elected and to remain a regular member in good standing of the ISA and of the RC for the duration of their mandate, and shall return the signed nomination form to the Secretary, together with brief curriculum vitae.
5.3 The Secretary shall prepare a ballot listing all nominated candidates along with the respective positions on the Board. In case of several nominations for the same position, the nominated candidates shall be listed in alphabetical order. Pairs of candidates may also be nominated for the positions on the Board to function as Co-President, Co-Secretary/Treasurers, etc.
5.3.1 The ballot shall be sent to all members of RC14 by email at least five weeks before the elections day.
5.4 Members shall send their ballot by email to the designated electoral officer(s). Ballots received later than one week before the beginning of the World Congress shall not be counted.
5.5 The candidate receiving the highest number of votes cast will be deemed elected to each office.
5.6 An election shall be valid if more than one third of the membership votes.
ARTICLE VI: BOARD
6.1 The officers listed in Art. IV, 4.1, constitute the Board.
6.2 The Board is entrusted with the direction of the activities of the Committee and to nominate a representative (and one alternate) to the Research Council of the ISA.
6.3 Major new activities undertaken by RC14 must first be approved by the Board.
6.4 The Board shall identify the themes and topics for a World Congress of Sociology and at least one mid-term conference and take responsibility for the organization of those sessions.
6.5 The President
6.5.1 The President will preside over meetings of the Committee and its Board
6.5.2 The President will initiate and carry out policies in conformity with RC14 purposes as specified by the Board and the membership.
6.5.3 The President will be responsible for seeing that sessions of RC14 at the ISA meetings are organized.
6.6 The Vice-President(s) will assist the President and conduct activities delegated by the President. They may also be assigned special duties by the President.
6.7 The Secretary (together with the Newsletter Editor) is responsible for communicating RC14 activities and plans to the members twice a year through the Newsletter / blog.
6.8 The Treasurer is in charge of distribution of funds under the supervision of the Board to which s/he presents a report every two years.
6.9 Each member of the Board must at all times be a member in good standing of the RC14 and of the ISA.
6.10 The places of any Board member not in good standing with either the ISA or RC14 may be declared temporarily vacant by the President, at the President’s discretion, and the vacancy filled according to article 6.8.
6.11 Temporary vacancies in the Board between consecutive ISA World Congresses may be filled by appointment by the President, in accordance with ISA Statute 4.5.
6.12 One of the Board members, identified by the Board, will assume the responsibilities of the President in the case of the death, incapacitation, resignation, or other inability of the incumbent to carry out the responsibilities of the office of the President.
ARTICLE VII: GENERAL MEETING
7.1 A General Meeting of RC members shall be held in conjunction with the ISA meeting.
7.2 Announcement of the General Meeting will be made to the members at least three months in advance, together with a tentative agenda of business.
7.3 A written petition of twenty members to the President within six months after the General Meeting can institute a mail ballot to the membership on any issue presented at the general meeting. The Board, by majority, can also institute a mail ballot to the membership at any time.
ARTICLE VIII: REVISION OF THE STATUTES
8.1 Proposals for the revision of these Statutes may be submitted to the membership upon written petition of twenty members to the President, or a resolution of the Board.
8.2 Revision requires approval by 1/3 of the whole membership in an email ballot.
BY LAWS
Individual membership fees are fixed as follows
Regular member: USD 25 for a 4-year period
Discount member (students up to PhD): USD10 for a 4-year period.
Institutional membership fees as fixed at US 40 for a 4-year period.
TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS OCTOBER 2019 – JULY 2022
The RC14 new proposed statutes will be valid from the date of their revision (coinciding with the day after the closure of the electronic ballot, beginning on September 15th 2019 and ending on September 30th 2019), i.e. October 1st 2019.
In order to resolve any eventual meaning conflicts or management discontinuities due to different regulations between the old and the new statutes, the ongoing board (elected on July 16th 2018, during the 19th ISA World congress in Toronto and before the revision of RC14 statutes) will be in charge (as elected) and for the period of its election, i.e. till the end of its term in July 2022.