Over 200 scholars from 103 universities and institutes in 22 countries gathered at NYU Shanghai for the 2024 Spring Meeting of the International Sociological Association’s Research Committee 28 (ISA-RC28) from May 17th to 19th. The conference, hosted by the NYU Shanghai Center for Applied Social and Economic Research (CASER), featured a keynote speech, a plenary session, and panel sessions on topics related to social stratification, mobility, and inequality.

RC28, the 28th Research Committee established under the International Sociological Association (ISA), aims to advance high-quality research on social stratification and mobility, and to promote international exchange in the field of sociology. Since its establishment in 1960, RC28 has significantly contributed to the advancement of research in social stratification and mobility, forming a dynamic academic community that attracts leading scholars in the field for collaboration. This year’s Spring meeting marked the second time RC28 has held a meeting in mainland China, following its 2009 meeting in Beijing.

“RC28 is a unique and esteemed platform and cohesive community where leading scientists in the field of social stratification and mobility come together. We are honored to host this significant event and welcome our colleagues from across the world for this exciting occasion,” said CASER Director Wu Xiaogang, the Yufeng Global Professor of Social Science at NYU Shanghai and Professor of Sociology at New York University. 

Provost Joanna Waley-Cohen opened the conference by welcoming the guests to NYU Shanghai for this scholarly gathering. In her remarks, she provided a brief introduction to CASER and the University, highlighting the unique role NYU Shanghai and the Center have been playing in connecting global scholars to the Chinese academic community and Chinese scholars to the global academic community. Following her remarks, RC28 President Hiroshi Ishida, Professor of Sociology at the University of Tokyo, welcomed the participants to Shanghai, expressed gratitude for NYU Shanghai’s support, and encouraged attendees to enjoy the meeting’s vitality and creativity.

_{Left: Provost Joanna Waley-Cohen; Right: RC28 President Hiroshi Ishida}

The meeting brought together leading social scientists from around the world to discuss topics on the theme of “Life Course and Social Inequality in Comparative Perspective,” featuring keynote speakers and panel discussions with renowned scholars. On the first day, Xie Yu, the Bert G. Kerstetter ’66 University Professor of Sociology at Princeton University and a member of the National Academy of Sciences and American Academy of Arts and Sciences, delivered a keynote speech on Family, Child Development, and Social Mobility in Contemporary China. In his address, Xie shared his research and insights on family’s influence on child development in China and its causal mechanisms, and comparisons with other developed Western countries.

_{Professor Xie Yu giving the keynote speech at the meeting}

The conference featured 39 parallel sessions, during which 175 papers were presented. The topics covered a broad spectrum of research on topics such as trends in inequality, income gap, gender inequality, occupational mobility, the long-term impact of early life, family and school dynamics, return to education, and life transitions.