The American Sociological Association (ASA) is a left-of-center nonprofit membership association that advocates for the advancement of the study of sociology as a science. The organization had approximately 10,000 members in 2021. ASA publishes 13 scholarly journals including the American Sociological Review, the organization’s flagship publication. ^{1 2}

The American Sociological Association, in response to then-President Donald Trump assuming office in 2017, created its Sociology Action Network, which states that it aims to “leverage” its collective knowledge of sociology “to intervene in current sociopolitical contexts.” ³

History

The American Sociological Association (ASA) is a left-of-center nonprofit membership association for practitioners, professionals, and people interested in sociology including students, faculty, and members of government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private sector firms. ⁴

The organization was founded in 1905 after professor C.W.A. Veditz of George Washington University wrote letters to various sociologists asking whether an organization dedicated to sociology was needed. ⁵

Veditz and eight others wrote letters to more than 300 people inviting them to participate in a special session, during the meetings of the American Economic Association and American Political Science Association, to discuss whether a sociological organization would be welcomed. ⁶

Around 50 people attended the meeting at John Hopkins University on December 27, 1905. Ultimately the meeting ended with those in attendance accepting the need for a new independent organization. The group met again on December 28 to discuss the structure of the organization, eventually choosing the elected officers, including Lester Ward, the first president of the ASA. ⁷

ASA had approximately 14,000 members in 1970, but membership has been greatly reduced with the organization recording 10,762 ASA memberships in 2021. ⁸

ASA publishes 13 scholarly journals including the American Sociological Review, the organization’s flagship publication. ⁹

Funding

The American Sociological Association receives most of its revenue from its program services, which include membership dues and revenue from its publications. ASA received just under $7.3 million in revenue in 2018, $6.7 million of which came from its program services. Its total revenue in 2019 amounted to just over $7 million with its program services creating $6.7 million in revenue. The American Sociological Association’s revenue dropped in 2020 when it had approximately $5.7 million in total revenue, $5.2 million of which came from program services. ¹⁰

The organization’s total expenses amounted to around $6.9 million in 2018, approximately $6.7 million in 2019, and close to $5.5 million in 2020. The American Sociological Association had assets that amounted to a total of $18.2 million in 2018, $19.2 million in 2019, and $20.4 million in 2020. ¹¹

Political Activities

The American Sociological Association was reportedly “particularly concerned” with President Donald Trump in 2018. According to an essay titled “Sociology’s Response to the Trump Presidency: Views from the 108th ASA President,” written by former ASA president Michele Lamont, after President Donald Trump assumed office the organization began writing letters responding to several policies of his administration. ¹²

ASA also created new committees, had a strong presence at the March for Science, and proposed the creation of a Sociology Action Network, which states that it aims to “leverage” its sociological expertise “to intervene in current sociopolitical contexts.” ¹³

People

Nancy Kidd became the executive director of the American Sociological Association in 2016. Kidd, who has a Ph.D. in sociology from Stanford University and a B.A. in sociology from the University of Pennsylvania, spent seven years as the executive director of the National Communication Association. Kidd also worked as a program officer for the Russell Sage Foundation, a left-leaning social science research funder that, in recent years, has focused on research areas that include women in society, immigration assimilation, and post-9/11 social change. Current programming prioritizes social inequality, immigration, and how lower-educated Americans are affected by the nation’s changing work opportunities. ^{14 15 16}

Prudence L. Carter is the president of the American Sociological Association. She is an elected fellow of the National Academy of Education, Sociological Research Association, and the American Education Research Association. Carter also worked as a visiting fellow at the Russell Sage Foundation from 2015 to 2016. She has written several books including Keepin’ It Real: School Success beyond Black and White, Stubborn Roots: Race, Culture, and Inequality in U.S. & South African Schools, and Closing the Opportunity Gap: What America Must Do to Give Every Child an Even Chance. ^{17 18 19}

1. “Final Membership Count 2021.” American Sociological Association. Accessed August 29, 2022. https://www.asanet.org/sites/default/files/final_membership_count_2021.pdf.
2. “Journals.” American Sociological Association. Accessed August 29, 2022. https://www.asanet.org/publications/journals.
3. Sociologys Response to the Trump Presidency: Views from the 108th ASA President.” Sociological Forum. Accessed August 29, 2022. https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/lamont/files/lamont-2018-sociological_forum.pdf.
4. “What Is ASA.” American Sociological Association. Accessed August 29, 2022. https://www.asanet.org/about/what-asa.
5. “History.” American Sociological Association. Accessed August 29, 2022. https://www.asanet.org/about/what-asa/history.
6. “History.” American Sociological Association. Accessed August 29, 2022. https://www.asanet.org/about/what-asa/history.
7. “History.” American Sociological Association. Accessed August 29, 2022. https://www.asanet.org/about/what-asa/history.
8. “Final Membership Count 2021.” American Sociological Association. Accessed August 29, 2022. https://www.asanet.org/sites/default/files/final_membership_count_2021.pdf.
9. “Journals.” American Sociological Association. Accessed August 29, 2022. https://www.asanet.org/publications/journals.
10. Schwencke, Ken. “American Sociological Association – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed August 29, 2022. projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/135626343.
11. Schwencke, Ken. “American Sociological Association – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed August 29, 2022. projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/135626343.
12. “Sociology’s Response to the Trump Presidency: Views from the 108th ASA President.” Sociological Forum. Accessed August 29, 2022. https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/lamont/files/lamont-2018-sociological_forum.pdf.
13. ^[1] “Sociologys Response to the Trump Presidency: Views from the 108th ASA President.” Sociological Forum. Accessed August 29, 2022. https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/lamont/files/lamont-2018-sociological_forum.pdf.
14. Staff Directory.” American Sociological Association. Accessed August 29, 2022. https://www.asanet.org/about/asa-staff-directory.
15. “Programs.” Accessed August 29, 2022. www.russellsage.org/programs.
16. “Funding Priorities.” Accessed August 29, 2022. www.russellsage.org/research/categories/requests-proposals.
17. “Council.” American Sociological Association. Accessed August 29, 2022. https://www.asanet.org/about/governance-and-leadership/council.
18. “Prudence Carter.” Brown University. August 26, 2021. Accessed August 29, 2022. www.brown.edu/academics/sociology/people/prudence-carter.
19. “Prudence L. Carter.” Accessed August 29, 2022. www.russellsage.org/visiting-scholars/prudence-l-carter.