San Francisco, the host city for the American Sociological Association's 104th annual meeting, will be the subject of several regional spotlight sessions in which leading sociologists present research and explore the politics, history, health and culture of the city and state of California.

More than 5,000 sociologists will convene in the city for the association's annual meeting, which highlights "The New Politics of Community," the meeting's theme. In addition to the following selected regional sessions, social scientists will explore issues of community and the social significance of Barack Obama.

WHAT: The American Sociological Association's 104th Annual Meeting: "The New Politics of Community"

WHEN: Friday, Aug. 7, through Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009

WHERE: Regional spotlight sessions will be held at the Hilton San Francisco (333 O'Farrell Street). Other meeting events will take place at the Parc 55 Hotel (55 Cyril Magnin Street).

FEATURED REGIONAL SESSIONS: Same-Sex Marriage in California Monday, Aug. 10, 4:30 p.m. - 6:10 p.m. Mayor Gavin Newsom and many community organizations have made San Francisco the center of the firestorm around same-sex marriage. Panelists will discuss the political strategies and sociological implications that are born and felt immediately in San Francisco surrounding this issue.

Queer Organizing in the New Millennium Sunday, Aug. 9, 2:30 p.m. - 4:10 p.m. This panel of scholars and activists will explore how GLBT organizing has shaped San Francisco in the new millennium. Panel members will discuss how transgender issues, "dyke marches" and other forms of social protest have changed the sociological landscape.

Migration and Shifting Sexualities among Latinos in California: Implications for HIV
Sunday, Aug. 9, 12:30 p.m. - 2:10 p.m.
Key scholars will shed light on the implications of Latino migration to California on sexual health and HIV/AIDS, taking into account the cross-border differences in sexual rights, sexual identities and gender relations.

Activist Scholarship and the Anti-prison Movement in California
Monday, Aug. 10, 2:30 p.m. - 4:10 p.m.
Activists and scholars in California have led the nation's efforts to address the growth of a prison industry driven by motives of profit rather than motives to reduce crime rates and rehabilitate criminals. The panel will address how scholarship and community alliances can combat mass incarceration and aid in the understanding of this phenomenon.

New Politics of Race, Youth and Community Justice
Saturday, Aug. 8, 8:30 a.m. - 10:10 a.m.
This session looks critically at the place of youth in the racial politics of community, and showcases new understandings about the intersection of race, youth and community justice, particularly in relation to criminal social control and San Francisco.

The Politics of Spoken Word
Saturday, Aug. 8, 4:30 p.m. - 6:10 p.m.
Scholars will examine the merging of art, politics and hip hop culture that is the Spoken Word movement prominent in the Bay area and will discuss how youth organizations have leveraged Spoken Word for their social justice agendas.

The San Francisco General Strike
Monday, Aug. 10, 10:30 a.m. - 12:10 p.m.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the 1934 San Francisco Longshore and General Strike, one of the most significant events in the history of the U.S. labor movement. Panelists will focus on the legacies of the strike and its implications for the future of labor. Source:
Jackie Cooper
American Sociological Association