Society for the Study of Social Problems

The purpose of SSSP is to promote and protect sociological research and teaching on significant problems of social life and, particularly, to encourage the work of young sociologists; to stimulate the application of scientific method and theory to the study of vital social problems; to encourage problem-centered social research; to foster cooperative relations among persons and organizations engaged in the application of scientific sociological findings to the formulation of social policies; to foster higher quality of life, social welfare, and positive social relations in society and the global community and to undertake activities to accomplish these goals.

The SSSP promotes dialogue through presentations at the annual meeting, and through listservs and division newsletters throughout the year; publishes research in the journal Social Problems; presents awards to community groups; supports undergraduate and graduate students, young scholars and activists with professional support, leadership opportunities, and scholarships; passes and acts upon public resolutions; and fosters the generation of new ideas.

The majority of SSSP members are from the United States, but the Society enjoys the significant participation of international scholars, practitioners, advocates, and students as well. Membership is open to individuals and university and college departments who support the SSSP's goals.

SSSP Annual Meetings provide an excellent opportunity for exploring vast and diverse topics in social problems providing you with a wealth of information as you return to the universities and private sector and continue the mission of creating social justice through your research and activism. Attendees create stronger connections with colleagues while exchanging ideas throughout the conference in formal and informal settings. Each year we welcome attendees from all over the world, including students, professors, activists, and private sector professionals.

The SSSP has twenty-three divisions, each with its own newsletter, that provide members with common interests the opportunity to interact more intimately with one another. Division activity shapes the annual meeting of the Society by organizing paper sessions and panels. Divisions provide an opportunity for young scholars to present their work to a critical audience of scholar advocates interested in good research and social action to move toward solutions for social problems. Members interested in emerging areas of social problems can form new divisions.

The SSSP grants awards, fellowships, and scholarships in recognition of meritorious work by outstanding scholars, practitioners, advocates, and students who demonstrate active pursuit in the application of critical, scientific, and humanistic perspectives to the study of vital social problems. One of these awards is the prestigious C. Wright Mills Award, awarded to the previous year's most outstanding book in the tradition of the individual for whom the award is named.

Social Problems, the official journal of the Society, is one of the leading refereed and widely read social science journals. The 2019 Journal Impact Factor ranking for Social Problems placed it among the top 30 journals in all of sociology–with an impact factor of 2.345. Online access to all issues since 1953 is complimentary with membership. The 5-Year impact factor of 3.324 speaks to the enduring quality of the journal and the lasting importance of its content to the field, especially as the number sociology journals continues to grow over time. Online access to all issues since 1953 is complimentary with your membership.

• Official website
• Information about Elizabeth Briant Lee and Alfred McClung Lee
• Marginality and Dissent in Twentieth-Century American Sociology: The Case of Elizabeth Briant Lee and Alfred McClung Lee by John F. Galliher and James M. Galliher, 1995, SUNY Press.