The Political sociology Standing Group, formally established in 2010, is a permanent research group within the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR). The SG organizes and endorses sections and panels at ECPR events, starting with the annual General Conference, and Joint Sessions. The SG promotes the Mattei Dogan Foundation Prize in European Political Sociology, awarded each year for a significant contribution to the advancement of political sociology.

The members of the Standing Group share the idea that contemporary political processes cannot be understood without reference to structural features of European and world societies and the organization of political participation and action. Traditional research topics such as power and ideology, political parties and social movements, elections and participation, political identities and citizenship, institutional change and many others, are at the heart of the Standing Group's scientific interests, together with the emerging themes related to the communication and discourse, gender and intersectionality, environment and climate change.

Its main aim is to bring together scholars whose research concerns the multiple elements of political life using and exploring sociological tools. The rich traditions of European political sociology form the basis of the Standing Group's academic networking and intellectual exchange. With the objective of providing a forum for scholarly discussion and empirical comparison of novel enquiries, the SG is committed to involving junior and senior scholars in Europe and beyond. 

The Standing Group pays particular attention to the different trajectories of politico-social development at the European, international, national and regional levels. It welcomes comparative analysis as well as case-studies, embraces different methodological approaches, encourages interdisciplinarity, and seeks to bridge different schools of thought. Our approach to scientific research fosters a critique of methodological nationalism and Western ethnocentrism; furthermore, the Standing Group actively supports mayor participation of the Eastern European and the Global South scholars.

The Political Sociology Standing Group aims to facilitate the realization of scientific networking and cooperation within the realm of European political sociology, through constant scientific exchange with the members of the ESA Research Network 32 - European Political Sociology, and other relevant scientific associations.  

Steering Committee

Chair: Oscar Mazzoleni, University of Lausanne

Co-Chair: Tatjana Sekuliċ, University of Milan-Bicocca

Secretary: Alon Helled, University of Turin

Advisory Board

Cecilia Biancalana (University of Turin)

Anna Durnová (University of Vienna)

Diana Laura Hofmann (Paris Lodron University of Salzburg)

Niilo Kauppi (University of Helsinki)

Johannes Kiess (University of Leipzig)

Moreno Mancosu (University of Turin)

José Javier Olivas Osona (UNED, Madrid)

Carlo Ruzza (University of Trento)

David Swartz (University of Boston)

Hans Joerg Trenz (Scuola Normale Sant'Anna - Florence)

Lorenzo Viviani (University of Pisa)