Coordenators:
Sandra Lima Coelho [Universidade da Beira Interior e Universidade Católica Portuguesa]
Hernâni Veloso Neto [Universidade do Minho e Instituto de Sociologia-U.Porto]
Catarina Sales Oliveira [Universidade da Beira Interior]
The 14th Portuguese Congress of Sociology, under the theme Futures Under Construction: Sociology in the Public Sphere, thus presents itself as a forum for reflection on the ways in which sociological knowledge is produced, circulated and utilised within society. It also seeks to discuss the contribution of sociology to the quality of public debate, to the underpinning of public policy, and to the strengthening of democratic life. Beyond the scientific understanding of major contemporary challenges, it proposes to debate the role of sociology as a field of knowledge for collectively imagining and constructing alternative futures.
In line with the overall theme of the congress, knowledge about the social practices and dynamics of consumption also seems relevant to understanding societies, as well as providing a sociological basis from which to imagine, think about, and chart alternative futures. Consumption occupies a central place in the contemporary public sphere, representing a privileged terrain where debates on citizenship, sustainability and social transformation converge. At a time when the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) challenge societies, institutions and individuals alike, consumption practices emerge as a critical axis of sociological analysis: they simultaneously reflect social structures, serve as arenas of political and cultural contestation, and act as potential vectors of change. Sociology of Consumption is thus called upon to examine how consumption is inscribed in the public sphere, shaping and being shaped by values, norms, markets and policies, and how it may contribute to more just and sustainable futures.
This thematic section invites the submission of communication proposals that explore the intersection between consumption and the public sphere or other social dynamics of consumption, from theoretical, empirical, or action-research perspectives. Among other topics, proposals may be submitted on subjects such as:
Consumption and the public sphere
- Consumption as a political act: boycotts, buycotting and consumer mobilisation
- Consumers as actors in the public sphere: consumer defence movements, consumption cooperatives and boycott campaigns
- Social movements around consumption: from fair trade to veganism, food cooperatives and slow fashion
- Consumer associations and advocacy: organisations, collective litigation and regulation
- Case studies in collective mobilisation around consumption: anti-consumption movements, voluntary simplicity, degrowth and consumer activism
- Consumption regulation, public policies and democratic debate
- Media, public opinion and consumption agendas
- Brands, advertising and symbolic disputes in the public sphere
Consumption and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- SDG 12 — Responsible production and consumption: practices, policies and actors
- SDGs 1 & 10 — Poverty, inequality and access to consumption
- SDG 2 — Sustainable food systems and food consumption patterns
- SDG 3 — Consumption, health and well-being: from pharmaceuticals to digital wellness
- SDG 5 — Gender, consumption and sustainable development
- SDG 11 — Cities, sustainable communities and urban consumption patterns
- SDG 13 — Consumption, climate change and ecological transition
Consumer practices and theories
- Social effects of economic behaviour: rationalities, norms and collective consequences
- Collaborative consumption and sharing economy
- Consumption and body
- Consumer practices
- Ethical, conscious and critical consumption
- Consumerism and food
- Consumerism and gender
- Intergenerational relations and consumer cultures (children, young people, adults and senior citizens)
- Markets and consumption
- Money and consumption
- Theories on consumption and consumers
- Consumption, animals and nature
- Consumerism, transport and mobility
- Fashion and clothing
Digital consumption and new dynamics
- Digital consumption and e-commerce
- New actors in digital consumption (social networks, influencers, youtubers...)
- Advertising and consumption: languages and representation
- New trends and dynamics in audiovisual consumption (Netflix, HBO...)
Consumption spaces and territories
- Urban consumption spaces
- Rural and/or peripheral consumption
We particularly encourage submissions from early-career researchers, master's and doctoral students, as well as professionals engaged in applied research or action-research projects outside academia.
We invite the submission of abstract proposals based on academic and non-academic research, including empirical work, theoretical and methodological contributions, as well as reports of professional experiences.
Proposals, in addition to theoretical essays, must be formulated presenting their theoretical framework, objectives, methodologies used, results and conclusions.
Professional contributions can take the form of experience reports, including context, objectives, actors involved, methodologies, activities developed, and key learnings.
Proposals must be submitted via the personal area by the deadline specified in the submission guidelines.
Proposals may be submitted in Portuguese, English, Spanish or French.
The maximum length of the abstract is 2,500 characters (excluding spaces).
Evaluation will consider the clarity of objectives, methodological adequacy, relevance of results, and the overall quality of the proposal.
The Congress will take place in person at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Algarve, in Faro, from 23 to 25 March 2027, and may include online sessions on 22 March. At the time of submission, authors must indicate whether they intend to participate in person or online.
All the authors will be invited to submit the full papers for publication in the Congress Proceedings.
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