The 27^th Conference of the Nordic Association for the Sociology of Religion | NCSR 2026

Research Approaches, Design, and Methods:

Centering the Marginalized, Vulnerable, and Socially Excluded

12–14 August, 2026

Arken, Tehtaankatu 2, 20500

Turku, Finland

The Call for Papers is Now Open

We welcome abstracts (300 words max.) to any of the sessions included in the conference.

Please submit your abstract in Microsoft Word or PDF format to the session chairs by February 1, 2026.

Research Approaches, Design and Methodology in the Sociology of Religion:

Centering the Marginalized, Vulnerable and Socially Excluded

The methodological repertoire of the sociology of religion is rich and expanding—encompassing both quantitative and qualitative approaches: large-scale surveys, ethnographic fieldwork, mixed-methods designs, participatory and arts-based approaches, and legal-ethical frameworks for working with sensitive data. Yet, when it comes to marginalized and socially excluded populations—such as indigenous groups, LGBTQI+ communities, migrants, or those experiencing homelessness, to mention a few—new questions arise: How can we ensure inclusive and sustainable research practices? How do we achieve higher quality, validity and reliability? What legal and ethical constraints must we navigate? How do our methods shape whose voices are heard and how those voices are interpreted?

By focusing on these critical issues, NCSR 2026 aims to foster a deeper, more inclusive sociology of religion that not only observes but actively engages with the complexity and diversity of contemporary lived realities.

Keynote Speakers


Professor Birgitte Schepelern Johansen	Professor Nando Sigona, FAcSS
PhD (Sociology of Religion), Associate Professor Minority Studies, Institute for Cross Cultural and Regional Studies, University of Copenhagen	University of Birmingham
In my work, I explore the formation, representation and management of differences (in particular religious differences) in context characterized by asymmetric power relations. Empirically, my research has focused on: i) the secular state and secular culture as the context for understanding the life of religious minorities ii) the role of knowledge production in the formation and governance of Muslim minorities, and iii) political responses to islamophobia, xenophobia and racism with a special focus on the political management of hostile emotions. These empirical investigations have always been tied together by a thematic and theoretical interest in how differences (be they religious, ethnic, cultural, linguistic, moral or otherwise) become socially visible and are made politically relevant on the backdrop of particular norm-systems and within certain institutional framings. One such institutional framing is obviously the secular university as a site for education as well as for academic knowledge production, and it is a continuous project for me to ponder the methodological implications and ethical entanglements of doing research with people in minoritized, marginalized or vulnerable positions from within this institution. Webpage: Birgitte Schepelern Johansen – Ansatte – Københavns Universitet	Nando Sigona is Professor of International Migration and Forced Displacement and Director of the Institute for Research into International Migration and Superdiversity at the University of Birmingham, UK. Nando is a founding editor of the peer-reviewed journal Migration Studies (Oxford University Press) and lead editor for the Global Migration and Social Change book series by Bristol University Press. His research interests include: the migration and citizenship nexus; undocumented migration; naturalisation, denaturalisation and statelessness; Romani politics and anti-Gypsyism; asylum and EU; Brexit and intra-European mobility; and child and youth migration. His work has appeared in a range of international academic journals, including Sociology, Social Anthropology, Antipode, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Identities, Citizenship Studies, International Migration Review, Comparative Migration Studies, The Sociological Review, JCMS, and Ethnic and Racial Studies. He is author or editor of books and journal’s special issues including Becoming Adult on the Move (with Chase and Chatty, 2023), The Oxford Handbook of Superdiversity (with Meisnner and Vertovec, 2022) Undocumented Migration (with Gonzales, Franco and Papoutsi, 2019); Unravelling Europe’s ‘migration crisis’ (with Crawley, Duvell, Jones, and McMahon, 2017), Within and beyond citizenship (with Roberto G. Gonzales, 2017), The Oxford Handbook on Refugee and Forced Migration Studies (with Fiddian Qasmiyeh, Loescher and Long, 2014), and Sans Papiers. The social and economic lives of undocumented migrants (with Bloch and Zetter, 2014). He is a Senior Research Associate at ODI and held visiting research and teaching positions at the Universities of Oxford, Bergen, UM6P Rabat, Utrecht, and the European University Institute. Webpage: Nando Sigona – University of Birmingham

Important Dates

Call for Sessions: 6 November – 2 December 2025.
Call for Papers: 19 December – 1 February 2026.
Registration Deadlines: To be announced.