XXXV Latin American Congress of Sociology
The 35th Latin American Congress of Sociology was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 26 to 31, 2026 , with the participation of the Latin American Council of Social Sciences . It was a pivotal meeting for the academic community at a time when Latin America and the Caribbean face urgent challenges to democracy, social justice, regional integration, and the public role of the social sciences.
The overarching theme of the ALAS 2026 Congress, “ Between Polycrisis and Alternatives: Horizons of Latin American Critical Sociology ,” called for reflection on a contemporary climate profoundly transformed by multiple and interdependent crises—political, economic, social, climatic, energy, ecological, and geopolitical—that are rapidly reshaping life in our societies and placing sociological work under strain. Added to this are growing threats to university autonomy, critical research, and the social sciences in general.
Faced with this scenario, ALAS 2026 aspired to be a public refuge for free debate, a platform to make visible the struggles for public universities, a space to defend critical thinking and, above all, a place to rebuild intellectual energies, address controversial issues, share relevant sociological diagnoses and co-construct alternatives in a particularly challenging historical moment.
Its organizers say: “Our time is not made up only of setbacks. Resistance, new political grammars, and horizons of hope are also emerging. The diversity of activism, worldviews, struggles, uprisings, and experiences in Latin America and the Caribbean challenges sociology today to renew its commitment to the social imagination, reclaim its legacy, and project it toward possible futures.”
Over six days, there were 27 Working Groups, the core of the academic exchange, and Roundtables on major contemporary debates. The Congress also included:
-Special Forums, organized with allied associations, networks and institutions, to strengthen strategic agendas of Latin American sociology.
-Masterful dialogues with international experts, dedicated to reflecting on authoritarianism and democracies, political ecology and ecosocial transitions, persistent inequalities, digitalization, artificial intelligence and social movements.
-Open and diverse cultural activities that will connect the Congress with the social and artistic life of Rio de Janeiro.
The XXXV Latin American Congress of Sociology will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 26 to 31, 2026 , with the participation of the Latin American Council of Social Sciences . It will be a decisive meeting for the academic community at a time when Latin America and the Caribbean face urgent challenges to democracy, social justice, regional integration and the public role of social sciences.
The general theme of the ALAS 2026 Congress, “ Entre a policrise e as alternatives: horizons of critical Latin American sociology ”, calls for reflection on a climate of times profoundly transformed by multiple and interdependent crises – political, economic, social, climatic, energetic, ecological and geopolitical – that rapidly reconfigure life in our societies and place them in a sociological tension. This is somam crescentes ameaças à universitária autonomy, à pesquisa critique e às ciências sociais em geral.
Given this scenario, ALAS 2026 aspires to be a public refuge for free debate, a platform to make public university struggles visible, a space to defend critical thinking and, above all, a place to recover intellectual energies, address controversial topics, share relevant sociological diagnoses and co-construct alternatives in a particularly challenging historical moment.
Says its organizers: "Our time is not just about setbacks. Resistance also emerges, new political grammars and horizons of hope. A diversity of attitudes, cosmovisions, struggles, explosions and Latin American and Caribbean experiences challenges sociology to renew its commitment to imagination." social, recover your legacy and plan it for possible futures.”
Over six days, there will be 27 Working Groups, the central core of academic exchange, and Round Tables on the great contemporary debates. Além disso, o Congresso will have:
-Special Forums, organized with associations, networks and allied institutions, to strengthen strategic agendas of Latin American sociology.
-Magistrais Dialogues with international references, dedicated to reflecting on authoritarianisms and democracies, political ecology and ecological transitions, persistent inequalities, digitalization, artificial intelligence and social movements.
-Cultural activities, open and diverse, that connect the Congress with the social and artistic life of Rio de Janeiro.
There is time to register and send the abstracts to the Working Groups and Round Tables by February 15, 2026 through the official ALAS website.
