Naples hosts 11th International Conference on Social Science Methodology

Naples is preparing to become the international capital of methodological research in the social sciences. From Sept. 22-25, 2025, the Department of Social Sciences at the Federico II University will host the 11th International Conference on Social Science Methodology (11ICSSM), organized by the Research Committee on Logic and Methodology (RC33) of the International Sociological Association (ISA).

The globally significant event will bring together more than 500 researchers from more than forty countries to discuss the latest methodological innovations, epistemological challenges and research perspectives in a context marked by digitization and new scientific practices.

The program includes plenary sessions, thematic panels, workshops, and advanced training activities aimed particularly at young scholars and doctoral students. The aim is to foster a dialogue between tradition and methodological innovation, valuing the plurality of approaches and their ability to adapt to rapidly changing social contexts.

Speakers include such internationally prominent figures in the field of methodology and sociology as: Enrica Amaturo, professor at the University Federico II, former president of the Italian Association of Sociology and recipient of the honor of Officer of Merit of the Italian Republic; Nina Baur, German methodologist and professor at TU Berlin, has directed the Global Center of Spatial Methods for Urban Sustainability (SMUS) and is a member of the Refiguration of Spaces Collaborative Research Center; Juan Ignacio Piovani, coordinator of the Latin American RedMet network, professor at the Universidad Nacional de La Plata and principal researcher of the National Scientific and Technical Research Council of Argentina; Mike Savage, Professorial Research Fellow at the International Inequalities Institute of the London School of Economics (LSE) formerly dean of the LSE; Vera Toepoel, head of the Department of Methodology at Statistics Netherlands, formerly president of RC33 and president of the European Survey Research Association; and finally, Sophie Woodward, professor of Sociology at the University of Manchester, deputy director of the National Centre for Research Methods (NCRM) and co-director of the Morgan Centre for Research into Everyday Lives.

Their keynote lectures will provide an up-to-date overview of key theoretical and empirical challenges in contemporary research.

Under the leadership of Professor Biagio Aragona, chair of the scientific committee and organizer, the event features the collaboration of Federico II faculty, researchers and doctoral students who are committed to building an inclusive and participatory conference.

In addition to the rich scientific calendar, the conference will offer networking moments, cultural activities and socializing experiences, creating a balance between academic insight and discovery of the Neapolitan urban and cultural context.

With the 11ICSSM, Naples and the Federico II are confirmed as an international reference point for methodological reflection, and a privileged venue for global dialogue on transformations in the social sciences.

Program