Robert J.S. Ross, professor of sociology and director of the International Studies Stream, initiated, organized  and will  chair a panel at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association, on August 21 in Las Vegas.

The topic is “ Bread and Roses: Dignity and Respect as a Dimension of Labor and Working Class Struggles.” The session probes the reality and symbolic meaning of the “Bread and Roses” image. The theme – “Our lives shall not be sweated, from birth until life closes; Hearts starve as well as bodies; Give us bread and give us roses” – has come to symbolize labor and working class demands for dignity and respect. The panel will address the duality of the struggle for material decency and social respect or dignity; the role of memory in constructing and framing struggles in the present; and the theme of inclusion of women and immigrants in past and present labor struggles.

The Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association provides the opportunity for professionals involved in the scientific study of society to share knowledge and new directions in research and practice. Nearly 600 program sessions are convened during the four-day meeting held every August to provide participation venues and networking outlets for nearly 3,000 research papers and over 4,600 presenters.