The mayor of Valdepeñas, Jesús Martín, inaugurated the XXX International Sociology Congress in Castilla-La Mancha on Friday, organised by the Castilian-Manchegan Association of Sociology (ACMS) in collaboration with the Valdepeñas City Council. The event runs from 13 to 15 November in the City of Wine.
Under the theme ‘Affirmations and regressions of democracy in a global world’, the congress brings together 150 professionals and academics from various parts of the world, participating in 21 working groups. The event was also attended by the deputy mayor of Culture, Vanessa Irla, and the provincial delegate of the Junta, Agustín Espinosa.
Mayor Martín expressed his satisfaction with gathering such an intellectual assembly in Valdepeñas, noting, “It is a shame that sociology studies and manages contemporary thought without a futuristic capacity, as this might help us avoid many mistakes.” He added that “those who read the papers will see sociology's ability to synthesise and understand why human behaviour at a specific moment in history is ‘A’ and not ‘B’, which helps us comprehend why events occurred as they did.”
The congress will showcase research addressing topics such as globalisation, population movement, social change, new generations, and the situation of the elderly, among many others.
Vicente José Benito Gil, president of the ACMS, stated that “sociology must be close to the citizen, to society, to what is happening, to investigate, listen, and propose.” He emphasised that “this occurs year after year in Valdepeñas, and it is a true luxury and honour to share this opportunity to convey to society, to our youth, students, teachers, and the entire community of Castilla-La Mancha, the importance of sociology, which aims to propose solutions to societal problems.”
The congress is being held in various municipal spaces, attracting sociologists from across the country, as well as from other parts of Europe, Latin America, and the United States.
