Category Archives: Announcement

Announcement

Special Issue Commemorating the Work of Margaret Archer – Journal of Critical Realism, Volume 25, Issue 2 (2026)

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The Centre for Social Ontology (CSO) is delighted to share the Special Issue commemorating the work of Margaret Archer, published by the Journal of Critical Realism in July 2026.

This Special Issue brings together reflections on Archer’s intellectual legacy and her foundational role in shaping the CSO’s identity.

As members Ismael Al-Amoudi (Honorary Director) and Douglas Porpora underline in their introduction:

“This special issue of the Journal of Critical Realism (JCR) is a commemoration of the work and intellectual leadership of Margaret Archer by her associates at the Centre for Social Ontology (CSO)… As the intellectual leader of the group, Archer was the guiding presence.

With her passing in 2023, the surviving members are grateful to the editors of JCR for the opportunity to present the following papers commenting on what each sees as the important legacy Archer bequeaths to social science.…We hope that these papers will help not only to consolidate Archer’s contribution to knowledge but also be of comfort to all who mourn her passing.”

Articles included in the Special Issue

Al-Amoudi, I., & Porpora, D. (2026). Introduction to the special issue commemorating the work of Margaret Archer. Journal of Critical Realism, 25(2), 147–148. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767430.2026.2690680

Al-Amoudi, I., & Tomlinson, S. (2026). In memoriam: Margaret Archer (1943–2023). Journal of Critical Realism, 25(2), 149–152. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767430.2026.2688789

Porpora, D. V. (2026). Margaret Archer’s contribution to social science. Journal of Critical Realism, 25(2), 153–163. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767430.2026.2686014

Al-Amoudi, I. (2026). Margaret Archer’s legacy to business and management studies: a bibliometric analysis. Journal of Critical Realism, 25(2), 164–190. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767430.2026.2687289

Donati, P. (2026). Archer’s theory of the person: a humanizing paradigm of socialization. Journal of Critical Realism, 25(2), 191–215. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767430.2026.2686563

Lawson, T. (2026). Contrasting social positioning theory and Archer’s morphogenetic/morphostatic approach. Journal of Critical Realism, 25(2), 216–245. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767430.2026.2686019

Maccarini, A. (2026). Historical paths in quest of sociological understanding: the legacy of Margaret Archer’s multi-level model of macro-social change. Journal of Critical Realism, 25(2), 246–264. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767430.2026.2686926

Morgan, J. (2026). Archer, morphogenesis and time. Journal of Critical Realism, 25(2), 265–285. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767430.2026.2678093

Steyn, R. (2026). No shortcuts to explaining the ‘vexatious fact of society’: reading Archer’s final intervention: A Review of Morphogenesis Answers Its Critics, by Margaret S. Archer, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2024, 221 pp., ISBN: 9781009405430. Journal of Critical Realism, 25(2), 286–289. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767430.2026.2688013

Exploring CSO Research

To consult and explore other research produced by CSO members, please visit our dedicated page.

To consult Margaret Archer’s complete list of publications, please follow this link.

Announcement

Invitation to apply for a Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Padova, Italy – Deadline 9 September 2026

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The Centre for Social Ontology (CSO) welcomes expressions of interest from researchers wishing to apply for the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships 2026 at the University of Padova, Italy.

The call, funded by the European Commission within the programme Horizon Europe, closes on 9 September 2026.

The MSCA Fellowships

The Fellowship Action targets researchers holding a PhD who wish to carry out their research activities abroad, acquire new skills and develop their careers.

It provides attractive working conditions and is open to researchers of any nationality and discipline who:

  • Hold a PhD degree at the time of the deadline for applications
  • Have a maximum of 8 years of research experience from the date of the award of their PhD degree (extensions of the eligibility window are foreseen in case of career breaks, years of experience outside research, or in third countries)
  • Comply with the MSCA mobility rule—researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity in the country of the beneficiary (for European Postdoctoral Fellowships) or of the host organization for the outgoing phase (for Global Postdoctoral Fellowships) for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately prior to the call’s deadline.

The Centre for Social Ontology (CSO) is open to considering proposals for the Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship 2026 inspired by critical realism, Margaret Archer’s morphogenetic approach, and relational approaches to social theory.

Researchers wishing to develop a project within these terms are welcome to contact the CSO in advance in order to discuss their proposal before initiating the formal application procedure with the University of Padova. 

If interested, please write us at centreforsocialontology@gmail.com

Announcement

A (tentatively) complete bibliography of Margaret Archer’s works.

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In keeping with our founder and past director Margaret Archer‘s wishes, the CSO is proud to present on a dedicated webpage a tentatively complete inventory of her abundant publications in English (as well as some in French) that we have been compiling and curating.

It is our dearest hope that our communities will better appreciate the breadth and depth of her contributions spanning 57 years, from her 1967 PhD thesis The educational aspirations of English working class parents to her 2024 posthumous book Morphogenesis answers its critics.

Please feel welcome to suggest any addition or report any mistake so that the webpage may only improve further.

Oil on canvas by J. F. Peto, ‘In the Library’ (1900), Public Domain.

Announcement

Farewell, Margaret Archer († 21st May 2023)

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It is with great sadness that we share news of the death of Prof. Margaret Archer, who passed away on 21st May 2023.

Prof. Margaret Archer founded the Centre for Social Ontology in 2011 at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Switzerland). She led the Centre as its Director until 2017 and then as its General Editor.
For many members of the CSO, Maggie was a cherished friend in addition to being a colleague of outstanding talent, dedication and integrity.

Margaret Archer’s contributions to social theory are too vast, numerous and subtle to be adequately summarized on a single webpage. Over the coming months, members of the CSO will gather reflections on how she made a difference to the study of people, cultures and societies.

Overview of Margaret Archer’s research interests and accomplishments as she reflected on them

Updated list of Margaret Archer’s publications (will be complemented in the coming months)

Oil on canvas by von Tamm, ‘Still Life of Roses, Morning Glory, Carnations, Forget-Me-Nots and Other Flowers on a Stone Ledge, Together with a Bunch of Peaches’ (ca. 1700), Public Domain.