International Society for the Comparative Study of Civilizations
Encyclopedia
The International Society for the Comparative Study of Civilizations (ISCSC) is an international scholarly organization dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of civilizational issues. The ISCSC holds an annual conference and publishes the journal Comparative Civilizations Review.
, Austria
in 1961 during a meeting organized by Othmar Anderle. Attendees of this initial gathering included Arnold Toynbee
and Rushton Coulborn. Since 1970, when the leadership of the ISCSC moved to the United States, the bulk of the membership has resided in North America, although members can be found in more than 30 countries. Moreover, the Annual Conference has frequently been held abroad in cooperation with notable institutions. Recent international conference sites include Paris
(2006), St. Petersburg (2003), Jamaica
(2002), Tokyo
(1998), and Dublin (1994).
in Japan together with the Japan Society for the Comparative Study of Civilizations, and the two organizations continue to have a close relationship.
The International Society for the Comparative Study of Civilizations publishes the semi-annual Comparative Civilizations Review, a peer-reviewed journal. The 59th issue was published in the Fall of 2008. The ISCSC also publishes a regular newsletter that is distributed both electronically and by postal mail.
Brief history
The International Society for the Comparative Study of Civilizations was founded SalzburgSalzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
in 1961 during a meeting organized by Othmar Anderle. Attendees of this initial gathering included Arnold Toynbee
Arnold Toynbee
Arnold Toynbee was a British economic historian also noted for his social commitment and desire to improve the living conditions of the working classes.-Biography:...
and Rushton Coulborn. Since 1970, when the leadership of the ISCSC moved to the United States, the bulk of the membership has resided in North America, although members can be found in more than 30 countries. Moreover, the Annual Conference has frequently been held abroad in cooperation with notable institutions. Recent international conference sites include Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
(2006), St. Petersburg (2003), Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
(2002), Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
(1998), and Dublin (1994).
Activities
The International Society for the Comparative Study of Civilizations is a multidisciplinary scholarly organization that has connections with comparative studies programs throughout the world. The Society holds an annual conference, often with the cooperation of other scholarly organizations based in the conference locale. One example of this is the 1998 conference held at Reitaku UniversityReitaku University
is a private university known as Reitaku in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. The origin of Reitaku University is Moralogy School which was launched in 1935 and Reitaku University was established in 1950.-Department:College of Foreign Languages...
in Japan together with the Japan Society for the Comparative Study of Civilizations, and the two organizations continue to have a close relationship.
The International Society for the Comparative Study of Civilizations publishes the semi-annual Comparative Civilizations Review, a peer-reviewed journal. The 59th issue was published in the Fall of 2008. The ISCSC also publishes a regular newsletter that is distributed both electronically and by postal mail.
Presidents
- Pitirim SorokinPitirim SorokinPitirim Alexandrovich Sorokin was a Russian-American sociologist born in Komi . Academic and political activist in Russia, he emigrated from Russia to the United States in 1923. He founded the Department of Sociology at Harvard University. He was a vocal opponent of Talcott Parsons' theories...
, 1961–64 - Othmar Anderle, 1964–71
- Benjamin Nelson, 1971–77
- Vytautas KavolisVytautas KavolisVytautas Kavolis was a Lithuanian born American sociologist, literary critic, and culture historian. -Biography:...
, 1977–83 - Matthew Melko, 1983–86
- Michael Palencia-Roth, 1986–92
- Roger W. Wescott, 1992–95
- Shuntaro ItoShuntaro Itois a Japanese scholar of the history of science and the study of comparative civilization. Ito is an honorary professor of University of Tokyo and International Research Center for Japanese Studies, and a professor of Reitaku University, and the Chairman of Japan Seaology Promotion Organization...
, 1995–98 - Wayne Bledsoe, 1998–2004
- Lee Daniel Snyder, 2004–07
- Andrew Targowski, 2007–2010