American Sociological Association

The American Sociological Association (ASA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the discipline and profession of sociology. Founded as the American Sociological Society by fifty people at Johns Hopkins University in December 1905, the first president was Lester Frank Ward. Today, most members work in academia, while about 20 percent work in government, business, or non-profit organizations. ASA publishes ten academic journals and magazines, including the American Sociological Review and Contexts, and four section journals. In 2025, the organization had 9,433 members, making it a larger association of sociologists than the International Sociological Association. The ASA is composed of researchers, students, college and university faculty, high school faculty, and practitioners.