Reflecting on 40 years of New Zealand Sociology: A Roundtable Conversation on the Past, Present and Future of New Zealand Sociology

Authors

Keywords:

40th anniversary, local sociology journal, New Zealand Sociology, reflection, roundtable discussion

Abstract

To mark New Zealand Sociology’s (NZS) 40th anniversary in 2026, the current editorial team organised an online roundtable discussion with five scholars who have engaged with the journal in different roles and at different times: Chamsy el-Ojeili, Anna Friedlander, Moeata Keil, Steve Matthewman, and Jessica Terruhn. Complementing our publication trend analysis of all 1,174 contributions published in NZS over the past 40 years, this roundtable conversation serves to reflect on NZS’s past achievements as well as current challenges and opportunities that arise with respect to equity in access and representation and the journal’s public image. Participants discussed NZS’s unique value as a local, independent and supportive outlet within a metric-driven publishing culture in Aotearoa New Zealand and beyond, and we outlined future directions and priorities around (re)branding, dialogue, outreach and community building.

Author Biographies

  • Jessica Terruhn, University of Waikato

    Jessica Terruhn is a research associate at Te Whare W?nanga o Waikato | University of Waikato and a professional teaching fellow at Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland. She is co-editor of New Zealand Sociology and associate editor of K?tutui: New Zealand Journal of Social Sciences Online.

  • Chamsy el-Ojeili, Victoria University of Wellington

    Chamsy el-Ojeili is Associate Professor of Sociology at Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University of Wellington. His research centres on the sociology of knowledge.

  • Steve Matthewman, University of Auckland

    Steve Matthewman (he, him, ia) is a Professor in Sociology at Waipapa Taumata Rua | University of Auckland. His research interests include the sociology of disasters, STS and social theory. 

  • Moeata Keil, University of Auckland

    Moeata Keil is a Senior Lecturer in Sociology at Waipapa Taumata Rau/University of Auckland. Moeata is a Samoan decolonial feminist scholar. She is an associate editor of New Zealand Sociology and co-editor of the Pacific Islanders Studies book collection with Lived Places Publishing.

  • Anna Friedlander, University of Waikato

    Anna Friedlander is a PhD Candidate in Sociology at Te Whare W?nanga o Waikato | University of Waikato. She works in feminist data and technology studies, with a focus on menstrual tracking apps and digital menstrual tracking practices. She is an associate editor of New Zealand Sociology.

  • Shinya Uekusa, University of Canterbury

    Shinya Uekusa is Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Canterbury, Aotearoa New Zealand. He is a co-editor of New Zealand Sociology and an associate editor for Critical Disaster Studies.

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Published

2026-05-12

Issue

Vol. 41 No. 1 (2026): New Zealand Sociology 40th Anniversary Issue

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Jessica Terruhn, Chamsy el-Ojeili, Steve Matthewman, Moeata Keil, Anna Friedlander, Shinya Uekusa

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Terruhn, J., el-Ojeili, C., Matthewman, S., Keil, M., Friedlander, A., & Uekusa, S. (2026). Reflecting on 40 years of New Zealand Sociology: A Roundtable Conversation on the Past, Present and Future of New Zealand Sociology. New Zealand Sociology, 41(1), 28-44. https://nzsociology.nz/index.php/nzs/article/view/247