Robert K. Merton was one of the most influential sociologists of the 20th Century. His writing on the principles and importance of middle-range theory as well as his own theories of self-fulfilling prophecies and Matthew effects have been important sources of inspiration for the emergence of analytical sociology. Merton attended the first analytical-sociology/social mechanism conference held at the Royal Academy of Sciences in Stockholm in 1996, and he remained a strong supporter of analytical sociology throughout the rest of his career.
The Robert K. Merton Award for the best paper in analytical sociology is an annual award announced at the annual INAS conference. The award is based on a thorough selection process. Nominations are sought from the international scholarly community and the decision is made by a committee of leading scholars appointed at the INAS meeting.
Marco Giesselmann, David Brady, and Tabea Naujoks receive the 2025 Robert K. Merton Award. We congratulate them for their excellent paper on "The Increase in Refugees to Germany and Exclusionary Beliefs and Behaviors".
The 2025 Award Committee
- Elizabeth Roberto (chair)
- René Flores (2024 Robert K. Merton Award winner)
- Janet Xu
- Yuan Hsiao