Its sole purpose is to "represent sociologists everywhere, regardless of their school of thought, scientific approaches or ideological opinion" and its objective is to "advance sociological knowledge throughout the world".

[3] As of 1949,[update] sociological associations existed only in Belgium, Brazil, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, and the United States, with about twenty four more countries having sociologist represented in a different type of an institution.

[4] The Institut International de Sociologie (IIS), founded in 1893, was deemed too limited, and it was decided that a new organization needs to be created.

[3][5] In the end, representatives from 21 countries were invited for a Constituent Congress, held in Oslo on 5–11 September 1949.

[4][6][7][8] The original stated purpose of the organization was "to advance sociological knowledge throughout the world" through measures including developing "personal contacts between sociologists" in different regions and encouraging "international dissemination and exchange of information".

[7] A provisional Council was appointed, as were an Executive Secretary, Treasurer, and the Secretariat personnel; statutes were adopted.

[11] In 1986 ISA launched International Sociology, a peer-reviewed journal published six times annually and provided to all members.

[21] Scientific activities of the ISA occur under the auspices of research committees that gather sociologists interested in similar subfields or topics within sociology.

It is awarded to a sociologist who advances and promotes sociological knowledge and practice through outstanding contributions to the discipline, the profession, and the ISA.

Immanuel Wallerstein was the first recipient of the award at the ISA World Congress of Sociology, Yokohama, Japan, 2014.

[34] A prominent sociologist is awarded the "Foundation Mattei Dogan Prize" in Sociology in recognition of their lifelong contributions to the progress of the field.

[citation needed] In 1997, ISA conducted a survey of its membership to identify the 20th century's most influential books in sociology.