Our 2020/2021 Call for Papers

 

Connections and Divisions  

2020/2021 Call for Papers

  

Our current Call for Papers is now closed. Thank you to all authors for your submissions!

Issue 7 will be released later this year. Please find the original text of the call below.

Spark is pleased to invite postgraduate scholars of all disciplines enrolled at any institution to submit papers for inclusion in our upcoming journal Issue 7 on the theme of Connections and Divisions 

The past year has seen the world struggle with a global pandemic, one which has led to distancing of all types, while promoting new ways of connecting with others across borders, cultures, and mediaIncreased calls for division among people and nations contrast those for unitycooperation, and shared activismSuch spatiaruptures and continuities are mirrored on a temporal level as well, where hope for a changed future opposes but also revives aspects of the past. This has been apparent in the understanding of our cultural, social, and political lifeworld(s) and the way we relate to our (natural) environment. Not only the natural world is shaped by connections and divisions, between species and ecosystems, but these are also ever-present in abstract discourses of competing theories and viewpoints, literature, theory and practice. While different schools of thoughts and disciplines might extent contesting truth claimssuch divisions are increasingly shattered in inter– and transdisciplinary research and (artisticpractice. While divisions can be harmful and restrictive, hindering connections and exchange, they can also be crucial in safeguarding and structuring our daily lives and experiences. 

The theme has been purposefully left open, in order to allow for a broad range of interpretations from different disciplinary perspectives. Although the theme is topical and relevant to the situation of the world today, authors can apply it to any aspect of the past, present, or potential futuresto open up the focus beyond (and allow for critical reflection on) the current context. 

Ways in which the theme could be approached include but are not limited to connections and divisions within, through or between 

 Ideas, theories, concepts, and schools of thought 

Nations, cultures, social worlds, people, and gender 

Borders, migrations, displacement, and diaspora 

Socioeconomics and politics, criminality, and justice 

Creativity, innovation, and technology 

Art, culture, and language 

Management, workplace, and organisations  

Ecosystems, species, and the relationships between society and the natural world 

Environmental regulation, licensing, and policy 

Organismal genetics, disease, health, and trophic systems  

 

Authors can choose to explore one aspect of the theme or the dynamic tensions and inter-relationships between connections and divisions in their chosen context. We also welcome interdisciplinary and collaborative papers examining the theme from multiple perspectives.

Researchers are invited to upload an initial abstract of c200 words by 12 February 2021. The online submission form is available below. Please specify in your abstract whether you are intending to submit an Article (3,000-6,000 words) or a Letter to the Editor (1,500-2,000 words). If you are interested in submitting a book review, please email the team directly with details of the author and title of the work you are proposing to review. Authors of accepted abstracts will be invited to submit their full paper by 30 April 2021. All submissions will be subject to double blind peer reviews and copy-editing, and the final versions will be published as part of Spark Issue 7, to be available online in autumn 2021.

For further information on the process please see our FAQ or contact the team.