Category Archives: Publishing Opportunities

Religion & Evolutionary/Biological Science

Posted on by

If anyone with expertise in connections between sociology of religion and evolutionary/biological sciences is interested in writing an essay for the series described below, please contact me (ldpearce@unc.edu) by noon, Monday, May 18th.

-Lisa

Announcing a new series of short essays on the connection between sociology and the biological and evolutionary sciences. Never has it been more important to re-examine this connection in the light of the current pandemic and its aftermath. The essays will be published in the online magazine This View of Life, which is at the forefront of publishing academically informed content on all aspects of human affairs from an evolutionary perspective. TVOL reaches a diverse audience of academic professionals, public policy experts and the informed general public across the world (typically between 30K-50K pageviews/mo). The essays will be published first individually to be the center of attention and then collected into a special issue for long term visibility (go here for current special issues). We expect that our special issue will provide a foundation for further discussion and exploration of collaborative potential.

The essays should reflect upon the following theme:

A biologically evolved virus finds an environmental niche it can successfully exploit and upends human society.  Whether we celebrate or fear modern technology, whether we applaud or dismiss science, whether we view health as a personal or public concern, an invisible pathogen forces us to recognize our interdependence both with the natural world and with each other.

Of course, sociology begins with the importance of social connection, highlights the social processes that shape human outcomes, and takes account of social groups and the cultures they create when explaining human behavior.  And we now know that these insights take us back to, not away from, our evolved biology:  that the environment influences genetic expression; that culture influences evolutionary change; that the need for group support and social connection are the evolved lodestone of our species and are reflected in the functioning of our brains.

The COVID -19 crisis provides an opportunity for sociologists to reflect upon the history of evolutionary thinking and current understandings in their area, and the potential benefits and costs of a more transdisciplinary vision. These reflections, representing the full diversity of sociological perspectives, will be valuable in their own right in addition to their relevance to the current moment. Hence, explicit connections to the COVID-19 crisis are encouraged but should not overshadow the theme of the past, present, and future of evolutionary thinking in the discipline.

The essays should be approximately 1000 words in length, which is enough for a concise statement and can link to the larger literature. We have flexibility in due dates but would like to receive at least some essays by June 1. Authors will receive guidelines about formatting and other details.

This project is a collaboration between Russell Schutt (current chair of the Evolution, Biology and Society section), Rengin Firat (EBS Council member), David Sloan Wilson (Editor in Chief of TVOL) and Eric Michael Johnson (Managing Editor of TVOL).  David has made foundational contributions to theories of social evolution and Eric’s recently completed PhD thesis is on the early impact of Darwin’s Theory on sociological thinking.  Russ studies social engagement in relation to organizational functioning and health outcomes, with connections to social neuroscience, evolutionary theory, and psychosocial treatments for serious mental illness.  Rengin’s research focuses on inter-group relations and racial disparities of health and well-being with a neurosociological approach.

Lisa D. Pearce
Professor and Interim Associate Chair of Sociology
Faculty Fellow, Carolina Population Center
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

http://lisapearce.web.unc.edu/

CFP: Special Issue "Islamic and Muslim Studies in Australia"

Posted on by

Special Issue Information: See online CFP at https://www.mdpi.com/journal/religions/special_issues/Australia_muslim

Dear Colleagues,

The growth of Muslim populations globally, in the Asia–Pacific region, and in Australia means Islamic and Muslim studies in Australia are increasingly important. Over the past two decades, Islamic and Muslim studies in Australia have grown along with some notable contributions to the scholarly literature, including the Melbourne University Press Islamic Studies Series. However, research on Islam and Muslims in Australia tends to receive less attention than in other Western countries. This Special Issue will contribute to filling this gap.

The aim of this Special Issue of the open-access journal Religions is to showcase some of the most important research currently being undertaken in Islamic and Muslim studies in Australia. The papers will address the challenging and often unprecedented phenomena concerning Islam and Muslim Australians that have developed particularly since the turn of the century. Scholars in the fields of Islamic and Muslim studies are invited to submit papers on Islamic religious thought and practice; Islamic groupings and organisations; migration, settlement and integration; citizenship and belonging; social cohesion and intercommunity relations; Islamophobia, radicalisation and extremism; national and community security; and other issues concerning the historic and contemporary conditions, experiences and representations of Islam and Muslims in Australia.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Halim Rane
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI’s English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Call for Paper Proposals: Religion and the Coronavirus Pandemic

Posted on by

The Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature, and Culture (JSRNC) is calling for paper proposals exploring the entanglements of religion, the Coronavirus, and socioecological (aka biocultural) systems.

We seek scholarly work that explores how the virus, and religious dimensions of the response to it are influencing, and may decisively reshape socioecological systems, including religious perceptions and practices.

Pandemics are nothing new in human and religious history, of course. Indeed, religion and disease have long been entwined as people struggled to understand the mysterious origins of diseases and why they sometimes cause mass deaths and concomitant social and ecological disasters. Unsurprisingly, invisible spiritual beings or forces, which influence if not control environmental conditions, have often been postulated to explain the invisible-to-the-naked eye organisms that precipitate diseases and disasters. Some theorists even contend that the roots of religion may lie in the existential crises precipitated by disease and death.

Although the history of religion is replete with examples in which disease has played an important role, there may be novelty in the current pandemic and fresh insights about the diversity of religion-related responses to it. Indeed, if apocalypse means the end of the world as we know it, the current pandemic may well precipitate profound, destructive changes.

Yet as with much apocalyptic expectation, perhaps after its tribulations new and positive ways of being in the world will emerge that were previously hidden from human imaginations – or only envisioned by previously marginalized individuals and groups.

We have provided examples of social phenomena and specific questions that we think would be fitting for analysis under the heading “Further Information for Interested Scholars” at our web-based CFP: https://issrnc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Coronavirus-Special-CFP_JSRNC.pdf

By 15 June 2020 interested scholars should send prospective titles, a summary of the proposed paper (300-500 words), and ideally, relevant references, to JSRNC Managing Editor Amanda Nichols via amnv22@ufl.edu. Papers will be due 1 October 2020. All manuscripts will undergo the JSRNC’s full editorial review process, including double-blind peer review, before publication. Those requiring a later due date should discuss that with JSRNC Editor-in-Chief Bron Taylor via bron@ufl.edu.

CFP for the Bloomsbury Handbook in Religion, Gender, and Sexuality

Posted on by

Please find below the CFP for the Bloomsbury Handbook in Religion, Gender, and Sexuality. Due to the UK strikes and the current global health crisis, we have extended the deadline. I’d be grateful if you could pass around your networks and do get in touch if you have any questions!
Warmest wishes,
Dawn

CFP: Bloomsbury Handbook in Religion, Gender, and Sexuality

We are seeking papers for a new peer-reviewed edited volume, The Bloomsbury Handbook of Religion, Gender, and Sexuality. The aim is to generate a globally diverse, interdisciplinary and intersectional collection that captures emerging and contemporary themes and questions for the study of religions, genders, and sexualities.
We are looking for in-depth, scholarly essays, from a range of theoretical, methodological and disciplinary perspectives (conceptual and empirical). The Handbook aims to be a reference point for scholars and students searching for innovative engagements with critical issues relating to religion, gender, and sexuality.
We are seeking…

  *   to raise future-forming questions and provocations for religions, genders, and sexualities;
  *   to represent themes and issues emerging from broad geographical contexts;
  *   to explore religion and spirituality within and beyond institutional and historical settings;
  *   to promote the intersectional analyses of religion, gender, and sexuality with different identities and social locations such as race, nationalism, embodiment, class, economic status, and disability/ableness;
  *   to advocate that religion is significant for gender, feminist and women’s studies, and is a crucial social and political force in everyday life.

Suggested topics: This is, genuinely, an open call for papers, and indicative topics can include but are not limited to:
  *   politics and activism
  *   migration, diaspora, and transnational networks
  *   material cultures and products
  *   texts (literatures, scriptures, digital media, archives, documents, popular culture, arts, visual cultures, for example)
  *   well-being and healthcare
  *   the body and embodiment
  *   intimacies and relationships
  *   individual, communal, and social identities
  *   practices, beliefs, and experiences
  *   violence, oppressions and emancipations
  *   technologies
  *   spaces

Proposals
Proposals for chapters between 8,000 – 10,000 words (depending on the topic)

Please send proposals to all three editors:

  1. d.llewellyn@chester.ac.ukmailto:d.llewellyn@chester.ac.uk 
  2. sh79@soas.ac.uk<mailto:sh79@soas.ac.uk>
  3. sonya.sharma@kingston.ac.uk<mailto:sonya.sharma@kingston.ac.uk>

Please including the following:
  *   name, affiliation (if relevant), and any other helpful information
  *   an abstract (max 200 words)
  *   a proposal (max 1000 words)
  *   anticipated word count for completed chapter

We welcome contributions from independent scholars, authors at all career stages and collaborative pieces. Please do feel free to contact the editors with any questions, at any stage.

Deadlines
Proposals Due: June 30th 2020
Acceptance Response: September 30th 2020
Contributors’ Chapters Due: April 30th 2021

CFP: Religion and the Coronavirus Pandemic

Posted on by

Call for Paper Proposals, Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature, and Culture.  Proposals due June 15, 2020

A PDF of the full CFP is available via bit.ly/CV19pdf and via the website of the International Society for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture at bit.ly/CV19cfp

92078768_10158492998867033_2770374302443241472_o

Short précis

The Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature, and Culture (JSRNC) is calling for paper proposals exploring the entanglements of religion, the Coronavirus, and socioecological (aka biocultural) systems. We seek scholarly work that explores how the virus, and religious dimensions of the response to it are influencing, and may decisively reshape socioecological systems, including religious perceptions and practices.

Pandemics are nothing new in human and religious history, of course. Indeed, religion and disease have long been entwined as people struggled to understand the mysterious origins of diseases and why they sometimes cause mass deaths and concomitant social and ecological disasters. Unsurprisingly, invisible spiritual beings or forces, which influence if not control environmental conditions, have often been postulated to explain the invisible-to-the-naked eye organisms that precipitate diseases and disasters. Some theorists even contend that the roots of religion may lie in the existential crises precipitated by disease and death.

Although the history of religion is replete with examples in which disease has played an important role, there may be novelty in the current pandemic and fresh insights about the diversity of religion-related responses to it. Indeed, if apocalypse means the end of the world as we know it, the current pandemic may well precipitate profound, destructive changes. Yet as with much apocalyptic expectation, perhaps after its tribulations new and positive ways of being in the world will emerge that were previously hidden from human imaginations – or only envisioned by previously marginalized individuals and groups.

Given the interdisciplinary nature of the JSRNC please share this CFP in all relevant scholarly networks


CFP: Journal: Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion

Posted on by

Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Professor Ralph Hood and I, welcome your proposals for the Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion (RSSSR). The ‘Call for Papers’ is appended below. We both look forward to your responses
Many thanks
Sariya
*****     *****     ******    *****     *****     ******
Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion
Edited by Ralph Hood & Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor
For more information, please visit brill.com/rssr
ISSN 1046-8064
Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion (RSSSR) is an interdisciplinary, international peer-viewed annual series, which publishes new and innovative research within the social scientific study of religion or belief. Contributions span a range of theoretical orientations, geographic contexts and research methods, though most articles are reports of original quantitative or qualitative research related mainly to the sociology and/or psychology of religion.
RSSR usually includes a guest-edited special section that allows networks of researchers to report studies in areas that are or current interest or which are innovative and expanding the discipline into new areas. For 2020, RSSR will include a special section on Feminist Approaches to the Sociology of Religion. This section will include chapter about research that utilises feminist epistemological frameworks to study lived experiences of religion or belief. For this issue we define feminist approaches broadly as those that
*         use a gendered lens
*         privilege lesser-heard voices including women
*         reflect on researcher positionality
*         seek societal transformation as an integral aspect of research.
Submitting Proposals: We invite proposals for the next edition of the RSSR. We welcome proposals from academics at all levels of their career, including early career researchers and final year PhD students. Please submit a title and abstract of no more than 300 words together with names and short biographies (150 words), institutional affiliation/s (if relevant), and contact details.
*         Deadline for abstracts: 5pm on Monday 13th January 2020
*         Notification of acceptance of paper: 30th January 2020
*         If accepted full papers will be due by 5pm Friday 31st April 2020
Manuscripts for both the main and special sections should be send to the editors, Ralph Hood (ralph-hood@utc.edu<mailto:ralph-hood@utc.edu>) & Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor (ac0967@coventry.ac.uk<mailto:ac0967@coventry.ac.uk>). For more information and submission guidelines please visit the Instructions for Authors document on brill.com/rssr, or contact the editor.
*****     *****     ******    *****     *****     ******
Dr Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor
Assistant Professor | Research Group Lead | Faith and Peaceful Relations
Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, Coventry University

News & Opportunities from the Australian Association for the Study of Religion

Posted on by

The AASR 2019 Conference on ‘Religion and Violence’ is open for registration. Presenters: please ensure you register by 4 November 2019 to be included in the program. A conference schedule is nowavailable with exciting pre-conference workshops on 4 December that include:

The Journal for the Academic Study of Religion has a new list of books up for review. More info.

Call for Papers:
Conferences

  • Artificial Intelligence and Religion – AIR2020, 3 – 5 March 2020, Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK), Trento. Abstract deadline: 21 October 2019. More info.
  • What’s God got to do with it? Debating religion and forced migration entanglements, July 27-30, 2020, Accra, Ghana. Abstract deadline: 25 October 2019. More info.
  • The 25th Nordic Conference in the Sociology of Religion. 17-19 August 2020, Gothenburg, Sweden on ‘Religious Organisation(s): Challenges and changes in contemporary society’. Session proposal deadline: 15 November 2019. More info.
  • Rethinking​ ​Media, Religion and Secularities. Conference of the International Society for Media, Religion and Culture Conference location: Sigtuna Foundation, Sigtuna, Sweden. Conference dates: 4-7 of August 2020. Deadline for Paper proposals: 6 December 2019. More info.
  • The XXII Quinquennial World Congress of the IAHR, hosted by the New Zealand Association for the Study of Religions, will take place at the University of Otago, in Dunedin, New Zealand from 23-29 August 2020. Submission deadline 31 December 2019. More info.

  Publications

  • Call for book proposals: Bloomsbury welcomes book proposals for Bloomsbury Studies in Material Religion, edited by Birgit Meyer (University of Utrecht, the Netherlands), David Morgan (Duke University, USA), Crispin Paine (UCL, UK), S. Brent Plate (Hamilton College, USA), and Amy Whitehead (Bath Spa University, UK). More info.
  • Book Proposals in East Asian Religions. More info.
  • Chapters: Religious Responses to Sex Work and Sex Trafficking – Routledge. Deadline for AASR members: 11 October 2019. More info.
  • Special Issue: Religion, Economy, and Class in Global Context. Abstract deadline 15 October 2019. More info.
  • Call for papers on Religion & Ecology for a special issue of Religions. Deadline 31 May 2020.

Events/Seminars

  • The 2019 Hans Mol Memorial Lecture: “Imagining Asian Australia: Constructions of ‘Asian Religion’ and Australian Federation” by Professor Marion Maddox, 18 October 2019. More info.
  • The 2019 Freilich Lecture of Bigotry and Tolerance: “An Australian Story: The Politics of Bigotry in a Tolerant Country” by David Marr. 31 October 2019. More info.
  • Religion in Contemporary Society – What do we need to know to manage complexity?
    31 October 2019, Turku/Åbo, Finland. More info.
  • Migrant Youth in Multicultural Cities: Comparative Perspectives on Culture, Religion and Identity. 31 October 2019, Deakin University. Panellists: Prof Lori Beaman, A/Prof Serena Hussain and Prof Fethi Mansouri. More info.

Job Opportunities

Revised Call for Book Chapters: “Sociological Theory and Practice”

Posted on by

SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY AND PRACTICE

Editors: Professor A.O. Olutayo, Professor of Sociology, University of Ibadan, Nigeria & Dr. Olayinka Akanle, Lecturer, Department of Sociology, University of Ibadan, Nigeria and Research Associate, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Johannesburg, South Africa.

Deadline for submission of chapter is 10th December 2019
Expected Date of Publication: 28th February, 2020

This is to invite submissions of chapters on Sociological Theory and Practice from scholars across the world. This book intends to contribute to the understanding of theories of Sociology and their usefulness and application, not only within the academic space but also, in business and practical development of Africa.

FOR DETAILS, PLEASE CONSULT THE ORIGINAL POSTING AT https://isa-rc22.org/call-for-book-chapters-on-sociological-theory/

In case you are interested in contributing chapter(s) to this book, kindly send a 250-word abstract and your main submission(s) (chapter[s]) to lantopamtu@yahoo.com and yakanle@yahoo.com

Appel à contribution – « Repenser le martyre par le biais des femmes »

Posted on by

Cher(e)s Collègues,

Vous trouverez ci-dessous un appel à contribution pour un numéro thématique de la revue Religiologiques.  S’il vous plait, auriez-vous l’amabilité d’acheminer cet Appel à contribution aux personnes et vos réseaux susceptibles d’être intéressés.  En vous remerciant de votre généreuse assistance.

Avec nos sentiments les plus cordiaux
Roxanne D. Marcotte
Université du Québec à Montréal, UQAM
(pour la rédaction de Religiologiques)

**********************************************************

AAArelititre

    APPEL À CONTRIBUTION : NUMÉRO THÉMATIQUE

     « Repenser le martyre par le biais des femmes »

Le « martyre » désigne à la fois l’acte de mise à mort pour motifs religieux ou politiques, ainsi que le récit de ce drame. L’objectif de ce numéro thématique est de (re)penser le martyre par le biais de « figures de femmes », ces « martyres » qui résistent et s’opposent jusqu’à la mort – ultime témoignage de leurs convictions religieuses (mourir pour sa foi) ou politiques (mourir pour une idéologie, une cause, sa patrie, etc.).

Il conviendra, dans un premier temps, d’interroger la notion même de « martyre », cette mort qui se montre publiquement et qui incarne une contestation de légitimité religieuse ou politique.  Puis, dans un deuxième temps, il sera opportun d’étudier des cas particuliers de martyre de femmes qui, de tout temps (de l’antiquité jusqu’à aujourd’hui) et qu’elles soient d’ici ou d’ailleurs, ont contesté et « témoigné » par l’ultime sacrifice de leurs vies.

Au cœur de la problématique entourant les figures de femmes martyres résident les questions du genre (Butler), de sa construction et des dynamiques de rapports de genre (Bourdieu ; Woodhead ; Grosjean). S’attarder à ces questions et ces dynamiques permettra de proposer de nouvelles pistes de réflexion pour mieux saisir le phénomène du martyre des femmes, et contribuer ainsi à la production de nouvelles interprétations, analyses et théories. Trois pistes d’exploration seront privilégiées :

I – Les femmes martyres de l’Antiquité et du Moyen-Âge (du deuxième siècle avant notre ère à la Renaissance), que celles-ci appartiennent aux traditions juives (Haber ; Lemelin), chrétiennes (Amat ; Cardman ; Salisbury) ou musulmanes (Aghaie), et que les représentations de ces femmes martyres (Joslyn-Siemiatkoski ; Tolonen) soient issues des textes hagiographiques de la martyrologie (Destephen) ou de l’histoire de la réception de ces représentations (Baslez ; Doran ; Sei). Comment les martyres de jadis peuvent-elles nous aider à penser les femmes martyres d’aujourd’hui, voire à penser ce qui advient au phénomène même du martyre ?

II – Femmes martyres de la modernité, que celles-ci s’inscrivent dans une trajectoire mortifère religieuse ou politique, quelles que soient la nature de leurs motivations – femmes kamikazes des Tigres Tamouls du Sri Lanka, séparatistes kurdes du PKK en Turquie (Grosjean), kamikazes du Caucase (Larzillière ; Campana) et du Proche-Orient (Blom ; Straub ; Sela-Shayoritz ; Vuillemenot), les djihadistes de Daesh (Khosrokhavar et Benslama), etc.–, et quel que soit le genre de culte qui leur est voué. En quoi ces femmes se ressemblent-elles et se différencient-elles des martyres d’autrefois ? Que nous apprennent les études scientifiques qui leur sont dédiées ou encore les représentations qui en sont proposées par les médias traditionnels ou numériques ?

III – Représentations des femmes martyres dans la culture : que celles-ci aient été le sujet d’œuvres littéraires, d’arts visuels ou de musique, de jadis ou d’aujourd’hui. Comment ces femmes martyres (saintes, shahidat, kamikazes, bouddhistes tibétaines immolées, figures de luttes nationales, etc.) sont-elles (re)présentées ?

Les contributions pallieront l’invisibilité de ces femmes martyres (vies, représentations, discours, analyses, théories, etc.) en les (ré)inscrivant dans l’histoire. Ceci pourra s’entreprendre à partir d’un regard disciplinaire (sociologie ; anthropologie ; psychanalyse ; psychologie ; religiologie, etc.) ou interdisciplinaire, ou à partir de différentes approches (diachroniques, synchroniques ou comparatives) – qu’elles s’appliquent aux objets, aux périodes, aux traditions ou aux médiums – pour explorer l’intersection de la notion de martyre avec celles du genre et du sacré.

Longueur des articles

Les articles doivent être de 6 000 à 8 000 mots, en format WORD (.doc) et conformes aux « Consignes de présentation » qui sont disponibles sous l’onglet « Soumission d’articles » du site Web de Religiologiques(https://www.religiologiques.uqam.ca).

Soumission des articles

Les textes sont soumis à l’adresse courriel suivante religiologiques@uqam.ca.

Échéances

Les manuscrits sont à soumettre avant la fin du mois de décembre 2019. Avant de soumettre un texte pour évaluation, il est possible d’acheminer une proposition d’article (de 300 à 400 mots) à la direction du numéro thématique.

Pour de plus amples informations, veuillez contacter

Isabelle Lemelin (PhD, UQAM), la direction du numéro thématique

Département de sciences des religions, Université du Québec à Montréal

Courriel : isabellelemelin@gmail.com

INFORMATION sur la revue RELIGIOLOGIQUES

RELIGIOLOGIQUES est une revue de sciences humaines qui s’intéresse aux multiples manifestations du sacré dans la culture ainsi qu’au phénomène religieux sous toutes ses formes. Elle s’intéresse également au domaine de l’éthique. Les articles qu’elle publie font l’objet d’une évaluation des comités de lecture spécialisés (à double insu ; habituellement sollicitation de trois expertises) et indépendants de son comité de rédaction.RELIGIOLOGIQUESest la revue phare de la recherche francophone en sciences des religions en Amérique du Nord publiée de 1990 à 2005 (31 numéros, la majorité des articles étant disponible dans leur intégralité en ligne sur le site de la revue : https://www.religiologiques.uqam.ca) et qui a repris, depuis 2015, sa tradition de publication de numéros thématiques (qui peuvent être proposés), d’articles hors thèmes (acceptés en tout temps) et de numéros varia.

RELIGIOLOGIQUES : Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Département de sciences des religions, Courriel: religiologiques@uqam.ca

Call for Book Chapters on Sociological Theory

Posted on by

CALL FOR BOOK CHAPTERS

SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY AND PRACTICE

Expected Date of Publication: 28th February, 2020
PUBLISHER: A University Press in Nigeria

This is to invite submissions of chapters on Sociological Theory and Practice from scholars across the world. This book intends to contribute to the understanding of theories of Sociology and their usefulness and application, not only within the academic space but also, in business and practical development of Africa. The cutting edge/niche and research questions of this book are: what are these sociological theories? How applicable and useful are they in explaining Africa? To what extent, and how, can they be applied in business realities of Africa in practical terms? Are they mere theories for theories or theories for real life business and national/continental development? This book leverages on and breaks classrooms as well as established disciplinary boundaries in an attempt to contribute to what are already known, and what should be known to further bridge the gaps between gown and town. This is to bring Sociology to the business and development spaces for appreciated relevance and applicability. In this manner, this book will answer the common age long questions among students and many (non)sociologists about what sociologists do and how relevant Sociology and sociologists are/should be especially in the development and business of Africa. All submissions must be related and relevant to Africa.

In case you are interested in contributing chapter(s) to this book, kindly send a 250-word abstract and your main submission(s) (chapter[s]) to lantopamtu@yahoo.com and yakanle@yahoo.com .

The language of communication and publication is English. It is expected that abstracts and final manuscripts/submissions would be submitted in English language. Submissions should please indicate the names of all authors and co-authors (in cases of multiple author’s submissions), affiliations, email addresses and titles of chapters. Originality is very central to this book and we expect all contributors to check their submissions through antiplagiarism software(s) and strive to achieve not more than maximum of 15% Similarity Index (SI) including references.

Original chapters are invited on the following topics:

  1. Defining sociological theory
  2. The central problem of sociological theory
  3. Historical and contemporary issues in sociological theory and practice
  4. Broad types of sociological theories
  5. Functionalism
  6. Conflict theory
  7. Marxism
  8. Social action theory
  9. Asuwada Theory of Sociation
  10. Rational choice theory
  11. The Macdonaldization thesis
  12. Structuration
  13. The Actor Network Theory
  14. Control and Opportunity Theory
  15. Protestant ethics and the spirit of capitalism: Lessons for wealth creation in Africa
  16. Symbolic interactionism
  17. Ethnomethodology
  18. Social Exchange Theory
  19. Feminist theory
  20. The relationship between theory and research
  21. Sociological theory and employment creation
  22. Theorising Africa: Issues, Debates, Challenges and Prospects
  23. The Future of Sociology and Sociological Theory

The above list of topics are however indicative and not exhaustive. Preference will however be given to these topics. It may be very important to state that this Call for Proposal is intended to be very competitive and chapters will be accepted based on strength, originality, relevance, timeliness and conformity with the Call. Authors can generally propose new chapter(s) but they must be related to the book title/focus/objective and the suggested topics.

Every chapter should be 5000 to 6000 words and straight to the point, engaging, well exemplified and easy to read. Every chapter should be arranged according to the following:

  • Title of Chapter
  • Name of author(s)
  • Abstract of the chapter (250 words maximum)
  • Keywords of not more than 5 words
  • Introduction and Background: problematisation and focus of chapter
  • Body of the essay
  • Application to business and development of Africa including well blended case studies
  • Conclusions
  • References (please include only those cited in the body of the chapter). Please use APA style for references, headings and sub-headings. You may wish to visit http://www.apastyle.org/ for guidance.

Deadline for submission of chapter is 10th December 2019