Deadline: July 1, 2021
Autonomy claims are often associated with formal, institutionalized politics – such as party politics – especially in multinational democracies. Yet, autonomy claims have also sometimes originated in civil society and been influenced by the broader dynamics of contentious politics in given regions. At the same time, formulations and reformulations of autonomy demands by civil society actors have also been influenced by formal centre-autonomy dynamics.
For instance, in Hong Kong and Catalonia, inimical responses by the state to moderate demands for autonomy have played an important role in the rise of more radical independence claims in recent years. Similarly, the heavy-handed suppression of autonomy movements has sometimes contributed to the escalation of street violence in different forms and degrees, as witnessed in Hong Kong’s popular uprising of 2019 and throughout the Arab Spring in the early 2010s. In some cases, however, political violence has also broken out regardless of state repression. Conversely, the institutionalization of autonomy demands into formal politics, as in Québec and Scotland, appears to have fostered deradicalization and promoted non-violent means of advocacy.
How do contentious politics shape autonomy movements? How do responses by and interaction with the state shape the discursive and operational modes of these movements? How do civil society actors interact with political parties and other actors of institutionalized politics in advancing their claims? What explains political violence and lack thereof in different autonomy settings? This special issue aims to make inroads into our understanding of the contentious politics of social movements across a wide range of cases and sub-topics.
The following is a non-exhaustive list of research areas and topics we would be interested in for this special issue:
- The role of social movements in autonomist and nationalist mobilization
- The relationship between autonomist social movements and political parties
- The relationship between autonomy movements and other social movements
- Social movement strategies in fostering or resisting autonomy movements
- State responses to autonomist movements
- Radicalization and deradicalization of autonomist movements
- Political violence and autonomy movements
Process and Deadlines:
With this call we aim to cast our net wide and to attract scholars working on different aspects of contentious politics. We welcome individual paper proposals (either single or co-authored) for consideration.
Important deadlines:
May 10: Call for Papers launch
July 1: Submission of paper proposals and expression of interest:
Scholars interested in submitting a paper proposal are invited to submit: (1) a title; (2) a 300-word abstract; and (3) a short biography of author(s).
July 15: Editors will inform authors whose paper proposals have been accepted for consideration for publication in the special issue. All submitted papers will go through a double-blind peer-review process once finalised and submitted.
January 15 2022: Submission of final papers for peer-review. The papers will go through an accelerated double-blind peer-review process.
Only papers that are recommended for publication by the reviewers will be included in the special issue. Papers of significant contribution and quality that are recommended but not selected for this special issue (due to considerations of relevance or “fit” with the rest of the papers in the issue) will be considered for publication separately in our regular issues.
We expect the special issue to be published by late 2022.
Please send all submissions to info@sienjournal.com clearly stating “Contentious Politics Special Issue” in the subject line.
About Studies in Ethnicity and Nationalism:
Studies in Ethnicity and Nationalism (SEN) is a fully-refereed journal on ethnicity, identity and nationalism, published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the Association of the Studies in Ethnicity and Nationalism (ASEN). The sources and nature of ethnic identity, minority rights, migration and identity politics remain central and recurring themes of the modern world. The journal approaches the complexity of these questions from a contemporary perspective and, based on the latest scholarship, draws on a range of disciplines including political science, sociology, anthropology, economics, international relations, history and cultural studies.
SEN publishes three issues per volume, including regular special issues on themes of contemporary relevance. The journal aims to showcase exceptional articles from up-and-coming scholars across the world, as well as concerned professionals and practitioners in government, law, NGOs and the media, making it one of the first journals to provide an interdisciplinary forum for established and younger scholars alike. The journal is strictly non-partisan and does not subscribe to any particular viewpoints or perspective. All submitted articles to SEN go through a double-blind peer-reviewed process by scholars specialists in their respective fields.