Deadline for abstract submission: 15 May 2025
The journal Sociology of Power invites submissions for a special issue on the theme "Paradoxes and Logics of Care."
Guest Editors:
This special issue aims to explore the conceptual potential of ‘care’ within the social sciences. Examining care practices allows for a critical reassessment of autonomy and agency, shedding light on shared (non-)human vulnerability, interdependence, and making visible social inequalities and exclusion.
Is care an abstract theoretical category, or does its meaning shift depending on empirical contexts (Thomas, 1993)? How does care manifest in conditions of uncertainty? Is care a singular practical logic or a multiplicity of logics (Mol, 2008)? How do bureaucracy and care practices intersect (Vohnsen, 2017)? What are the distinctive features of an ethics of care (Tronto, 1993)?
We welcome both theoretical and empirical contributions in, but not limited to, the following key research areas:
- Practical logics of care
- Social inequalities and asymmetries of care
- Care in non-medical contexts
- Ethical dimensions of care
- Emotional labour in the helping professions
- Research on inclusion
- Temporal regimes of care practices
- Social change and its effects on care
- The role of technology in care practices
- Care as a (un)attainable gift
Article length: 40,000 characters (including spaces)
Submission Process
The submission process for this special issue consists of several stages:
- Abstract submission: Authors are invited to submit an abstract (300–700 words) to mdmalkov@universitas.ru by 15 May 2025. The email subject should be "Paradoxes and Logics of Care." The abstract should outline the research problem, theoretical framework, methodology, and key arguments of the article. Please include the full names, institutional affiliations, and contact details of all authors.
- Notification of acceptance: Authors will be informed by 15 June 2025 whether they are invited to submit a full paper.
- Full paper submission: Full manuscripts must be submitted by 15 September 2025 to mdmalkov@universitas.ru.
- Peer review and revision: Manuscripts will undergo peer review, with feedback provided by 15 October 2025. Authors will be expected to revise their submissions accordingly.
- Final decision: A final decision on publication will be communicated by 15 December 2025.
Manuscripts must adhere to the journal’s formatting guidelines. The editorial board reserves the right to reject submissions without further review if they do not comply with formatting guidelines or fail to include all necessary content sections.
