Civic Sociology Call for Papers. The Quest for Normativity: Challenges and New Directions in Social Research

Civic Sociology Call for Papers. The Quest for Normativity: Challenges and New Directions in Social Research
www.civicsociology.org/
A number of normative turns have arguably taken place in recent decades within social research. From the capabilities approach to moral anthropology, from the anti-utilitarian movement in the social sciences to feminism, and from critical realism to the sociology and ethics of care -- numerous authors and research communities have argued for the desirability and need of bringing together social inquiry and ethical reflection. Be it through calling for a normative branch of sociology, seeing sociology as moral philosophy, or bringing practical reason to the core of sociological practice, there exist numerous ways to rethink what Albert O. Hirschman called the “durable tension” between moral argumentation and explanation in social science.
Civic Sociology aims to be a forum for the cultivation of normative inquiry within the discipline, and to offer a space for the many conversations that different ethical turns have spurred. In order to contribute to this vision, this call for papers invites contributions from across the social sciences and humanities that address questions related to the challenges and opportunities derived from these different normative turns. It also welcomes papers that reflect on the history of ethical reflection within social research, and on the possible futures opened by different forms of ethical engagement in the social sciences.
History.
How to make sense of the history of normative engagement within social research? What histories remain to be told?
Challenges and future directions.
How to respond to Andrew Abbott’s call to develop a normative branch of sociology? What are the challenges for the realization of this vision and how to address them?
Pedagogy.
How best to cultivate ethical literacy among social researchers and their students?
Politics and Praxis.
What has been the role of ethical reflection within the social research landscape during recent struggles/movements for social justice, such as Black Lives Matter? What is the link between ethical inquiry and political praxis?
Institutions.
What institutional environments have facilitated/obstructed the cultivation of normative reasoning within different social scientific disciplines and national contexts?

Submission of papers
If you are interested in contributing to this call, please submit an abstracts of around 250 words to Rubén Flores [email protected] and Elisabeth Becker at [email protected] no later than 30 November 2021. Articles will be peer reviewed. Accepted contributions will become part of a special collection on normative reasoning within the journal. It is expected that papers will appear in the course of 2022 and the first half of 2023. Please note: Papers accepted for publication before mid-2022 will be exempt from article processing charges (APC) and will be open access free of charge.