Change in Citizenship and Social Science Education in (post)War Time

2023-02-13

Change in Citizenship and Social Science Education in (post)War Time

Editors: Violetta Kopińska, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Poland, and Mehmet Açıkalın, Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa, Turkey

Deadline for first submissions: November 15, 2023

According to the Global Conflict Tracker (https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker), there are currently 27 conflicts in the world, which vary in type and status. In contrast, the Rule of Law in Armed Conflict Online Portal (RULAC), which defines armed conflicts under international humanitarian law, indicates that it is currently monitoring more than 110 armed conflicts in the world (https://geneva-academy.ch/galleries/today-s-armed-conflicts). Some of these conflicts are in the headlines, others are not, however they all change the lives and functioning of people living there or those who neighbour them. How does education respond to current, future, and past armed conflicts? This question seems to be of particular relevance to citizenship education and social sciences education, as the concept of a citizen is highly sensitive to such situations. Noticeable and identifiable problems in this regard include, among others, a production and management of public insecurity, a reinforcement of one's own social identifications with a simultaneous designation of enemy outgroups, a threat to democratic foundations of citizenship such as e.g. critical engagement, acceptance of diversity, political pluralism.

The main aim of this special issue is to identify and describe the relationship between war/armed conflict and citizenship education/social science education (formal, informal, non-formal) in a broad perspective. This includes research and analysis relating to both countries/regions where wars/armed conflicts are currently ongoing, those that are indirectly experiencing or have experienced effects of wars/armed conflicts, and post-war/post-conflict countries/societies as well.

We seek answers to the following questions, among others:

  • How does the experience/context of war change the discourse on citizenship?
  • What is the impact of war on the understanding and evaluation of civic activity and engagement?
  • How are social identifications changing, especially those related to a state, nationality, ethnicity? How are the values associated with these identifications changing?
  • What changes in the vision of the citizen are occurring at the level of ideas? What are the pedagogies of war?
  • How is social science education/citizenship education changing in the context of war/armed conflict? What changes are visible in educational policy? What changes are noticeable at the level of formal and hidden curriculum? What changes are visible in terms of implemented curriculum? How is the topic of war implemented in the classroom? How is the representation of war/armed conflict in school textbooks and teaching materials changing? How to discuss problems whose perspective may change under the influence of war/armed conflict (e.g., justice, understanding different points of view, prejudice, discrimination) in the classroom?
  • What changes are identifiable in teacher education and training in a post-war/post-conflict situation? What new competencies do teachers need?  What new competencies do learners need?

The above catalogue of questions is not closed. We welcome articles that pose other questions within the formulated main objective of this thematic issue.

We accept a variety of manuscript types such as: research papers (representing different approaches and methodologies), opinion papers, literature review, meta-analysis, meta-synthesis.

For further information, the author should refer to the JSSE Author Guidelines:

http://www.jsse.org/index.php/jsse/about/submissions#authorGuidelines.

The issue will contain:

  • An editorial in which key themes are highlighted and articles are briefly summarised;
  • 6 articles of between 6-9000 words;
  • Book reviews

The timetable of the Special Issue is following:

  • First submissions by authors via the JSSE website: November 15, 2023
  • Final decision and papers ready for layout: May 15, 2024
  • Publication planned for June 15, 2024