Call for abstracts for the thematic issue of the Sociology and Space journal

Isolation in Context: Places, Experiences, and Social Dynamics

Abstract:

Although various forms of individual, social, political-economic, geographical and digital isolation are often related to marginalized communities, the global processes of isolation of today's world reflect all-pervading experiences of exclusivity. In other words, isolation is no longer reserved for remote and scarcely inhabited spaces, but also for extremist initiatives and radical policies, which are becoming a constituent part of societies that have until recently lived the social coherency and openness to 'others'. Therefore, various theoretical and research approaches to isolation nowadays open the key questions related to the future: to what extent have the policies of integration and inclusion really contributed to the social equality and justice? Are they an efficient tool for the suppression of social inequalities or just a new form of restructuring, which does not tackle the fundamental causes of isolation of various communities at the local and global level?

This special issue of the Sociology and Space journal opens a dialogue with the aim to exchange various concepts of isolation – from its relation to minority identities to the struggles for social and transitional justice in the context of economic and political inequalities. The aim of the special issue is to present the ways in which broader policies and strategies respond to the challenges of systematical isolation – either as an emotional construct or political practice – at international and transnational levels. We invite authors to explore the policies and global processes aimed at various spaces and communities, as well as individual and local experiences of isolation in varying social contexts. We are interested in the studies on the institutions that shape or regulate isolation, personal life stories reflecting its effects, and theoretical reflections by which this multidimensional phenomenon is placed in a broader framework of contemporary social problems – from emotional and psychosocial dimensions of ecological catastrophes and consequences of war, to the isolation during the peace and relaxation in solitude.

Topics:

Among the many topics that deserve consideration and discussion are:

• relationship between isolation and remote, less connected or border spaces and social, political and economic changes;
• role and significance of constructed “Others“ in the context of isolation;
• global and local social forces that have, with time and in various circumstances, instigated isolation and enabled its long-standing presence;
• notions of “justice“ and “guilt“ lying at the baseline of isolation processes;
• policies of isolation related to the regulation of labour, workforce mobility and access to employment (e.g. discussion on the practices of equality in employment based on identity);
• the question of how policies of isolation are related to the mobilization of exclusivity, especially nationalisms, gender inequality, political radicalism;
• under which circumstances and how does isolation reflect in social analyses, and how can phenomena such as isolation strategies and class hierarchy mutually complement each other and/or create mutual conflict;
• how can isolation be understood in a hyperconnected world in an age of the so-called digital transformation;
• in which situations is isolation converted into a positive construct and a (self)renewable individual and joint strategy.

This issue is inspired by the bilateral project Isolated People and Communities in Slovenia and Croatia (IPS-2022-02-3741), supported by the Croatian Science Foundation and the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency. Additionally, it aims to foster broader connections with related research that critically examine similar phenomena. We consider isolation both as an analytical concept and a lens for understanding contemporary social dynamics. We are interested in its effects across various domains of human life, as well as in its idealized interpretations—such as contexts in which isolation is viewed as a regenerative personal or collective strategy.

Submission Guidelines:

We welcome submissions from anthropologists, ethnologists, sociologists, psychologists, geographers, philosophers, historians, and scholars in spatial and gender studies, as well as other relevant disciplines. Contributions should be empirically grounded and/or provide detailed analyses of concrete cases. Authors are encouraged to explore specific examples from one or multiple regions, using ethnographic, sociological, historical, or other socio-humanistic analytical approaches.

Interested authors should submit an expression of interest by March 31, 2025, including a title and abstract (200-500 words) to lanapeternel@idi.hr and dan.podjed@zrc-sazu.si. Following this, authors will be invited to submit full papers via the journal's standard submission process. All submissions will undergo a peer-review process, overseen by the Guest Editor and the Journal Editors.

Published papers will be available at the Sociology and Space journal’s website and the HRČAK portal for Croatian scientific and professional journals, which provides open access to all published work. Additionally, selected articles will be featured on the project website.

Guest Editor
Dan Podjed

Editor-in-Chief
Lana Peternel