A Critical Introduction to Media and Communication Theory

The study of the media has led scholars to apply a humbling array of theories in their efforts to analyze messages, media systems, audiences and media themselves. One of the strengths of media studies has been its flexibility as it incorporates humanist and social scientific ideas in our work. This series is focused on theories, methods, schools of thought, domains of intellectual struggle, and individual thinkers whose importance to the study of the media can be reconfigured, reinvented, and refocused. Each of the specially commissioned books in the series shares a concern for the heritage of thought in the field of communication. These books provide sophisticated discussions of the relevance of particular theorists or theories, with an emphasis on reinventing communication and media studies, whether by incorporating ideas thought by some to be 'outside' the field, or by providing fresh analyses of ideas that have long been considered central to media studies. Though theoretical in focus, the books are at all times concerned with the applicability of theory to empirical research and experience, and are designed to be accessible, yet critical, for students -undergraduates and postgraduates - and scholars.

17 publications

Liberatory Stories and Rebel Voices for Abolition

Liberatory Stories and Rebel Voices for Abolition is a grass-roots, community-focused, radical, transformativ, critical decolonizing, anti-authoritarian book series on the political delineations of transforming education for liberation in communities occupying Indigenous territories and stolen land on Turtle Island (North America) and beyond. This book series will provide space and place for marginalized communities, students, workers, public intellectuals, activist-scholars, teachers, professors, justice impacted people, youth, and oppressed voices to critically resist and amplify their counter-stories which demand that, in the rollout of the neoliberal agendas, public education must be affordable, inclusive, equitable, inclusive, just, transformative, and open to all. This book series foregrounds writer’s agency with authentic story-telling, autoethnography, collective biography, and life writing narratives and is a place for disseminating participatory action and social justice activist research. It seeks critical teaching and critical writing that resists Eurocentric pedagogies and methodologies such as denotative reports, standardized metrics, rubrics, corporate, neoliberal, capitalist, standardized, colonial, factory education that colonizes the mind. Instead, the series privileges radical liberatory praxis and makes space for outstanding embodied action research tied to teaching, transformative participatory projects created with not ‘on’ marginalized communities that centers the margin. This book series defends, supports, and participates in revolutionary, transformative, social justice radical critical abolition movements to end authoritarianism, domination, oppression, state-violence, and repression. This book series has a hope for democracy from which knowledge from and for the margins emerge as powerful counter-currents and disruptive discourses that liberate. This book series holds space and place for these voices who brave the world with knowledge in one hand and resistance in the other to liberate all.

7 publications

Beyond Humanism: Trans- and Posthumanism / Jenseits des Humanismus: Trans- und Posthumanismus

Humanism, which is characterized by the special status of human beings within the world, i.e. human beings do not differ gradually but categorically from other natural beings, is in a crisis. It gets attacked from various directions. Basically, it is possible to distinguish two main movements which try to transcend Humanism: Trans- and Posthumanism. In the book series Beyond Humanism: Trans- and Posthumanism / Jenseits des Humanismus: Trans- und Posthumanismus, monographs and essay collections will be published which discuss aspects of this range of topics historically or systematically. Editor Dr. Stefan Lorenz Sorgner, Institut für Geschichte und Ethik der Medizin, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg. Editor’s Homepage: www.sorgner.de. From 1st January 2016 employed as an associate professor of philosophy at the John Cabot University in Rome. Editorial Board Members: Prof. Dr. H. James Birx, Anthropology, Canisus College, SUNY Geneseo, USA Prof. Dr. Irina Deretic, Philosophy, University of Belgrade, Serbia Dr. James J. Hughes, Sociology, Executive Director, Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies Lecturer, Public Policy Studies, Trinity College, Associate Editor, Journal of Evolution and Technology, USA Prof. Dr. Andy Miah, Ethics and Emerging Technologies, University of the West of Scotland, a Fellow of FACT, the Foundation for Art and Creative Technology (Liverpool), and a Fellow of the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies (USA) Prof. Dr. Domna Pastourmatzi, American Literature, University of Thessaloniki, Greece Prof. Dr. Evi Sampanikou, Art History, University of the Aegean, Greece Der Humanismus, der durch die Sonderstellung des Menschen in der Welt gekennzeichnet ist, d.h. der Mensch unterscheidet sich nicht graduell, sondern kategorisch von anderen natürlichen Wesen, befindet sich in einer Krise. Er wird aus verschiedenen Richtungen attackiert. Grundsätzlich kann man zwei Hauptströmungen feststellen, die sich darum bemühen, den Humanismus zu überwinden, den Trans- und den Posthumanismus. Im Rahmen der Buchreihe Beyond Humanism: Trans- and Posthumanism / Jenseits des Humanismus: Trans- und Posthumanismus sollen Monographien und Sammelbände erscheinen, die Aspekte dieses Themenspektrums entweder historisch oder systematisch erörtern. Editor Dr. Stefan Lorenz Sorgner, Institut für Geschichte und Ethik der Medizin, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg. Homepage des Herausgebers: www.sorgner.de. Ab 1. Januar 2016 als Associate Professor für Philosophie an der John Cabot University in Rom angestellt. Editorial Board Mitglieder: Prof. Dr. H. James Birx, Anthropology, Canisus College, SUNY Geneseo, USA Prof. Dr. Irina Deretic, Philosophy, University of Belgrade, Serbia Dr. James J. Hughes, Sociology, Executive Director, Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies Lecturer, Public Policy Studies, Trinity College, Associate Editor, Journal of Evolution and Technology, USA Prof. Dr. Andy Miah, Ethics and Emerging Technologies, University of the West of Scotland, a Fellow of FACT, the Foundation for Art and Creative Technology (Liverpool), and a Fellow of the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies (USA) Prof. Dr. Domna Pastourmatzi, American Literature, University of Thessaloniki, Greece Prof. Dr. Evi Sampanikou, Art History, University of the Aegean, Greece

9 publications

Plants and Animals Interdisciplinary Approaches

0 publications

Critical Education and Ethics

ISSN: 2166-1359

The Critical Education and Ethics series intends to systematically analyze the pitfalls of social structures such as race, class, and gender as they relate to edu-cational issues. Books in the series contain theoretical work grounded in prag-matic, society-changing practices. The series places value on ethical responses, as prophetic commitments to change the conditions under which education takes place. The series aims to (1) Further the ethical understanding linking broader social issues to education by exploring the environmental, health-related, and faith/spiritual responses to our educational times and policy, and (2) Ground these works in the everyday world of the classroom, viewing how schools are impacted by what critical researchers do. Both theoretically and practically, the series aims to identify itself as an agent for community change. The Critical Education and Ethics series welcomes work from emerging scholars as well as those already established in the field.

18 publications

Travail et Société / Work and Society

ISSN: 1376-0955

The series «Work & Society» analyses the development of employment and social policies, as well as the strategies of the different social actors, both at national and European levels. It puts forward a multi-disciplinary approach – political, sociological, economic, legal and historical – in a bid for dialogue and complementarity. The series is not confined to the social field stricto sensu, but also aims to illustrate the indirect social impacts of economic and monetary policies. It endeavours to clarify social developments, from a comparative and a historical perspective, thus portraying the process of convergence and divergence in the diverse national societal contexts. The manner in which European integration impacts on employment and social policies constitutes the backbone of the analyses. La collection « Travail & Société » analyse les évolutions de la sphère du travail et des politiques sociales à travers l’étude des stratégies menées par les acteurs sociaux, tant sur le plan national qu’européen. Elle propose une approche pluridisciplinaire – politique, sociologique, économique, juridique et historique – dans un souci de dialogue et de complémentarité. La collection ne se limite pas à des études du champ social stricto sensu mais vise également à illustrer les impacts sociaux indirects des politiques économiques et monétaires. Elle s’attache à mettre en perspective les évolutions sociales, tant du point de vue historique que de manière comparative, en illustrant la convergence et la divergence dans les différents parcours nationaux. La dimension européenne, et plus particulièrement l’impact de l’intégration européenne, constitue un axe d’analyse privilégié.

86 publications

New Approaches to Applied Linguistics

This series provides an outlet for academic monographs and edited volumes that offer a contemporary and original contribution to applied linguistics. Applied linguistics is understood in a broad sense, to encompass language pedagogy and second-language learning, discourse analysis, bi- and multilingualism, language policy and planning, language use in the internet age, lexicography, professional and organisational communication, literacies, forensic linguistics, pragmatics, and other fields associated with solving real-life language and communication problems. Interdisciplinary contributions, and research that challenges disciplinary assumptions, are particularly welcomed. The series does not impose limitations in terms of methodology or genre and does not support a particular linguistic school. Whilst the series volumes are of a high scholarly standard, they are intended to be accessible to researchers in other fields and to the interested general reader. New Approaches to Applied Linguistics is based at the Centre for Language Assessment Research, University of Roehampton.

3 publications

Queer Texts

0 publications

Writing in the 21st Century

3 publications

Critical Literacies and Language

One of the most fundamental aspects of a just society is the right to create equitable and inclusive spaces of belonging for all people while also confronting injustice and oppression. However, we are now in a time where seeking justice and equity is met with neoliberalism, which pervades the academy at all levels of education. Yet, for many, this is not a time for retreat, but rather a moment of solidarity, a time to create new knowledge and understanding through struggle. As Freire wrote, "Knowledge emerges only through invention and re-invention, through the restless, impatient, continuing, hopeful inquiry human beings pursue in the world, with the world, and with each other." Thus, the purpose of this series is to provide literacy and language researchers, practitioners, as well as community activists, with a space to actualize and embody a restless, impatient never-finished objective of critical literacies and language education. It is the aim of this series to create a space to share research that promotes pedagogies of equity. We also recognize that different audiences have different needs. To that end, we seek to provide, when applicable, a "notebook" as a companion to research volumes to facilitate actionable steps for the PK-12 classroom or community spaces. This series is different as it approaches the dissemination of critical work from a place of intentionality to address the gap in disseminating research (typically read by scholars) and the need to have it "on the ground" for classroom teachers, community activists, and workers. By creating companion volumes (where applicable), there is a greater chance for sustained criticality in literacy education.

8 publications

Critical Praxis and Curriculum Guides

The Critical Praxis and Curriculum Guides is a curriculum-based series reflective of theory creating praxis. The series targets not only undergraduate and graduate audiences, but also tenured and “experienced” teachers of all disciplines. Research suggests that teachers need to have well-designed, thematic-centered curricula and lessons at their disposal. This is accomplished when the school works as a community to meet their own needs. Community in this sense includes working collaboratively with students, parents, and local community organizations to help build the curriculum. Practically, this means that time is devoted to professional development workshops, not exam reviews or test preparation pointers, but real learning. Together with administrators, teachers form professional learning communities (PLCs) to discuss, analyze, and revise curricula and share pedagogical strategies that meet the needs of their particular school demographics. This communal approach was found to be more successful than requiring each individual teacher to create lessons on her/his own. Ideally, we would love it if each teacher could create their own authentic lessons because only s/he truly knows her/his students – and we encourage it, because it is possible! However, as educators ourselves, we understand the realities our colleagues in public schools face, especially when teaching in high needs areas. The Critical Praxis and Curriculum Guides provides relief for educators needing assistance in preparing their lessons. When possible, and in the spirit of communal practices, the series welcomes co-authored books by theorists and practitioners or solo-authored books by an expert deeply informed by the field. Because we strongly believe that theory guides our practice, each guide will blend theory and curriculum chapters creating a praxis. All, of course, in a critical pedagogical framework. Ultimately, the guides will serve as resources for teachers to use, expand upon, revise, and re-create. The Critical Praxis and Curriculum Guides is a curriculum-based series reflective of theory creating praxis. The series targets not only undergraduate and graduate audiences, but also tenured and “experienced” teachers of all disciplines. Research suggests that teachers need to have well-designed, thematic-centered curricula and lessons at their disposal. This is accomplished when the school works as a community to meet their own needs. Community in this sense includes working collaboratively with students, parents, and local community organizations to help build the curriculum. Practically, this means that time is devoted to professional development workshops, not exam reviews or test preparation pointers, but real learning. Together with administrators, teachers form professional learning communities (PLCs) to discuss, analyze, and revise curricula and share pedagogical strategies that meet the needs of their particular school demographics. This communal approach was found to be more successful than requiring each individual teacher to create lessons on her/his own. Ideally, we would love it if each teacher could create their own authentic lessons because only s/he truly knows her/his students – and we encourage it, because it is possible! However, as educators ourselves, we understand the realities our colleagues in public schools face, especially when teaching in high needs areas. The Critical Praxis and Curriculum Guides provides relief for educators needing assistance in preparing their lessons. When possible, and in the spirit of communal practices, the series welcomes co-authored books by theorists and practitioners or solo-authored books by an expert deeply informed by the field. Because we strongly believe that theory guides our practice, each guide will blend theory and curriculum chapters creating a praxis. All, of course, in a critical pedagogical framework. Ultimately, the guides will serve as resources for teachers to use, expand upon, revise, and re-create. The Critical Praxis and Curriculum Guides is a curriculum-based series reflective of theory creating praxis. The series targets not only undergraduate and graduate audiences, but also tenured and “experienced” teachers of all disciplines. Research suggests that teachers need to have well-designed, thematic-centered curricula and lessons at their disposal. This is accomplished when the school works as a community to meet their own needs. Community in this sense includes working collaboratively with students, parents, and local community organizations to help build the curriculum. Practically, this means that time is devoted to professional development workshops, not exam reviews or test preparation pointers, but real learning. Together with administrators, teachers form professional learning communities (PLCs) to discuss, analyze, and revise curricula and share pedagogical strategies that meet the needs of their particular school demographics. This communal approach was found to be more successful than requiring each individual teacher to create lessons on her/his own. Ideally, we would love it if each teacher could create their own authentic lessons because only s/he truly knows her/his students – and we encourage it, because it is possible! However, as educators ourselves, we understand the realities our colleagues in public schools face, especially when teaching in high needs areas. The Critical Praxis and Curriculum Guides provides relief for educators needing assistance in preparing their lessons. When possible, and in the spirit of communal practices, the series welcomes co-authored books by theorists and practitioners or solo-authored books by an expert deeply informed by the field. Because we strongly believe that theory guides our practice, each guide will blend theory and curriculum chapters creating a praxis. All, of course, in a critical pedagogical framework. Ultimately, the guides will serve as resources for teachers to use, expand upon, revise, and re-create.

13 publications

Black Studies and Critical Thinking

ISSN: 1947-5985

Black Studies and Critical Thinking is an interdisciplinary series which examines the intellectual traditions of and cultural contributions made by people of African descent throughout the world. Whether it is in literature, art, music, science, or academics, these contributions are vast and far-reaching. As we work to stretch the boundaries of knowledge and understanding of issues critical to the Black experience, this series offers a unique opportunity to study the social, economic, and political forces that have shaped the historic experience of Black America, and that continue to determine our future. Black Studies and Critical Thinking is positioned at the forefront of research on the Black experience, and is the source for dynamic, innovative, and creative exploration of the most vital issues facing African Americans. The series invites contributions from all disciplines but is specially suited for cultural studies, anthropology, history, sociology, literature, art, and music. Subjects of interest include (but are not limited to): Education, Sociology, History, Media/Communication, Spirituality and Indigenous Thought, Women’s Studies, Policy Studies, Advertising, African American Studies, Black Political Thought.

167 publications

Trans-Atlántico / Trans-Atlantique

ISSN: 2033-6861

La collection «Trans-Atlántico / Trans-Atlantique» accueille des travaux de recherche portant sur les migrations, les interactions et les échanges qui, depuis plus de cinq siècles, façonnent de manière plurielle les cultures des deux rives de l’Atlantique. En résonance avec le roman éponyme de Witold Gombrowicz, dont le titre inclut le trait d’union, cette collection se positionne comme un espace scientifique dédié à l’approfondissement d’une approche transculturelle des phénomènes étudiés. Elle offre un cadre privilégié pour l’analyse des dynamiques de dialogue et de confrontation entre les deux rives de l'Atlantique, tout en favorisant l’émergence de pratiques théoriques et créatives susceptibles d’interroger et de reconfigurer les paradigmes établis dans le domaine des études transculturelles. * * * La colección «Trans-Atlántico / Trans-Atlantique» reúne trabajos de investigación sobre las migraciones, interacciones e intercambios que, durante más de cinco siglos, han influido de manera plural en las culturas de ambas orillas del Atlántico. En resonancia con la novela homónima de Witold Gombrowicz, cuyo título incluye el guión, esta colección se posiciona como un espacio científico dedicado a profundizar en un enfoque transcultural de los fenómenos estudiados. Proporciona un marco privilegiado para analizar las dinámicas de diálogo y confrontación entre las dos orillas del Atlántico, al tiempo que favorece el surgimiento de prácticas teóricas y creativas que permiten cuestionar y reconfigurar los paradigmas establecidos en el campo de los estudios transculturales. * * * The Series «Trans-Atlántico / Trans-Atlantique» gathers research on migrations, interactions, and exchanges that, over more than five centuries, have shaped the cultures on both sides of the Atlantic in diverse ways. Echoing the eponymous novel by Witold Gombrowicz, whose title includes the hyphen, the collection positions itself as an academic platform for advancing a transcultural approach to the phenomena under investigation. It provides a structured framework for analyzing the dynamics of dialogue and confrontation between the two shores of the Atlantic, while fostering the development of theoretical and creative practices aimed at questioning and reconfiguring established paradigms within the field of transcultural studies. La collection «Trans-Atlántico / Trans-Atlantique» accueille des travaux de recherche portant sur les migrations, les interactions et les échanges qui, depuis plus de cinq siècles, façonnent de manière plurielle les cultures des deux rives de l’Atlantique. En résonance avec le roman éponyme de Witold Gombrowicz, dont le titre inclut le trait d’union, cette collection se positionne comme un espace scientifique dédié à l’approfondissement d’une approche transculturelle des phénomènes étudiés. Elle offre un cadre privilégié pour l’analyse des dynamiques de dialogue et de confrontation entre les deux rives de l'Atlantique, tout en favorisant l’émergence de pratiques théoriques et créatives susceptibles d’interroger et de reconfigurer les paradigmes établis dans le domaine des études transculturelles. * * * La colección «Trans-Atlántico / Trans-Atlantique» reúne trabajos de investigación sobre las migraciones, interacciones e intercambios que, durante más de cinco siglos, han influido de manera plural en las culturas de ambas orillas del Atlántico. En resonancia con la novela homónima de Witold Gombrowicz, cuyo título incluye el guión, esta colección se posiciona como un espacio científico dedicado a profundizar en un enfoque transcultural de los fenómenos estudiados. Proporciona un marco privilegiado para analizar las dinámicas de diálogo y confrontación entre las dos orillas del Atlántico, al tiempo que favorece el surgimiento de prácticas teóricas y creativas que permiten cuestionar y reconfigurar los paradigmas establecidos en el campo de los estudios transculturales. * * * The Series «Trans-Atlántico / Trans-Atlantique» gathers research on migrations, interactions, and exchanges that, over more than five centuries, have shaped the cultures on both sides of the Atlantic in diverse ways. Echoing the eponymous novel by Witold Gombrowicz, whose title includes the hyphen, the collection positions itself as an academic platform for advancing a transcultural approach to the phenomena under investigation. It provides a structured framework for analyzing the dynamics of dialogue and confrontation between the two shores of the Atlantic, while fostering the development of theoretical and creative practices aimed at questioning and reconfiguring established paradigms within the field of transcultural studies. La collection «Trans-Atlántico / Trans-Atlantique» accueille des travaux de recherche portant sur les migrations, les interactions et les échanges qui, depuis plus de cinq siècles, façonnent de manière plurielle les cultures des deux rives de l’Atlantique. En résonance avec le roman éponyme de Witold Gombrowicz, dont le titre inclut le trait d’union, cette collection se positionne comme un espace scientifique dédié à l’approfondissement d’une approche transculturelle des phénomènes étudiés. Elle offre un cadre privilégié pour l’analyse des dynamiques de dialogue et de confrontation entre les deux rives de l'Atlantique, tout en favorisant l’émergence de pratiques théoriques et créatives susceptibles d’interroger et de reconfigurer les paradigmes établis dans le domaine des études transculturelles. * * * La colección «Trans-Atlántico / Trans-Atlantique» reúne trabajos de investigación sobre las migraciones, interacciones e intercambios que, durante más de cinco siglos, han influido de manera plural en las culturas de ambas orillas del Atlántico. En resonancia con la novela homónima de Witold Gombrowicz, cuyo título incluye el guión, esta colección se posiciona como un espacio científico dedicado a profundizar en un enfoque transcultural de los fenómenos estudiados. Proporciona un marco privilegiado para analizar las dinámicas de diálogo y confrontación entre las dos orillas del Atlántico, al tiempo que favorece el surgimiento de prácticas teóricas y creativas que permiten cuestionar y reconfigurar los paradigmas establecidos en el campo de los estudios transculturales. * * * The Series «Trans-Atlántico / Trans-Atlantique» gathers research on migrations, interactions, and exchanges that, over more than five centuries, have shaped the cultures on both sides of the Atlantic in diverse ways. Echoing the eponymous novel by Witold Gombrowicz, whose title includes the hyphen, the collection positions itself as an academic platform for advancing a transcultural approach to the phenomena under investigation. It provides a structured framework for analyzing the dynamics of dialogue and confrontation between the two shores of the Atlantic, while fostering the development of theoretical and creative practices aimed at questioning and reconfiguring established paradigms within the field of transcultural studies.

23 publications

Identities / Identités / Identidades

ISSN: 2296-3537

Individual or collective, assumed or imposed, accepted or disputed, identities mark out the basic framework that root the human being in society. Language, literature, the creation of a shared memory, social formulas and the range of cultural expressions have contributed to articulating human life as a mixture of identities. Accordingly, no less than a sum of interdisciplinary perspectives, from different areas of research into the Humanities and Social Sciences, will supply us with the keys to understand the historical process and current reality of the human being in society. From this diversity, researchers using the prism of identity in any field of the Social Sciences and Humanities are invited to submit their works to the editorial board of the serie Identities. An interdisciplinary approach to the roots of the present. Individuelles ou collectives, assumées ou imposées, acceptées ou combattues, les identités configurent le premier cadre d’’enracinement de l’’être humain en société. La langue, la littérature, la création d’’une mémoire commune déterminée, les formules sociales et toutes les expressions culturelles ont contribué à articuler la vie humaine comme un treillis d’’identités. Seule une somme de perspectives interdisciplinaires contribuera donc à ce que, depuis les différents domaines de recherche des humanités et des sciences sociales, nous puissions trouver les clefs pour comprendre le parcours historique et la réalité présente de l’’être humain en société. À partir de cette diversité, les chercheurs adoptant le prisme de l’identité dans n’importe quel domaine des sciences humaines et sociales sont invités à soumettre leurs œœuvres au comité de rédaction de la collection Identités. Une approche interdisciplinaire des racines du présent.

13 publications

Critical Perspectives on English and American Literature, Communication and Culture

ISSN: 2297-4628

The peer-reviewed series provides a forum for first-class scholarship in the field of English and American Studies and focuses on English and American literature, drama, film, theatre and communication. The series welcomes critical perspectives on the reading and writing of texts, the production and consumption of high and low culture, the aesthetic and social implications of texts and communicative practices. It publishes monographs, collected papers, conference proceedings and critical editions. The languages of publication are both English and Spanish. Scholars are invited to submit their manuscripts to the editors or to the publisher.

37 publications

Critical Indigenous and American Indian Studies

ISSN: 2376-547X

13 publications

Contemporary Critical Concepts and Pre-Enlightenment Literature

ISSN: 1074-6781

"Writers who worked before the beginning of rationalist universalism's triumphal period which may be ending now-explored issues of consciousness, ideology, and culture that recent criticism and critical theory, using various specialized vocabularies of concepts, have returned to the center of literäry and social criticism. These early modern figures often anticipated some of our clilemmas; How to manipulate an apparently quite mutable world and, at the same time, preserve belief in an immutable "centered" self? How to reconcile rationalist universalism with personal and cultural stability? Rene Descartes's postulate of man as the master and proprietor of an increasingly built world is fundamentally incompatible with his effort to underwrite man as a stable philosophical subject. Man's technical and linguistic mastery devours his "transcendent subjectivity." Students of literature are now using the ideas of what Larry Riggs calls "post-enlightenment thinkers"-Max Horkheimer, Jacques Lacan, Michael Foucault, Rene Girard, and others-to elucidate the implicit and explicit debates about rationalism that are embedded in literary works. This trend is most usefully seen as a renewal of contact with preoccupations that were quite current in medieval, Renaissance, and seventeenth-century European literature. To date, however, innovative criticism has focused an more recent literature. Some post-structuralists-most notably Jacques Lacan-have tried their hand at interpreting early works. Their ideas are interesting, but their knowledge of the periods in question is often weak. Manuscripts on Elizabethan and Restoration theater, French, Italian, and German writers of the medieval and Renaissance periods, and die seventeenth-century French dramatists and moralists are welcome. " "Writers who worked before the beginning of rationalist universalism's triumphal period which may be ending now-explored issues of consciousness, ideology, and culture that recent criticism and critical theory, using various specialized vocabularies of concepts, have returned to the center of literäry and social criticism. These early modern figures often anticipated some of our clilemmas; How to manipulate an apparently quite mutable world and, at the same time, preserve belief in an immutable "centered" self? How to reconcile rationalist universalism with personal and cultural stability? Rene Descartes's postulate of man as the master and proprietor of an increasingly built world is fundamentally incompatible with his effort to underwrite man as a stable philosophical subject. Man's technical and linguistic mastery devours his "transcendent subjectivity." Students of literature are now using the ideas of what Larry Riggs calls "post-enlightenment thinkers"-Max Horkheimer, Jacques Lacan, Michael Foucault, Rene Girard, and others-to elucidate the implicit and explicit debates about rationalism that are embedded in literary works. This trend is most usefully seen as a renewal of contact with preoccupations that were quite current in medieval, Renaissance, and seventeenth-century European literature. To date, however, innovative criticism has focused an more recent literature. Some post-structuralists-most notably Jacques Lacan-have tried their hand at interpreting early works. Their ideas are interesting, but their knowledge of the periods in question is often weak. Manuscripts on Elizabethan and Restoration theater, French, Italian, and German writers of the medieval and Renaissance periods, and die seventeenth-century French dramatists and moralists are welcome. " "Writers who worked before the beginning of rationalist universalism's triumphal period which may be ending now-explored issues of consciousness, ideology, and culture that recent criticism and critical theory, using various specialized vocabularies of concepts, have returned to the center of literäry and social criticism. These early modern figures often anticipated some of our clilemmas; How to manipulate an apparently quite mutable world and, at the same time, preserve belief in an immutable "centered" self? How to reconcile rationalist universalism with personal and cultural stability? Rene Descartes's postulate of man as the master and proprietor of an increasingly built world is fundamentally incompatible with his effort to underwrite man as a stable philosophical subject. Man's technical and linguistic mastery devours his "transcendent subjectivity." Students of literature are now using the ideas of what Larry Riggs calls "post-enlightenment thinkers"-Max Horkheimer, Jacques Lacan, Michael Foucault, Rene Girard, and others-to elucidate the implicit and explicit debates about rationalism that are embedded in literary works. This trend is most usefully seen as a renewal of contact with preoccupations that were quite current in medieval, Renaissance, and seventeenth-century European literature. To date, however, innovative criticism has focused an more recent literature. Some post-structuralists-most notably Jacques Lacan-have tried their hand at interpreting early works. Their ideas are interesting, but their knowledge of the periods in question is often weak. Manuscripts on Elizabethan and Restoration theater, French, Italian, and German writers of the medieval and Renaissance periods, and die seventeenth-century French dramatists and moralists are welcome. "

3 publications

Critical Studies in Democracy and Political Literacy

ISSN: 2166-5036

Why do so few people vote? What is political engagement? How does education intersect with democracy and political literacy? What can be learned from interdisciplinary studies on democracy? How do we cultivate political literacy? What is the relevance of elections in light of war, poverty, discrimination, social inequalities, etc.? What are the alternatives to the traditional electoral, representative, party-politics models that have characterized our societies? Is the mainstream media holding government to account, disseminating propaganda or fuelling the need to pacify the population? How do international systems, approaches and realities related to democracy compare, and what can we learn from others? These are some of the questions that are addressed through this book series. Seeking to fill an important gap in the literature, this book series takes on the theme of democracy in a multi-/inter-disciplinary, comprehensive, and critical way. Some books have democracy in the title but do not make it the focus, and often books that address more directly, for example, multiculturalism, media studies, or school reform may delve into the area of democracy without fully deconstructing what it is, how it functions, how people can shape and intersect with it, and how it is used (or misused) to distort power relations, which is at the base of teaching, learning and action. Thus, a broader range of materials specifically tailored to teacher-education and scholars within the education field is desirable. Similarly, the overlapping and interdisciplinary nature of the study of democracy bleeds naturally into the areas of media studies, sociology, political science, peace studies, multiculturalism, feminist studies, and cultural studies, etc., all of which have a natural and inextricable relationship to and within education.

6 publications

Feminist Critical Studies in Religion and Culture

ISSN: 1081-9304

This series invites submissions from scholars working in the field of feminist theory, with a particular interest in religion, culture and society. The series will focus on central issues and themes debated within contemporary feminist theory (1960-present) and how those discourses relate to the study of religion as a cultural, social and historical phenomenon. For example, a feminist theoretical analysis of world religions, religious ethics, cultural movements, history of religions, gender structures in all dimensions of religious traditions would be welcome. Scholars working in related fields, such as philosophy, hermeneutics and social theory with a major interest in how these disciplines relate to the study of religion, are also invited to contribute manuscripts. The series aims at a high level of critical theoretical discussion of the contribution feminism can make, from a variety of fields, to the study of religion. This series invites submissions from scholars working in the field of feminist theory, with a particular interest in religion, culture and society. The series will focus on central issues and themes debated within contemporary feminist theory (1960-present) and how those discourses relate to the study of religion as a cultural, social and historical phenomenon. For example, a feminist theoretical analysis of world religions, religious ethics, cultural movements, history of religions, gender structures in all dimensions of religious traditions would be welcome. Scholars working in related fields, such as philosophy, hermeneutics and social theory with a major interest in how these disciplines relate to the study of religion, are also invited to contribute manuscripts. The series aims at a high level of critical theoretical discussion of the contribution feminism can make, from a variety of fields, to the study of religion. This series invites submissions from scholars working in the field of feminist theory, with a particular interest in religion, culture and society. The series will focus on central issues and themes debated within contemporary feminist theory (1960-present) and how those discourses relate to the study of religion as a cultural, social and historical phenomenon. For example, a feminist theoretical analysis of world religions, religious ethics, cultural movements, history of religions, gender structures in all dimensions of religious traditions would be welcome. Scholars working in related fields, such as philosophy, hermeneutics and social theory with a major interest in how these disciplines relate to the study of religion, are also invited to contribute manuscripts. The series aims at a high level of critical theoretical discussion of the contribution feminism can make, from a variety of fields, to the study of religion.

1 publications

Albert Hirschman’s Legacy

ISSN: 2576-9723

14 publications

ALPH: Arbeiten zur Literarischen Phantastik / ALPH: Approaches to Literary Phantasy

This series has been terminated after vol. 9. ALPH: in Coleridge’s poem Kubla Khan, this is a subterranean river based on the Greek Alphaios, which connects different worlds and thus creates new spaces in secret and surprising ways. The title Alph thus stands for works of fantastic literature/phantasy to which this series devotes new and exciting studies, from all ranges of anglophone writing, but also from other languages. Interdisciplinary and comparative studies are particularly welcome. Band 9 schließt diese Reihe ab. ALPH: In Coleridges Gedicht Kubla Khan ist dies ein unterirdischer Fluss, dem griechischen Alphaios entlehnt, der verschiedene Welten verbindet und dabei auf phantastische Weise neue Räume aufdeckt. Darum geht es in den Büchern dieser Reihe, in der neue Studien zur phantastischen Literatur erscheinen, insbesondere, aber nicht nur, der englischsprachigen Welt. Interdisziplinäre und komparatistische Arbeiten sind besonders willkommen.

9 publications

Queer Studies in Romance Cultures

ISSN: 2940-9934

The series aims to foster critical and innovative discussions on the complex intersections of queer identities and representations in various fields of cultural production: literature, media, fashion and opera. By bringing together diverse perspectives, the series seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of the complex ways in which queer identities are constructed and represented in Romance Cultures. The series welcomes contributions from scholars and experts in the field of Queer Studies, Romance Literature-, Cultural and Media Studies, Fashion Studies and Opera Studies in Spanish, French, English or Italian.

5 publications

Higher Ed

What are the purposes of higher education? When undergraduates 'declare their majors,' they agree to enter into a world defined by the parameters of a particular academic discourse, a discipline. But who decides those parameters? How do they come about? What are the discussions and proposed outcomes of disciplined inquiry? What should an undergraduate know to be considered educated in a discipline? How does the disciplinary knowledge base inform its pedagogy? Why are there different disciplines? When has a discipline 'run its course'? Where do new disciplines come from? Where do old ones go? How does a discipline produce its knowledge? What are the meanings and purposes of disciplinary research and teaching? What are the key questions of disciplined inquiry? What questions are taboo within a discipline? What can the disciplines learn from one another? What might they not want to learn and why? Once we begin asking these kinds of questions, positionality becomes a key issue. One reason why there aren't many books on the meaning and purpose of higher education is that once such questions are opened for discussion, one's subjectivity becomes an issue with respect to the presumed objective stances of Western higher education. Academics don't have positions because positions are 'biased,' 'subjective,' 'slanted,' and therefore somehow invalid. So the first thing to do is to provide a sense, however broad and general, of what dinds of positionalities will inform the books and chapters on the above questions. Certainly the questions themselves, and any others we might ask, are already suggesting a particular 'bent,' but as the series takes shape, the authors we engage will no doubt have positions on these questions. From the stance of interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, or transdisciplinary practitioners, will the chapters and books we solicit solidify disciplinary discourses, or liquefy them? Depending on who is asked, interdisciplinary inquiry is either a polite collaboration among scholars firmly situated in their own particular discourses, or it is a blurring of the restrictive parameters that define the very notion of disciplinary discourse. So will the series have a stance on the meaning and purpose of interdisciplinary inquiry and teaching? This can possibly be finessed by attracted thinkers from disciplines that are already multicisciplinary, e.g., the various knids of 'studies' programs (Women's, Islamic, American, Cultural, etc.), or the hybrid disciplines like Ethnomusicology (Musicology, Folklore, Anthropology). But by including people from these fields (areas? disciplines?) in our series, we are already taking a stand on disciplined inquiry. A question on the comprehensive exam for the Columbia University Ethnomusicology Program was to defend Ethnomusicology as a 'field' or a 'discipline.' One's answer determined one's future, at least to the extent that the gatekeepers had a say in such matters. So, in the end, what we are proposing will no doubt involve political struggles.

31 publications

Intersections in Communications and Culture

ISSN: 1528-610X

This series publishes a wide range of new critical scholarship, particularly works that seek to engage with and transcend the disciplinary isolationism and genre confinement that characterizes so much of contemporary research in communication studies and related fields. The Editors are particularly interested in manuscripts that address the broad intersections, movement, and hybrid trajectories that currently define the encounters between human groups in modern institutions and societies. The way these dynamic intersections are coded and represented in contemporary popular cultural forms and in the organization of knowledge is also explored in this series. Works that emphasize methodological nuance, texture, and dialogue across traditions and disciplines (communications, feminist studies, area and ethnic studies, arts, humanities, sciences, education, philosophy, etc.) are particularly welcome, as are projects that explore the dynamics of variation, diversity, and discontinuity in local and international settings. Topics covered by this series include (but are not limited to): multidisciplinary media studies; cultural studies; gender, race, and class; postcolonialism; globalization; diaspora studies; border studies; popular culture; art and representation; body politics; governing practices; histories of the present; health (policy) studies; space and identity; (im)migration; global ethnographies; public intellectuals; world music; virtual identity studies; queer theory; critical multiculturalism.

50 publications

Plants and Animals

Plants and Animals: Interdisciplinary Approaches aims to publish scholarly work that addresses common challenges across the fields of plant and animal studies from interdisciplinary perspectives. The series welcomes monographs and edited collections that focus and reflect upon interactions of plants, animals, and humans in innovative ways. At a time of large-scale anthropogenic species extinction, there is a pressing need to promote scholarship that can help us envision more equitable and harmonious forms of coexistence on the planet. The series therefore encourages submissions explicitly geared to build bridges not only between plant and animal studies, but also leading-edge research on other forms of life or ways of being, including fungi, lichens, algae and other microorganisms, as well as scholarship on fantasy creatures, cryptids, semi-living beings, and even non-living forms of existence. The goal is to abolish an artificially compartmentalized view of the world in order to add to the ways of knowing that are beginning to grow through the interconnections between these related fields of study. Grounded in the humanities, Plants and Animals welcomes trans-disciplinary perspectives that engage with scholarship in the social sciences and in the natural sciences. Editorial Board: Giovanni Aloi (School of the Art Institute of Chicago), Helga Braunbeck (North Carolina State University), Danielle Celermajer (University of Sydney), Monica Gagliano (Southern Cross University), Joela Jacobs (University of Arizona), Daniel Heath Justice (University of British Columbia), John Miller (University of Sheffield), Stephanie Posthumus (McGill University), Parama Roy (University of California, Davis), Karen V. Lykke (University of Oslo), Oscar de la Torre (UNC Charlotte).

2 publications