The Board of Editors of the Journal of Appalachian Studies invites the submission of abstracts summarizing a proposed article, essay or note for possible publication in a themed issue of JAS on the topic of practicing Appalachian Studies in our current era of polarization.
The board will consider articles, notes or essays that address how cultural and political polarization have impacted Appalachian Studies practitioners in education, the arts, literature and film-making, healthcare, research and scholarship, activism, and any other facet of Appalachian Studies practice.
Examples include: conflicts in public and higher education, science, and the media; disregard for facts, equity, human rights, climate change, the environment or public health; or examples of “motivated cognition” (e.g. when individuals or groups do not accept the veracity of facts that contradict their prejudices or threaten their identities).
The board encourages the submission of work that, not only explains and analyzes practice in contexts of polarization, but also provides recommendations for effective strategies to advocate for Appalachian populations and enhance the quality of life in Appalachia in such challenging circumstances.
Abstracts of up to 500 words should be submitted to Shaunna L. Scott, editor of JAS, at Shaunna.scott@uky.edu no later than Monday, November 5, 2018. The board will notify authors of its decision no later than Monday, December 10, 2018. Should the board decide to proceed with the themed issue, authors will be given at least eight months to complete the proposed article, essay or note.