Special Volume of 10-12 Research Articles Introduced and Edited by Sophie Raynard (Stony-Brook University) and Charlotte Trinquet du Lys (UCF)
Open Cultural Studies (ISSN 2451-3474). Publisher: De Gruyter Poland.
Contract date: 2/20/2020
Publication date: 1/15/2021
CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS: Manuscripts should not be longer than 8,000 words including bibliography. The concepts of non-binary, transgender, gender fluid, polygender, etc., in today’s conversations on sexual politics seem to be understood as new concepts as though the realities behind these neologisms do not necessarily encompass all of human history. Scholars in Children’s Literature and Culture Studies or Fairy Tales and Folklore studies, have always come across these representations of non-traditional gender expressions in early-modern literature as well as in historical accounts. Cross-dressing in particular is pervasive in that type of literature, and we know that cross-dressing characters abounded on the early-modern stage and were objects of fascination for their contemporaries. Today’s critics, especially feminists, have been capitalizing on the current interest in gender and sexuality studies and have successfully applied these new definitions to early-modern representations, thus bringing these texts to the forefront of the conversation on gender identity. With such provoking titles as “Gender Trouble,” “The Theatricality of Transformation,” “Erotic and Alien,” “New Bodies, Old Sins”, these studies have encouraged us to perceive and receive early-modern cross-dressing representations, no longer as individual aberrations or expressions of deviancy, but rather as part of a long cultural tradition of non-traditional gender identity and political transgression. By contrast some modern and post-modern popular culture productions dealing with the same issues of gender expression might not always be as progressive as they claim to be. Disney films in particular have consciously tackled the gender issue ever since they faced bitter criticism from feminist scholars, but the question remains whether they have been successful at addressing those biases. Just as early-modern specialists are bringing their own expertise to the table and illustrating the progressivism that always existed in old texts, it would also be opportune to reflect on contemporary productions. In this special issue, we invite scholars of children’s literature and films, and scholars of popular culture from the early-modern to the post-modern eras to explore the topics of gender roles and identity, showing in what ways and to what extent they can be viewed as socio-historical constructs, thus adding new perspectives to the ongoing discussions on sexual politics.
ABOUT THE ACADEMIC JOURNAL: Open Cultural Studies is a peer-reviewed, scholarly journal that explores the fields of Humanities, Social Sciences and Arts. It interprets culture in an inclusive sense, in different theoretical, geographical and historical contexts. As an Open Access journal, Open Cultural Studies is committed to increasing public access to scholarship that covers an entire range of social and cultural phenomena both within and beyond the academy. It aims, in particular, to enhance international collaboration among scholars by bringing together researchers from the Global North and the Global South. By bringing together experienced/high-profile and emerging and Third- and First-World scholars, the journal aims to contribute to a wider understanding of culture and promote both innovation and inclusion.
The number of downloads in the year 2019 was more than 18 000. Keeping with the trend, next volume should double that number.
The independent academic publisher De Gruyter has a history spanning back 270 years. De Gruyter group publishes over 1,300 new titles each year in the humanities, social sciences, STM and law, more than 700 subscription based or Open Access journals, and a variety of digital products.
HOW TO SUBMIT
1) Authors are kindly invited to send an abstract to the Guest Editors at the following email addresses: sophie.raynard@stonybrook.edu; ctrinquet@gmail.com
2) After acceptance of abstracts by editors, authors are kindly invited to register at De Gruyter’s paper processing system at: https://www.editorialmanager.com/culture/default.aspx and submit their contribution. -
-Every manuscript should be clearly marked as intended for this special issue and include the title: Gender Fluidity in Early-Modern to Post-Modern Children’s Literature and Culture.
- All papers will go through the Open Cultural Studies’ high standards, quick, fair and comprehensive peer-review procedure. Instructions for authors are available here. In case of any questions, please contact Guest Editors (sophie.raynard@stonybrook.edu; ctrinquet@gmail.com) or Managing Editor (katarzyna.grzegorek@degruyter.com).
3) As an author of Open Cultural Studies you will benefit from: - transparent, comprehensive and fast peer review managed by our esteemed Guest Editor; - efficient route to fast-track publication and full advantage of De Gruyter e-technology; - free language assistance for authors from non-English speaking regions.
UPDATED DEADLINES:
June 20, 2020: deadline for abstract submission
June 30, 2020: acceptance letter to contributors
Sept 30, 2020: deadline for paper submission. Review 1= 28 days. Review 2 = 14 days
Nov 15, 2020: deadline for peer-reviews
Dec 15, 2020: deadline for paper review according to the peer-reviews comments
Jan 5, 2021: deadline for paper second review if necessary
Jan 15, 2021: volume sent to press for formatting and copy-editing
Feb 15, 2021: deadline for proof revisions
Mar 2021: publication