Cfp: Practices of solidarity during COVID-19
Practices of solidarity are omnipresent. They drive the daily actions of civil society actors and – although less obvious – of public welfare schemes. Practices of solidarity form the backbone of modern democratic societies, even though some authors note their decline in an era of singularity and libertarian politics. The Special Issue takes the opposite stance, thus assuming that solidarity, although not uncontested, is on the rise again: In an era marked by multiple crises, solidarity not only becomes controversial and contested but also vital and visible. In an almost unprecedented manner the recent COVID-19 crisis exemplifies the importance of the regulating function of the state. However, the countless spontaneous support initiatives and citizens’ collective actions also point at the relevance of solidarity by civil society actors.
The Special Issue tackles four crucial dimensions of practices of solidarity that relate to the current COVID-19 pandemic: As to the actors it distinguishes between state solidarity (both national and supranational/European), i.e. solidarity from above, such as state emergency funds, and civil society solidarity or solidarity from below, for example neighbourly support of risk groups. As regards the respective focus of solidarity, the current practices of solidarity either comprise health-related practices of solidarity responding directly to the challenges and risks stemming from COVID-19 such as the medical treatment of Italian intensive care patients in Germany, or wearing protective masks, and overall practices of solidarity that respond to the economic and social consequences resulting from the lockdown, e.g. short-time allowances, or the expansion of the European Stability Mechanism.
The Special Issues aims at:
• studying the motives and normative foundations behind the different practices of solidarity, the varieties of the practices as well as their limitations;
• analysing the interrelations and differences between state and private (i.e. civil society) prac-tices of solidarity, the different levels actors refer to and the practices’ scope;
• linking the debate on solidarity in COVID-19 to the general discussion on social solidarity, its preconditions, functions and public support and debating the implications for other crises;
• theoretically assessing the different logics of diverse practices of solidarity such as expression of solidarity on the one hand, the collective wearing of masks and the direct support measures like the emergency funds on the other;
• exploring the link between different welfare state regimes and the instruments of state soli-darity on the one hand and/or the intensity of private solidarity on the other;
• investigating the role of the European Union during COVID-19 and how the challenges related to the pandemic shape the future of European integration.
The issue welcomes both national perspectives and transnational or supranational perspectives. Submitted analyses (e.g. case studies, empirical analyses, comparisons to other crises, and the like) are asked to touch one of the above-mentioned issues and questions.
Submission and timeframe
Authors may submit structured abstracts of up to 250 words until 30 June 2020. Empirical, theoretical and conceptual submissions of significant originality will be considered for publication. All methodological approaches are welcomed. Authors whose abstracts are accepted will be asked to submit a full draft of their paper until 15 October 2020 which will then be subjected to peer review. Publication is planned for the spring of 2021. CPE publishes in English. Please submit your abstract to Stefanie Börner (stefanie.boerner@ovgu.de).
CPE: An international, double-blind peer reviewed journal
Culture, Practice & Europeanization (CPE) is an international, peer reviewed platform for publishing research-based articles predominantly dealing with research into the multiplicity of social processes, interactions, and policies relating to Europeanization and both international and intercultural en-counters in Europe. CPE is an interdisciplinary journal with strong roots in sociology. CPE welcomes contributions that seek to enhance our understanding of social processes relating to internationaliza-tion, internationally relevant practices, and further transnational activities and processes in Europe.