Calls for Papers: "CONTEMPORARY JUSTICE REVIEW Back to Top
The editors of Contemporary Justice Review wish to extend an invitation to authors to share your recent work on critical issues of crime, punishment, and justice. CJR is an interdisciplinary journal for scholars, activists, and practitioners of social and restorative justice around the globe who seek to design and implement models of justice that take into account the needs of all.
The journal publishes cutting-edge work on: social and restorative justice theory; restorative justice demonstration projects; peacemaking criminology; state crimes and healing from genocide; peaceful methods of conflict resolution; truth and reconciliation commissions; environmental justice; critiques of criminal justice institutions and law; structural issues of justice in the family, school, and workplace; utopian visions of a just society; and non-violent, needs-meeting solutions to needs-denying, power-based social arrangements.
More specifically we are looking for work that examines the harm that power-based social, political, economic, and religious arrangements cause to human, animal, and natural life. This might include work focusing on the gross human rights violations of nation-states as well as globalizing corporate entities; it might include a critique of criminological paradigms that support, wink at, or carelessly sidestep such violations of life and human dignity. We are also interested in critical assessments of the media with respect to their narrow-sightedness regarding who is and who is not a victim worthy of the attention of the human community.
CJR embraces a variety of formats: scholarly articles; electronic roundtable discussions; interviews on social and restorative justice; narrative histories on crime and punishment; film and book review essays; and justice watch statements on timely issues that affect the quality of life around the globe. The editors prefer articles written in engaging and accessible prose which avoid academic jargon and offer insights in how to foster justice in daily life.
Those interested in submitting work to CJR should contact Assistant Editor, Diane Simmons Williams, at dsw27@earthlink.net for the journal’s Managing Editor’s Guidelines. We usually prefer articles around 25 typed, double-spaced pages but often enough accept larger pieces when appropriate. One full copy of the submission should be accompanied by a blind copy in anticipation of the reviewing process. Those with questions about the fit between their work and the philosophy of the journal can contact CJR Editor-in-Chief, Dennis Sullivan at dsullivan6@nycap.rr.com or any of the associate editors. We look forward to hearing from you. Incidentally, Contemporary Justice Review is the “official” journal of the Justice Studies Association (www.justicestudies.org)."
Welcome
I think Sociology is a lot like how the writer and director of The Incredibles describes cartoons:
In sociology, we often call this the "definition of the situation". It could be extended perhaps to also capture the spirit of what Mills called the "Sociological Imagination". No matter what moniker we give it, it is with this "essence" that I believe sociologists must concern themselves, not as rigid actuaries or impartial "scientists", but rather to approach their task much like the artist--with expression, grace, humility, as well as a good dose of criticism.
When an artist visualizes a painting they are working on, they have in their minds-eye an image of how it will look. Even when the "reality" of what they are actually looking at may simply be a block of stone or a blank canvas and table full of paints to mix. They can shape the creative process, but they do not control it completely. What shape their work will finally achieve is largely due to how they urge their clay, stone, paint or musical notation to find its expression in the face of significant constraints, i.e., time, temperature, temper and even a little bit of luck. Their final product may not look "identical" to what they had in mind, but their ability to "bump it up" can have breathtaking results. Take Michelangelo's masterpiece "Il Davido". Considered virtually perfect by many in the art world, the marble from which this sublime form was born was was rejected as flawed by others:
The gallery that houses this masterpiece is entered through a good sized hallway lined on both sides with the guardians of David--a group of unfinished works called "The Captives", aptly named because they look like bodies frozen in the cold hard marble yearning to break out. Michelangelo abandoned them because they were too far from his vision. However, when I visited the museum, I was really taken by these figures--I could see on the one hand how they were not "perfect", but there was something quite spectacular in their imperfection. It all boiled down to a matter of interpretation and vision.
Sociologists face the same dilemma. I think we have a great chance to work with diverse communities to address important social problems. We must remain aware, however, that our goal is not to "reproduce reality" or impose solutions on communities that are external and coercive of their needs. Our job is to use all of the tools in our kit to "bump it up" and encourage individuals to appreciate the beauty of community involvement and the satisfaction of (cultural) self-determination.
The reason to do animation is caricature. Good caricature picks out the essense of the statement and removes everything else. It's not simply about reproducing reality; It's about bumping it up.Good research and teaching by sociologists should likewise attempt to find the essence of a statement and remove everything else. Of course I am not naive enough to think that "essence"="TRUTH", or that all of the external forces and pressures individuals confront, especially in marginalized communities, can somehow be magically removed or held constant. I consider what Bird calls essence more a reflection of the process of sense making in which people engage everyday in order to bring some modicum of rationality to a seemingly hyper-irrational set of social contexts and interactions.
In sociology, we often call this the "definition of the situation". It could be extended perhaps to also capture the spirit of what Mills called the "Sociological Imagination". No matter what moniker we give it, it is with this "essence" that I believe sociologists must concern themselves, not as rigid actuaries or impartial "scientists", but rather to approach their task much like the artist--with expression, grace, humility, as well as a good dose of criticism.
When an artist visualizes a painting they are working on, they have in their minds-eye an image of how it will look. Even when the "reality" of what they are actually looking at may simply be a block of stone or a blank canvas and table full of paints to mix. They can shape the creative process, but they do not control it completely. What shape their work will finally achieve is largely due to how they urge their clay, stone, paint or musical notation to find its expression in the face of significant constraints, i.e., time, temperature, temper and even a little bit of luck. Their final product may not look "identical" to what they had in mind, but their ability to "bump it up" can have breathtaking results. Take Michelangelo's masterpiece "Il Davido". Considered virtually perfect by many in the art world, the marble from which this sublime form was born was was rejected as flawed by others:
Michelangelo took a rejected piece of marble that had numerous veins running through it and carved it into this Goliath-sized sculpture that was originally commissioned by Opera del Duomo
Michelangelo was young when he completed The David, yet you can see his talent and genius in this sculpture. He was 25 years old when he began the statue in 1501. No other sculptor wanted this piece of marble because it could be prone to shatter, but Michelangelo created a masterpiece with it...
The gallery that houses this masterpiece is entered through a good sized hallway lined on both sides with the guardians of David--a group of unfinished works called "The Captives", aptly named because they look like bodies frozen in the cold hard marble yearning to break out. Michelangelo abandoned them because they were too far from his vision. However, when I visited the museum, I was really taken by these figures--I could see on the one hand how they were not "perfect", but there was something quite spectacular in their imperfection. It all boiled down to a matter of interpretation and vision.
Sociologists face the same dilemma. I think we have a great chance to work with diverse communities to address important social problems. We must remain aware, however, that our goal is not to "reproduce reality" or impose solutions on communities that are external and coercive of their needs. Our job is to use all of the tools in our kit to "bump it up" and encourage individuals to appreciate the beauty of community involvement and the satisfaction of (cultural) self-determination.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment