Critical Realism, Gender and Feminism
Special Issue of the Journal of Critical Realism (15:5,
2016) Edited by Angela Martínez Dy, Lena Gunnarsson and Michiel van Ingen
An increasing number of gender scholars have become
familiar with critical realism, finding it a robust alternative to the
poststructuralist perspectives that currently dominate gender studies and
feminism. This trend has coincided with an increased interest among feminist
theorists in the issues of ontology, materiality and nature, which have always
been at the heart of critical realist interventions. However, despite these
thematic alignments, and despite the fact that both critical realism and
feminist theory are inherently critical-emancipatory, the critical realist
approach continues to occupy a marginal role within both feminist and gender
studies debates. Concurrently, the field of critical realism is decidedly
‘masculine’ in nature, both in the sense that men dominate the field, and in
terms of the issues with which critical realists have most commonly concerned
themselves. Recent critical realist feminist work, the International
Association of Critical Realism’s adoption of a proactive policy to enhance the
representation of women in its organs and activities, and the growing critical
realist preoccupation (particularly in Bhaskar’s philosophy of metaReality)
with historically ‘feminine’ topics such as love, mark a potential shift away
from these unfortunate trends.
In order to encourage the development of this emerging
field of critical realist feminism and gender studies, as well as critical
exchanges between the respective branches of critical realism (including
dialectical critical realism and metaRealism) and feminist theory/gender
studies, we are happy to invite submissions for a special issue of Journal of
Critical Realism on Critical Realism, Gender and Feminism. We welcome not only
contributions that draw on critical realism in studying gender relations and/or
engaging with feminist concerns but also critiques of critical realism from
feminist or gender-based points of view.
Topics of interest include, but are by no means limited
to, the following:
• Critical
realism and poststructuralist feminism/gender studies
• Critical
realism and socialist/eco/radical/black/postcolonial feminism
• Critical
realism and the ontological/materialist/naturalistic turn in feminist theory
• Critical
realism and intersectionality
• Critical
realism, metaRealism, love and gender
•
Critiques/auto-critiques of existing critical realist work from a
feminist/gender studies perspective
• Feminist
epistemology, standpoint theory and critical realism
• Critical
realism and feminist critiques of (social) science
•
Examinations/critiques of feminist taboos on realism, nature and
causality
• Critical
realism and post-feminist culture
• Critical
realism, dialectics and feminist deconstruction
• Revitalizing
the explanatory feminist tradition: what is patriarchy?
• Critical
realism and sexuality
• Critical
realism and queer studies
• Critical
realism and men/masculinity studies
• Critical
realism, sex and gender identity
• Critical
realism and gendered/sexual violence
• Critical
realism, feminism, gender studies and war/conflict
• Critical
realism and feminist ethics
• Critical
realism and pornography
• Critical
realism and feminist methods/methodology
• Agency,
gender and critical realism
• Critical
realism and feminist activism/politics
• Feminism,
gender studies, critical realism and other realisms (Barad’s agential realism,
post-positivist realism etc.)
• Critical
realism as underlabourer for applied work in feminism/gender studies
• Critical
realism, interdisciplinarity, gender and feminism
• Feminist
spirituality and metaRealism
• Critical
realism and feminist economics
Instructions for authors
Submissions need not be exclusively concerned with
critical realism or its critique, but should relate their arguments in some
significant way to critical realism. For instance, the main focus of an article
could be Karen Barad’s feminist appropriation of Bohr’s agential realism, but
it should include consideration of critical realism.
Important dates
October 31, 2015: deadline for first drafts February 26,
2016: reviewers’ reports and editors’ decision provided May 23, 2016: deadline
for final drafts June 30, 2016: final copy due with the publisher October 2016:
publication of the special issue online and print
Enquiries and submissions
About the Journal
Journal of Critical Realism is the journal of the
International Association for Critical Realism (IACR), established in 1997 to
foster the discussion, propagation and development of critical realist
approaches to understanding and changing the world. It provides a forum for
scholars wishing to promote realist emancipatory philosophy, social theory and
science on an interdisciplinary and international basis, and for those who wish
to engage with such an approach.
