How ‘global’ is ‘Global IR’? How inclusive is International Relations as an academic discipline and which kinds of inclusion/exclusion can be identified in discourses, institutions and practices in international politics? These debates are certainly not new and, moreover, they are erupting to the surface of discussions across approaches and topics in IR. While there are many approaches to take within this growing and important conversation, this thematic section particularly wants to explore how non-traditional approaches in IR can better understand moments of performed inclusivity that can be exclusionary and potentially isolating. This exclusion with access* can be the basis for better understanding spaces and communities historically given access with exclusivity, such as the Global South, minorities within countries and beyond or class hierarchies. We are particularly (though not exclusively) interested in the contexts that relate to post-colonial, semi-peripheral and in-between locations, dynamics and subjectivities while we encourage authors to consider the added value of thinking through ‘exclusion with access’ compared to other existing concepts.
The editorial team of CEJISS, therefore, invites contributions exploring the meaning of exclusion with access in Global IR. We welcome a wide range of contributions, with a particular emphasis on theoretical approaches that fall outside of mainstream or traditional IR, such as Realism, Liberalism and Constructivism. We particularly welcome contributions that build on decolonialism, post-Marxism, feminist approaches to IR, Queer IR and intersections between Science and Technology Studies (STS) and IR. Potential paper topics could include:
- The participation of those with observatory status in global (security) institutions and partial inclusion of certain actors in international society more broadly;
- Access with exclusion to new technologies;
- The performative solidarity of privileged passport holders;
- Topics related to linguistic dominance;
- Exclusivity in museums, where the original owners of objects may look at but not own their country’s possessions;
- Attempts at decolonising knowledge production, particularly now in Central and Eastern European Studies;
- The imbalances between candidate members to the EU.
However, we encourage authors to think along the lines of exclusion without access and submit their own novel approaches. Prospective authors may focus on political, security, economic or cultural dynamics and state or non-state actors. While we hope to receive papers focusing on contemporary dynamics, we are also open to historical papers as long as they demonstrate the relevance of historical processes or heritage for contemporary politics. We expect the submitted papers to draw on relevant theoretical perspectives or the existing academic debates, including those originating from International Relations, International Political Economy, Security Studies, Geopolitics, Area Studies and other fields.
*The theoretical concept of ‘exclusion with access’ is currently being developed by Dr. Jayashree Vivekanandan from South Asian University.
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Timeline
- Deadline for abstracts (about 200 words): 1 December 2024
- Abstract selection (acceptance emails): 20 December 2024
- Manuscript submission deadline: 30 April 2025
- Review process and paper revisions: May-August 2025
- Print publication: mid-September 2025
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Thematic section information
The thematic sections of CEJISS aim to facilitate a forum for authors to publish timely academic reflections on selected topics. The length of thematic section contributions is 4,000-8,000 words (including abstract, references, footnotes).
- Standard research articles whose ambitions, research goal and framework are adjusted to the length of thematic section contributions (4,000-8,000 words). Papers with a strong narrative are particularly encouraged.
- Sophisticated academic essays (op-eds) that develop or build on the existing theoretical repertoire of International Relations (or closely related disciplines), offer a clear argument and contribute to academic debates.
Articles that lie between the two aforementioned types of papers are also welcomed. In any case, thematic section contributions should be of a scholarly character.
For more information, see our general submission guidelines and thematic section guidelines.
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In order to submit your abstract or get more information, please contact Dr Jacqueline Dufalla (CEJISS Associate Editor) at <dufalla@cejiss.org>. Please use the following email subject: thematic section – exclusion with access.
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About CEJISS
CEJISS is a quarterly journal that publishes peer-reviewed scholarly articles across the entire field of International Relations and International Security. Since its foundation in 2007, it has been proudly committed to the principle of open access publishing (no fees to publish, no fees to read). It is indexed in SCOPUS, ERIH Plus, ProQuest, EBSCO, Google Scholar and other databases. CEJISS is currently ranked in Q2 in Political Science and International Relations among Scopus journals (according to SJR 2023).
CEJISS is a pluralist journal. It favours a variety of theories and methods used as well as topics and geographical areas covered. Nonetheless, CEJISS is particularly (but not exclusively) interested in drivers of the contemporary world’s change – from geopolitical shifts, nationalist resurgence and regionalisation to environmental and technological changes. Rather than specialising in a particular theme, it prefers to understand the broader impacts and mutual entanglements of these processes. CEJISS has published articles focused on Central and Eastern Europe as well as on other regions and the global international system. It is open to inter-disciplinary, cross-thematic and trans-regional works discussing international aspects of politics and security. CEJISS also welcomes policy-relevant articles. However, please note that all articles must meet the usual research standards (they need to be research articles in the first place).