cfp.english.upenn.edu

InterCulture is a peer-reviewed e-journal seeking academic papers (3,000 to 6,000 words), reviews (1,000 to 3,000 words) and creative work pertaining to the theme "Political Ecologies" (volume 6, issue 2) due on Monday, May 10, 2009.

Political ecology is an interdisciplinary field of study focusing on connections between politics, economics, and the environment. Scholars might examine political and economic factors influencing environmental policy, the unequal distribution of natural resources, or the link between social class and possible exposure to toxic chemicals. Bruno Latour in Politics of Nature (2004) expands the field’s scope by envisioning political ecology as a concept through which a re-imagination of the foundational philosophical binary of subject and object may occur. For Latour, political ecology isn’t really concerned with nature and the environment; “it does much better than defend nature…It suspends our certainties concerning the sovereign good of humans and things, ends and means” (21). Whether or not one buys Latour’s assertions, his general approach to political ecology opens up the field into the humanistic domains of philosophy, religion, and the creative arts. What happens when scholarly “objects of study” become “ecologies in action”? InterCulture seeks papers, reviews, and creative work that engage with political ecology, from its practical applications to broader philosophical concerns. We are interested in historical, political, economic, and cross-cultural approaches as well as work demonstrating the possibilities for political ecology in the study of fine art, music, literature, film, television, and new media.

Possible subjects include, but are not limited to:
---ecologies and assemblages: points of tension and convergence
---social construction of nature
---biopower, biomedia, biocapital
---preservation and conservation
---environmental factors in relation to poverty
---questions about or critiques of “human rights”
---ecological crisis and apocalyptic narratives
---capitalism and sustainability
---environmentalism as a social movement
---eco-criticism
---concerns about identity, affinity, or virtual politics

Being an interdisciplinary journal, we welcome work from any discipline, as well as interviews, photo essays, videos, and creative writing. We are also interested in publishing reviews on academic texts, fiction, film, art exhibitions, video games, or any other cultural objects. These could range from traditional reviews to more creative think pieces that study an advertisement, for example. Feel free to write the editor (interculturejournal@gmail.com) if you want feedback on any ideas.

All citations must use the MLA format. Please include a 100 – 200 word abstract with your submission that will be included alongside your paper should it be published. No abstract is required for reviews. For more information regarding the submission of creative work or other inquiries, see the “Submission Guidelines” on InterCulture’s website at .

Please send submissions via e-mail to:
Katheryn Wright, Managing Editor of InterCulture
E-mail: interculturejournal@gmail.com
Department of Interdisciplinary Humanities, Florida State University