Call for Papers: Issues, Significance, and Meaning of Open Expression

We are excited to announce the call for papers for AntiChamber’s first issue. We invite students, teachers, and professionals to voice perspectives and share experiences in connection to the theme: Issues, Significance, and Meaning of Open Expression. The deadline is August 15th 2023.

Much of the prevailing debates regarding our society is increasingly revolving around the purposes and boundaries of open expression within the climate of heightened polarization/partisanship. Public, professional, educational, and online environments are actively involved in reconciling the moral complexities with which the competing values and risks of expression can pose. Efforts in addressing such dilemmas can often manifest through the polarizing and conflicting perspectives regarding what expression is and ought to be. Expression can be understood to either support or hinder the political pursuit for inclusivity/representation, the psychological interest in ensuring a “safe space,” and the philosophic commitment to illuminate what is “true.” 

Conversations surrounding misinformation in relation to COVID-19, fake news, cancel-culture, safe spaces, hate speech, speech as violence, and so forth have permeated into public and folk colloquialism – often with bitter flavours of settled cynicism or unproductive condemnations. Underneath the public theatrics of its debates, however, lies a shared interrogation of the foundational aims and ideals of our democratic and educational structure/culture. For some, the regulation of expression can threaten the democratic foundation of our society, yet for others, the overt harm of its unrestrained nature can just as much negate the very ideals that democracy seeks to pursue.

In midst of the challenged aims of expression and democracy, we are provided an opportunity to explore their new conceptual and practical directions through the involvement of our eclectic voices and thoughts - particularly through the value of skilful articulation and reflection, the purpose of which is not merely to defend or advocate for certain positions but rather to understand them deeply. Therefore, AntiChamber seeks to productively hold this opportune space by inviting the voices that seek to stimulate, challenge, and problematize dominant perspectives on open/censored expression within scholarly, professional, and educational settings. 

In keeping with our interdisciplinary aims, we invite submissions that are engaged with exploring, reflecting, and challenging in connection to a variety of questions, meanings, and issues related to open expression, including (but not limited to):

  • Classroom experiences/challenges/possibilities, teaching practices, and circumstances for effective/ineffective learning.
  • Online and/or in-person dialogues and debates.
  • History, significance, and meaning of expression regarding democracy, law, constitutional rights.
  • The connection between education and expression.
  • Issues and consequences of censorship, extremism, radicalism, and polarization.
  • The role and implications of journalism and media.
  • The place of controversy within the current landscape of public discourse.
  • Current political movements/perspectives related to social justice. 
  • Political correctness in relation to professional and personal situations.
  • Philosophical, sociological, psychological, interpersonal reasons for and consequences of expression and its censored status.

We welcome submissions in the formats of both original essays and creative forms (e.g., visual, poetic, narrative-based presentations, etc.). For more information, please visit our submissions page regarding its process or the format/scope page regarding the types of submission we welcome and accept.