Call for Papers

The Paradox of culture

In Of Cigarettes, High Heels, and Other Interesting Things: An Introduction to Semiotics , Marcel Danesi, Professor of Semiotics and Communication Theory at the University of Toronto, emphasizes the paradoxical nature of culture, for members of every culture are at once those confined by its boundaries and the eventual agents of its change. Throughout history, Danesi explains, we can cite examples of the human tendency “to become restless for new meanings, new messages” (45). A comparative study of literature and the arts will reveal this tendency and its inherent paradox as it is manifested in the evolution (and revolution) of culture that occurs when the very boundaries of a given culture and its people are stretched and reshaped as new forms and accompanying theories emerge, often creating tension in their dismissal of the old. In people's search for knowledge and understanding, we find those in pursuit of innovation and novelty, as well as those in support of tradition.

The editors of the interdisciplinary journal Florida Atlantic Comparative Studies invite submissions on any aspect of this topic for its Volume #13. The deadline is March 2011.. FACS is an interdisciplinary journal providing a forum for comparative study in the arts, humanities, language, culture and social sciences. Submissions in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish are welcome. Graphic submissions are also welcome.

Possible fields for the exploration include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Art
  • Literature
  • Music
  • Philosophy
  • Identity (gender, race, religion, class)
  • History
  • Sociology and Political Science
  • Media art
  • Critical theory

Papers should be no more than 25 pages or approximately 7,000 words, and should follow the most recent

MLA guidelines. A separate title page should include the author's name and address.

The author's name should not appear on the manuscript pages to allow for blind review.

 

Send two hard copies and a CD of the manuscript to:

FACS Editor

Florida Atlantic Comparative Studies Journal
Florida Atlantic University
777 Glades Road
PO Box 3091
Boca Raton, Fl 33431

E-mail submissions should be sent to facs_at_fau.edu. All electronic versions should be submitted in Microsoft Word.