Call for Papers: The Sophist's Bane; Due 1/18/16

Journal Call for Submissions: The Sophist's Bane; Due 1/18/16

A message from the editors, Pamela Konkol and Isabel Nuñez:

Greetings! As the new editors for this fine journal, we would like to
extend an invitation to you to submit a piece for consideration. The
Sophist’s Bane is a publication of the Society of Professors of
Education. Our publishing goal is a lofty one – we hope to publish
quarterly (we will see how that goes!). For now, let us concentrate on
our inaugural issue as editors.

What is the Society of Professors of Education?

Founded in 1902, the Society of Professors of Education (SPE) is a
professional and academic association open to all persons engaged in
teacher preparation, curriculum studies, educational foundations, and
related activities. The Society’s primary goal is to provide a forum
for consideration of major issues, tasks, problems, and challenges
confronting professional educators. SPE is an interdisciplinary
organization that includes both scholars and practitioners in
education.

At this moment in time, it is especially important that scholars of
education engage in dialogues about education and the future of our
worlds. The membership of SPE strives to continue the spirit of
socially engaged and responsible inquiry that the founders of the
organization envisioned. Founding members included John Dewey, Charles
De Garmo, and Walter B. Jacobs. Several other noteworthy early members
were William Kilpatrick, George S. Counts, Elwood P. Cubberley, Harold
O. Rugg, Edward L. Thorndike, and George Herbert Mead, showing the
diverse interests and ideological variety of the organization. Its
current members include several award winning theoreticians,
researchers, and practitioners in education. Great company, huh?

What is the Sophist’s Bane?

Meno asks this question to Socrates in Plato’s dialogue, Meno, and
begins a conversation about universals, teaching, knowledge, and more.
Central to understanding Meno’s role in the dialogue is his motivation
for asking the question in the first place. Simply put, Meno wanted an
answer to his question. Further, he wanted Socrates to give him the
answer. Quickly. As a sophist, Meno demonstrates a posture and a way
of being that are antithetical to searches for wisdom. Sophists reach
only for simple answers and how-to applications with the least amount
of thinking, arguing or searching possible. A sophist’s bane is to be
faced with questions that may not be easily answered. A sophist’s bane
is to have to think deeply and critically and take the meandering path
associated with complex problems—ones that are often inefficient and
unplanned. A sophist’s bane is to read articles and essays that
discard oversimplifications and champion inquiry simply because it is
worth doing.

Thanks, but I meant, “what is the focus of the journal?”

The Sophist’s Bane is a forum that serves as a means through which
thinkers can challenge assumptions, delve deeply into complex topics,
and not be worried about neatly packaged “answers.” While attempting
to counteract superficiality and formulaic approaches to inquiry and
research, this journal nonetheless intends to be accessible to those
who may be outside formal academic settings.

In keeping with the unique role of this journal, articles within it
will raise a variety of questions that are linked to an even wider
array of topics. What distinguishes this journal from others, however,
is that it is not intending easy answers or efficient maps for solving
problems. Identifying and exploring questions, reaching beyond the
perfunctory narratives, and making arguments that challenge rather
than assuage the Menos of the modern world—these are the foci for The
Sophist’s Bane.

Great, what’s the fine print?

Although some of the pieces in our first issue as editors will be
invited, we are also seeking submissions from the larger community of
scholars. This means you! As we move forward, we will engage a
traditional process of blind review of submissions. However, as we
would like to hit the ground running with our first issue quite
quickly, at this time, submissions will be considered by the editors.
For this issue, we are looking for pieces from 1500-3000 words that
can broadly be defined as explorations in thinking and questioning
around issues of education. Submissions should be emailed to
thesophistsbane@gmail.com. For consideration for this first issue
(which we anticipate making available in Feb/Mar 2016), submissions
must be received no later than Monday, January 18th. So hop to it!

Thank you, and happy writing!
The Sophist’s Bane Editors
Pamela Konkol and Isabel Nuñez
Center for Policy and Social Justice
Concordia University Chicago
Questions? We’re here to help:
pamela.konkol@cuchicago.edu and isabel.nunez@cuchicago.edu