Call for papers: The Loss of the ‘Social’ in Social Pedagogy and Social Work?

Posted on 23rd July, 2025

The International Journal of Social Pedagogy (IJSP) is inviting proposals for a special series titled ‘The Loss of the ‘Social’ in Social Pedagogy and Social Work? Implications and Future Directions’. The series will explore how the social, relational, and community-based foundations of these professions are being challenged – and how they might be revitalised. Read the full call for proposals.

Social pedagogy and social work have historically been rooted in values of inclusion, solidarity, and collective care. However, in recent years, these professions have increasingly been shaped by individualised, clinical, and managerial approaches. Frameworks such as trauma-informed care and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have gained prominence, often sidelining the broader social and political dimensions of practice.

This special issue asks what happens when the social mandate of these professions is lost, and and crucially, how can we reclaim it?

What the editors are looking for

Guest editors Mark Smith (University of Dundee), Sebastian Monteux (Abertay University), and Mie Engen (Aalborg University) welcome contributions that critically reflect on:

• The political, economic, and epistemological shifts affecting social pedagogy and social work
• How the ‘social’ has been conceptualised, lost, or reimagined across different national and cultural contexts
• Practice-based examples that resist dominant paradigms and centre relational, community-rooted work
• Philosophical and theoretical reflections on the future of the social professions

The editors are particularly interested in work that challenges the dominance of psychological and public health discourses, and that foregrounds relationship-centred, socially engaged practice.

Who should submit?

This call is open to both new and experienced authors. The journal encourages submissions from practitioners, researchers, and educators working across disciplines and sectors. Support is available for those less confident in academic writing or writing in English, and the editorial team is happy to discuss ideas in advance.

Submission to this special issue

Expressions of interest

Please send early expressions of interest to the IJSP Editorial Office (editors@internationaljournalofsocialpedagogy.com) by October 31st 2025 in the form of an abstract of 300-500 words, up to six references, and a 50-word biographical statement.

Full-draft submission deadline

Authors will then be invited to submit a full draft for editorial review by April 30th 2026 through the journal’s online submission system. Please consult the notes for authors on the journal’s webpage at https://journals.uclpress.co.uk/ijsp/.
Pre-submission enquires about your ideas are welcomed by emailing the journal, who will be happy to provide further guidance. The journal is keen to encourage new and existing writers and as such we can offer support in a variety of ways, e.g. for new writers, or for writers who are less confident about writing in English.

About the journal

The International Journal of Social Pedagogy is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal published by UCL Press. It is free to publish in and free to read, and it welcomes contributions that explore social pedagogy in its broadest sense—from early childhood to elder care, from theory to practice.