Call for Papers: Research and Debates Section, Issue 15 (30) of Revista Vínculos: Sociología, análisis y opinión – "Social Studies on Disasters"

Call for Papers: Research and Debates Section Social Studies on Disasters Disasters are not natural. Floods, wildfires, pollution, pandemics, explosions, or major earthquakes all possess an inherently social character. That is, they draw attention because they are socially salient phenomena. They involve issues of class, ethnicity, and gender, and entail cultural, medical, political, and economic repercussions. They may only be described as “accidents” if we understand accidents as integral byproducts of the heavy industry of modernity. Sociology possesses a longstanding tradition of examining disasters through this lens, often conceiving them as disruptive events originating from outside society. This view was advanced by Samuel Henry Prince in 1920, who sought to understand the role of catastrophe in driving social change within a given society, and by Pitirim Sorokin in 1942, who focused on major disasters that affect not only individuals, but also social organization and socio-political processes. Conversely, disasters have also been conceptualized as an intrinsic element of modernity and industrial progress, as articulated by Ulrich Beck. Currently, although disaster studies have gained momentum within sociology and across various social sciences, the manifold questions they encompass remain insufficiently addressed. For this reason, we invite submissions to the Research and Debates section, addressing themes that may include, but are not limited to: Why should sociology and other social sciences study disasters? What theoretical, conceptual, and methodological challenges arise when defining terms such as disaster, risk, hazard, calamity, crisis, or vulnerability? How do the axes of class, gender, ethnicity, age, and territory intersect in the unequal distribution of risk and the impacts of disasters? How do sociology and related social sciences address slow-onset disasters? How can academic extractivism be prevented in disaster zones? Which contemporary disasters are critical to understanding broader global or local trends in today’s society? What self-organization or resistance strategies are deployed by communities affected by disasters? Submission and Review Process Manuscripts must be submitted for peer review via the OJS platform following prior registration: https://www.vinculossociologiaanalisisyopinion.cucsh.udg.mx/index.php/VSAO/login All received proposals will undergo a rigorous double-blind peer-review process. Submissions accepted following external peer evaluation will be published in Issue 30 (March 2027). Manuscripts must comply with the author guidelines of Revista Vínculos, which can be consulted at: https://www.vinculossociologiaanalisisyopinion.cucsh.udg.mx/index.php/VSAO/about/submissions#authorGuidelines Important Dates Manuscript submission deadline: From the publication of this call until November 15, 2026 Notification of peer-review results: December 30, 2026 Submission of final, publication-ready version: February 9, 2027