Call for papers: Proposals due by Nov. 15, 2012 - Relational and Social Network Perspectives in Community Psychology

A special issue of the American Journal of Community Psychology 
Guest editors: Jennifer Watling Neal & Brian D. Christens 

Relational and social network perspectives focus on patterns of relationships between sets of actors (e.g., people, organizations, communities). Community psychologists have long recognized the conceptual importance of relationships and the potential of social network analysis to enhance methodological sophistication in the field. Moreover, recent groundbreaking studies have thrust social network dynamics to the forefront of contemporary social science. The growing prominence of social network studies provides an opportunity not only for increasing methodological sophistication, but also for reconsiderations of theory.
A relational perspective is, fundamentally, a challenge to the psychological tradition of individualism, which has viewed individuals as discrete and bounded entities. Community psychology has long sought to provide a counter-perspective to individualism, yet has struggled to articulate a theory of “community” that does not position it as a discrete entity, dualistically related to individuals. Relational and social network perspectives provide potential insights into how patterns of relationships shape perceptions and behaviors, affect the distribution of resources, and define communities. 

This special issue aims to advance relational and social network perspectives in community psychology. Proposals (up to 750 words) for manuscripts are invited which address the aim. Possible topical areas include, but are not limited to:

     (1) Power and empowerment;
     (2) Dissemination and implementation of community-based interventions;
     (3) Understanding communities, partnerships and coalitions. 

Manuscripts may be conceptual, empirical studies or praxis-oriented pieces, but all must hold promise for linking relational and social network perspectives to theory that is relevant to community psychology. Thus, proposals should include a description of how the manuscript makes these links. In addition to contributions from community psychologists, we encourage contributions from researchers in other fields or disciplines who are doing related work. 

Submission process: Authors should submit proposals by email to the Guest Editors of the Special Issue no later than November 15, 2012. Guest Editors will review the proposals and invite authors within 4 weeks to submit a full manuscript, subject to peer review and consistent with AJCP guidelines for reviewers. All submissions should be in English and proposals should state the type of article proposed as described in the AJCP Instructions for Authors available on the online submission portal (www.edmgr.com/ajcp). Types of articles may include: original articles (theory or research), mixed methods research, first person accounts, advancing science, or empirical reviews. The deadline for submission of manuscripts is May 15, 2013. Initial acceptance and Online First publication is anticipated as early as Fall 2013. 

Send proposal submissions or inquiries to the Guest Editors: Jennifer Watling Neal or Brian D. Christens. Please share this call for proposals with interested colleagues.