Fall 2023 Call for Papers | “Democratizing, Diversifying, and Decolonizing the World History Survey” |
World History Bulletin
World History Bulletin is seeking quality research essays, lesson plans, and classroom activities for inclusion in its upcoming Fall 2023 issue, “Democratizing, Diversifying, and Decolonizing the World History Survey.”
Guest-edited by John Curry, “Democratizing, Diversifying, and Decolonizing the World History Survey” explores the ways in which world historians and instructors can introduce, examine, and complicate an array of topics such as slavery, colonialism, world wars, and climate crisis in the world history classroom. Challenging the way histories are told, by whom, and what voices have been silenced are key to democratizing, diversifying, and decolonizing world history surveys, as doing so not only fosters critical thinking and analytical skills in the next generation of scholars, but also encourages the development of their empathetic selves.
Democratizing, diversifying, and decolonizing the world history survey often requires de-centering the Western perspectives which sometimes predominate classrooms, and the incorporation of interdisciplinary approaches – through the introduction of anthropological or archaeological sources – to reassess histories for things like bias. Doing so draws on the long traditional of historical skepticism.
The Bulletin is interested in a range of topics related to the theme of democratizing, diversifying, and decolonizing world history surveys, including:
• Case studies examining how instructors have democratized, diversified, and decolonized their
world history classrooms.
• Techniques used in the classroom to introduce sensitive subjects, including (but not limited to)
slavery, persecution, outgroup creation, and colonization.
• Approaches to recovering histories of the silenced and amplifying the experiences and voices of
indigenous peoples.
• Interdisciplinarity and democratizing, diversifying, and decolonizing World History.
• Recent trends in decolonizing and diversifying World History research.
• Historiographies of theories and practice of democratizing, diversifying, and decolonizing World History.
World History Bulletin therefore invites contributions to a thematic issue on democratizing, diversifying, and decolonizing the world history classroom. We are especially interested in articles that share fresh research or historiographical perspectives which explore the questions of diversifying and decolonizing world history; present innovative teaching at all levels that employs techniques related to democratizing, diversifying, and decolonizing world history themes; or explore the connection between student engagement and world history as realized through the diversification and decolonization of a particular curriculum, topic, or subject matter. We also welcome short interviews with designers, artists, writers, and scholars and small roundtables on a book, film, or other work.
Submission Guidelines: Research and pedagogical articles should range between 1,500 and 8,000 words in length, including endnote text. The Bulletin accepts submissions which adhere to the style, format, and documentation requirements as outlined in the most recent edition of the Chicago Manual of Style. The Bulletin uses endnote citations, rather than footnote citations. Text of submissions should be spelled according to American English standard usage (e.g., favorite, rather than favourite). Submissions should be written in past tense, rather than the literary present, and passive voice should be avoided.
Submission Deadline: November 10, 2023
Essays and questions should be directed to Joseph M. Snyder, Editor-in-Chief of World History Bulletin, at bulletin@thewha.org.