The editors welcome submissions for the eighth issue of the Oxford Middle East Review, a peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary journal for discussion and debate on issues relating to the Middle East and North Africa. The theme for this issue will be: In Flux.
The Middle East and North Africa region has been a subject to, driver of, and site for change throughout history. Located at a global crossroads, the region and its people have shaped, adapted to and driven transformations on a local, regional and global scale and have navigated the continuities and changes of a world in constant flux.
The region has experienced inflection points throughout history that have driven change both from the top down and the bottom up, from the Tanzimat reforms of the Ottoman Empire to the people-driven uprisings of the 21st century. Transformations on a political, economic, social and cultural level have led to renegotiations of political power, international relations and social norms around gender, sexuality, race, and religion. Contemporary global changes present the people, civil societies and governments of the region with new challenges. From the development of new technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, to the emergence of new diplomatic and political orders, and the confrontation with the climate crisis and its demands for energy transition and water management, the global challenges of today affect and are affected by the MENA region. How do states and societies navigate a world in flux? How do moments of sudden or gradual change impact the lives of people in the Middle East and North Africa? How has the region driven and reacted to cultural, artistic and social changes? What future challenges does the region face and how do civil societies and governments deal with and drive change? Where do continuities persist in a region in flux?
We invite authors to reflect on the role of the MENA’s people, civil societies, and governments, not just as a subject to changes, but a driver of local, regional, and global transformations. We encourage submissions to explore change from below or from above and to question what continuities persist during moments of sudden change or during periods of gradual transformation.
We welcome submissions exploring the theme of change from historical and contemporary perspectives and invite authors to engage with it through empirical, theoretical, and comparative approaches, as well as specific case studies. We are an interdisciplinary journal looking for contributions investigating the political, economic, social and/or cultural landscape of the MENA region. Papers will be considered for the journal’s two sections:
Policy Section:
Shorter briefs or position papers up to 2,000 words (including references and citations) aimed at influencing contemporary debate or policy-making.
Research Section:
Articles from 7,500 to 10,000 words (including references and citations) that present original material from any discipline and engage critically with the theme in the context of the Middle East and North Africa region.
Deadline for Submissions: December 10, 2023
Full Submission Guidelines: submission@omerjournal.com
For general queries, please email: editors@omerjournal.com