In Latin America today, anti-pluralist dispositions encompassed by the term ‘fundamentalism’––apparently bound to the field of religion, but outcome of a more complex social, historical, and political genesis––, allied to other forms of political, economic, and moral conservatism, seem to constitute one of the main obstacles to gender equity and the exercise of sexuality as a human right. This claim, however, can be subject to interrogation in at least two directions: (i) in what contexts not only religious, but also scientific, and political dogmatisms emerge, and what is their currency, particularly in the field of sexual and reproductive rights, LGBT movements, prostitution, and other sex politics issues in Latin America; (ii) what is the scope and heuristic potential (as well as the impasses and limits) of the fundamentalism/pluralism dichotomy, to address the porous borders, oppositions, alliances between secular and religious investments on sexual regulation in Latin America.
This special issue of Sexualidad, Salud y Sociedad – Latin American Journal welcomes original works addressing the incidence of non-pluralistic perspectives in different fields of knowledge, governance, political and community mobilization. In the context of political struggles, such dispositions have been identified as ‘dogmatism,’ ‘radicalism,’ ‘extremism,’, or ‘orthodoxy.’ In different scientific fields, they are referred to as ‘determinisms’, ‘reductionisms,’ or ‘essentialisms.’
Discussions on gender and sexual politics (e.g., on sex education, homophobia, gender violence, prostitution, human trafficking, “conversion therapy,” LGBT rights, etc.); as well as issues related to the body, its uses and transformations, the extension and limits of life (abortion, assisted reproduction, manipulation of embryos, euthanasia, genetic research on sexual orientation, etc.) are welcome. It is in those topics, among others, that the so-called fundamentalisms come to challenge the modern ideal of separation between religion and politics, religion and science, science and politics. As far as these discussions emerge in public controversies, or in relation to the recognition of new subjects of rights, as well as the micro-politics of private life, they are at the core of definitions regarding the nature/nurture, and body/mind divide, with a significant impact on contemporary notions of personhood.
This special issue welcomes unpublished papers based on empirical research from various disciplines, as well as theoretical discussions, including literature and book reviews addressing issues within its thematic scope. The deadline for submission of complete manuscripts is January 31, 2016. Authors may send their paper proposals (title, abstract, and summary) for early consideration by the editors, before November 31, 2015. After preliminary evaluation by the guest editors, selected manuscripts will be submitted to peer-review.
Contributions may be written in English, Spanish, or Portuguese. Please refer to the Journal guidelines at: http://www.sexualidadsaludysociedad.org > About Please send your paper proposal and consultations about this special issue before November 31, 2015, to: EspecialFundamentalismosSSS@gmail.com
Final manuscripts must be submitted through the Journal’s platform before January 31, 2016, at: http://www.sexualidadsaludysociedad.org
This special issue is scheduled to be launched on August 1st, 2016.
Guest Editors: Emerson Giumbelli (UFRGS), Fabíola Rohden (UFRGS), Horacio Sívori (UERJ).