‘The Language of “Authoritarian” Regimes’ is seeking contributors to explore any aspect of the creation, dissemination and reception of discourse in or about cases commonly referred to as ‘authoritarian’.

The project, run by an all-volunteer team, seeks to provide a space in which those working on ‘authoritarianism’ can share critical reflections on usages and practises of ‘authoritarianism’ in the study of contemporary and historical contexts, enriching knowledge of the diverse cultures and societies frequently written off as ‘authoritarian’, and making connections between history and issues in the present day.

We welcome contributions that speak to this aim from a range of geographical, methodological or historical perspectives, and from all levels of study inside and outside ‘the academy’. Blogs can be based on interesting and relevant aspects of your research or methodology; related to a project or to a stand alone strand of research; or alternatively may be tied to current events or an upcoming date or anniversary.

Possible topics for exploration include (but are not limited to):

  • Challenges to the concept of ‘authoritarianism’ in any context
  • Critique or nuance of rigid distinction between ‘authoritarian’ and ‘democratic’ politics, or of similar binaries and distinctions
  • Representations of ‘authoritarianism’ in visual discourse
    • eg. architecture; clothing; and other such aspects of visual culture
  • The Arts, their engagement with states, and strategies for navigating constraints
  • National discourses, their construction and responses to them
  • Gender ideology
  • Sex and sexuality and the discourse surrounding these
  • Religion and religious practice, and conformity and/or non-conformity
  • Case studies and individual experiences of authoritarianism explored through discursive engagement
  • Medical discourse, e.g. mental health or reproductive discourses

 

Guidelines for Bloggers:

Blog posts should generally be between 800-1500 words. We can host longer pieces if desired; alternatively we can split longer posts into ‘parts’ if that’s a format that works for the piece.

Submissions should be written with a non-specialist audience in mind, so please write in an accessible manner, and use hyperlinks where possible in the place of footnotes to clarify terms etc.

Paragraphs need to be much shorter than usual, to improve readability on a web page – around 6 lines long maximum.

Please include at least one relevant image, for which you have obtained permission, along with clear attribution information. We also welcome your use of other media, again as long as you have obtained permission and clear attribution information. Please also include a short bio (relevant links to Twitter, other projects etc welcome and encouraged), to be included with your post.

Please email submissions to either h.e.parker@sheffield.ac.uk, or stephanie.wright@bbk.ac.uk.