Call for Papers: Recognition and Critical Social Research

Topic in Frontiers in Sociology
Editors: Luiz Gustavo Da Cunha De Souza (Florianopolis) & Gottfried Schweiger (Salzburg)
Manuscript Summary Submission Deadline 03 March 2025Manuscript Submission Deadline 27 June 2025
Website:  https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/68457/recognition-and-critical-social-research

Since the early 1990’s recognition theory, as advanced by Axel Honneth and others, has become a crucial framework for contemporary social research examining modern societal dynamics in a large number of areas. It provides insights into how individuals and groups demand and experience reciprocal respect and understanding within their social contexts, which is essential for analyzing personal and collective identity formation, social conflicts over esteem and status, and mechanisms of integration and exclusion. As a tool for social critique, recognition has proved to be a foundational concept for understanding social inequality and injustice, positing that struggles for recognition drive social conflicts related not only to symbolic forms but also to distributive issues. Meanwhile, misrecognition, as the counterpart of recognition, is a term widely used to describe marginalization caused by lower status, denial of rights, and even the lack of minimal material standards of living. Applied to gender relations, labour conditions, and identity politics, recognition theory offers perspectives on how societal norms affect self-realization, the experience of social integrations, and political participation. Integrating recognition theory helps scholars understand the interplay between individual agency and structural factors, exploring how social policies and institutional practices contribute to or alleviate injustices. In changing societies, recognition theory remains vital for addressing issues related to social cohesion, identity formation, and the pursuit of a more equitable society.

The primary objective of this Research Topic is to critically examine recognition theory within the wider scope of its connections to issues related to sociological theory, social critique, and social research. Through an interdisciplinary integration of theoretical and empirical perspectives on recognition, we aim to understand how the different aspects associated with this concept are reflected on social interactions such as conflict, cooperation, or solidarity, how identity formation is influenced by it, and to what extent does relationships of reciprocal recognition shape individual experiences in contemporary societies.We seek to explore key issues such as how recognition or misrecognition within social institutions contributes to inequality and injustice, and how recognition theory informs social critique by revealing mechanisms of exclusion, marginalization, and power dynamics. Also within the scope of this Research Topic are the wide array of practical and theoretical issues in sociological theory that describe the tension between individual self-realization, social integration and structural transformations of institutions that provide the context of social life. Critical areas include the intersection of recognition with gender relations, labour conditions, cultural identities, and the economic system’s impact on social cohesion. Understanding these aspects helps reveal how recognition affects individuals‘ ability to participate fully in society, influencing their perceived self-worth and belonging.

This Research Topic encourages interdisciplinary dialogue, bridging recognition theory with other sociological and social theories to generate innovative perspectives, enrich methodologies, and contribute to practices achieving greater social justice and equity. By engaging with these themes, we aim to stimulate exploration of recognition as pivotal in addressing complex social challenges of modern capitalist societies. Our goal is to advance theoretical discussions and apply recognition theory in empirical studies that illuminate lived experiences, thereby contributing to meaningful social change.

We invite scholars to submit manuscripts exploring the role of recognition within sociological theory, social critique, and empirical research. Our aim is to bridge theoretical frameworks with practical analyses, enhancing understanding of recognition in contemporary social dynamics. Potential topics include theoretical expansions of recognition theory, integration with other social theories, and studies on how recognition affects social inequality, gender relations, labour conditions, cultural identity, and power dynamics. The relationships between the normative aspects of recognition and strucutural transformation of capitalist structures are also a welcome topic, connecting recogntion to the wide tradition of political economy and epochal diagnosis. We encourage research combining normative theoretical perspectives with empirical data to address ethical dimensions of recognition, as well as analyses of recognition in education, digital societies, and intersections with theories like critical theory and feminism.We welcome diverse manuscript types, including research articles, essays, reviews, and case studies. Interdisciplinary submissions are highly valued. Authors are encouraged to advance theoretical understanding and offer practical solutions to challenges related to recognition. Submissions should deepen discourse on recognition, providing innovative perspectives and rigorous analysis to highlight its vital role in shaping societal structures and informing policies.