CFP: Topoi Special Issue on Linguistic Derogation and Its Prevention

Paper submissions are invited for the special issue/collection of Topoi entitled: The Darkside of Language: Linguistic Derogation and Its Prevention. The special issue aims to bring together researchers on different areas of derogatory and manipulative language who also discuss the practical implications of their research when it comes to preventing both linguistic derogation/manipulation and its negative effects.

Special issue article publications often bring higher citations and visibility than regular papers and attract more relevant readership due to its scope. Topoi is indexed in the Web of Science under AHCI, currently in Quartile 1 and placed in the top-10 ranked Philosophy-Category journals, with a 2023 IF of 1,3 and CiteScore of 3,1.

Guest Editor(s):

• Stefan Rinner, University of Duisburg-Essen, Email: [email protected]

DESCRIPTION

Language can be used in highly destructive ways. One such way is the usage of pejorative language. These are individual expressions, such as slurs, or larger linguistic constructions, such as hate speech, that are used to derogate an individual or group because of a certain group identity (e.g. based on race, nationality, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or the like) or because of personal characteristics, such as appearance. As a consequence, derogatory language primarily has two functions. First, it can be used to offend or psychologically harm. Second, it can be used to create or reinforce negative attitudes towards the derogated individual or group. For example, most uses of derogatory language for Jewish people in Nazi propaganda had mainly the purpose to create and reinforce anti-Semitic attitudes that would lead to increasing discrimination and violence against Jewish people, to their expulsion or incarceration in concentration camps, and, ultimately, to genocide.

In the philosophy of language, the question then arises how linguistic derogation is accomplished. A satisfactory answer to this question should explain both the offensiveness of derogatory language and the fact that it can be used to create and reinforce negative attitudes. Since a comprehensive understanding of language requires an understanding of how language is used to derogate, providing such an explanation is generally seen as a touchstone for the quality and correctness of theories from the philosophy of language. Moreover, a better understanding of how linguistic derogation is accomplished is not only of theoretical interest, but also of practical and ethical relevance. If we can understand how linguistic derogation works, then we can also understand how to prevent or at least contain the negative consequences of its use, and whether such attempts at containment are compatible with, for example, the right to free speech.

The discussion of linguistic derogation is often scattered throughout different areas of inquiry, such as slurs, hate speech, or misgendering. Furthermore, the question of how a better understanding of linguistic derogation can help us to prevent or at least contain the negative consequences of its use is often neglected. The ambition of this collection is to close both gaps by bringing together researchers on different areas of derogatory language who also discuss the practical implications of their research. In addition, the issue will discuss phenomena in the vicinity of linguistic derogation, such as linguistic manipulation (e.g., the use of dogwhistles).

Possible topics include (but are not limited to):

• The semantics and pragmatics of derogatory language (including misgendering)

• Derogatory language and free speech

• Counterspeech and other ways of blocking the negative effects of derogatory language

• Linguistic manipulation and its prevention (e.g. dogwhistles, coded language, fake news)

INVITED CONTRIBUTORS:

Jennifer Saul and Ray Drainville (University of Waterloo)

Quill R. Kukla (Georgetown University)

Mihaela Popa-Wyatt and Justina Berskyte (University of Manchester)

Bianca Cepollaro (University Vita-Salute San Raffaele) and Dan Lopez de Sa (University of Barcelona)

Deborah Mühlebach (Free University of Berlin)

Teresa Marques (University of Barcelona)

Lynne Tirrell (University of Connecticut)

Romy Jaster (Humboldt University of Berlin) and David Lanius (University of Salzburg)

Emanuel Viebahn (University of Hamburg)

Neftalí Villanueva, Andrea Rodrigues, and José Luis Linán (University of Granada)

Thorsten Sander (University of Duisburg-Essen)

Submission DEADLINE: Please submit your paper by July, 31, 2025. Should you not be able to meet this deadline, please contact the Lead Guest Editor (contact details below).

Online SUBMISSION: Please use the journal’s Online Manuscript Submission System (Editorial Manager), accessible here Editorial Manager®. Do note that paper submissions via email are not accepted.

Author Submission’s GUIDELINES: Authors are asked to prepare their manuscripts according to the journal’s standard Submission Guidelines.

EDITORIAL PROCESS:

• When uploading your paper in Editorial Manager, please select “SI: Linguistic derogation (Rinner)” in the drop-down menu “Article Type”.

• Papers should not exceed a maximum of 9000 words.

• All papers will undergo the journal’s standard review procedure (double-blind peer-review), according to the journal’s Peer Review Policy, Process and Guidance

• Reviewers will be selected according to the Peer Reviewer Selection policies.

• This journal offers the option to publish Open Access. You are allowed to publish open access through Open Choice. Please explore the OA options available through your institution by referring to our list of OA Transformative Agreements.

• Once papers are accepted, they will be made available as Online articles publications until final publication into an issue and available on the page Collections.

CONTACT: For any questions, please directly contact the Lead Guest Editor: Stefan Rinner, [email protected]