Call for Proposals - Special Issue - World Religions and Professional Communication

Call for Proposals
Journal of Rhetoric, Professional Communication, and Globalization (ISSN: 2153-9480, rpcg.org)
Special Issue on “World Religions and Professional Communication”
Scheduled for Publication: October 2016
Guest Editors
David Alan Sapp, Loyola Marymount University
Carroll Ferguson Nardone, Sam Houston State University
Barry Thatcher, New Mexico State University

Scholarly conversations about the influence of religion on professional communication have largely been absent in our discipline’s published literature, yet religion often intersects with the work of teachers, researchers, and practitioners. It intersects with rhetorical patterns at many levels and contexts, including the organizations in which we work and volunteer, the sites where we conduct research and solve problems, and our teaching/training practices with students, clients, co-workers community partners, and the many other populations we regularly serve in our professional lives.

The Journal of Rhetoric, Professional Communication, and Globalization invites proposals on the topic of “World Religions and Professional Communication,” broadly envisioned, that address the focus of the special issue and are grounded in relevant theories of the discipline. Proposals authored by scholars and practitioners outside Euro-American contexts or whose work connects to sensitive areas of the world are especially welcome. The volume seeks to include work that represents the diversity of the world’s major religions (in terms of world population: Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, New Age) and others (e.g., Baha’i Faith, Jainism, Judaism, Sikhism, along with indigenous religious traditions, etc.).

Scholarly articles, teaching cases, short reports, interview transcripts, annotated bibliographies, and book reviews will be considered that may include the following topics and genres:
•    Analysis of religious values that influence professional communication in the workplace, especially as connected to globalization and large-scale organizational initiatives
•    Case studies involving charitable/religious initiatives by for-profit industries, academic institutions, and faith-based, humanitarian, activist, not-for-profit, or non-governmental organizations
•    Analysis of religious foundations and influences in areas such as law, politics, education, and economic systems that directly impact global professional communication
•    Rhetorical analysis of religious influences on public policy and advocacy, especially as connected to globalization issues such as immigration, economic development, human rights, and justice.
•    Analysis of religious values that influence the teaching and development of literacy and how those values impact global professional communication
•    Reviews of inter-organizational partnerships and collaborations that are influenced by ethical or moral considerations, which are often tied to religions
•    Analyses of historical artifacts or events that document the influence of religious beliefs on the treatment of vulnerable populations
•    Examinations of corporate social responsibility (a.k.a., corporate conscience) initiatives of organizations with religious aspects to their brand/identity, and the impact of such initiatives on target and other populations, public perception, and efforts in large-scale problem solving
•    Administrative perspectives connected to religion, such as issues faced by teachers of professional communication at religious-based academic institutions in domestic and global settings
•    Narratives exploring the influence of religion on the careers of academic faculty and researchers in fields closely related to professional, technical, and scientific communication, including agriculture, business, computer science, engineering, medicine, and rhetoric

Proposals (500 words) are due November 1, 2015
Full manuscripts (5000-7500 words/scholarly articles, APA style) are due March 15, 2016
Proposals should be sent as email attachments.
The guest editors welcome dialogue regarding potential ideas well in advance of submission deadlines.

About the Journal of Rhetoric, Professional Communication and Globalization
The Journal of Rhetoric, Professional Communication, and Globalization (ISSN: 2153-9480) publishes articles on the theory, practice, and teaching of technical and professional communication in critical global and intercultural contexts such as business, manufacturing, environment, information technology, and others. As a global initiative, the Journal welcomes manuscripts with diverse approaches and contexts of research, but manuscripts are to be submitted in English and grounded in relevant theory and appropriate research methods. The Journal is peer reviewed with an editorial board consisting of experienced researchers and practitioners from over 20 countries.

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