Announcements

The field of social studies explores how individuals, communities, and institutions interact across time and space, while addressing the social issues that define contemporary life. In an era marked by inequality, rapid technological change, migration, environmental crises, and shifting political landscapes, the study of social structures and policies has become vital to understanding how societies evolve and how equitable solutions can be developed. This field not only examines human behavior and systems but also seeks to inform the creation of fairer, more inclusive, and more resilient communities.

Drawing on diverse disciplines such as sociology, political science, law, anthropology, economics, and psychology, Social Studies connects scholarship to real-world challenges including poverty, gender inequality, education reform, public health disparities, disability inclusion, and environmental justice. It emphasizes both critical analysis and practical engagement with public policy and social reform, encouraging collaboration between researchers, practitioners, and policymakers.

At its heart, this field fosters inquiry, civic awareness, and ethical reflection. It invites scholars to interpret multiple perspectives and contribute to the shared goal of advancing social well-being. Through this journal cluster, we aim to strengthen dialogue and collaboration across disciplines, linking research on law, health, equity, environment, family, and identity to the urgent social and policy questions shaping our collective future.

The following are the seven participating journals:

• Challenges-Journal of Planetary Health (ISSN: 2078-1547) focuses on planetary health; human flourishing; climate change; biodiversity and natural ecology; food systems; regenerative economies; sustainable energies; technologies; planetary health education; and ethics, values, and spirituality. The journal is led by Editor-in-Chief Prof. Dr. Susan Prescott (1. School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Australia; 2. ORIGINS Project, Telethon Kids Institute at Perth Children’s Hospital, Australia; 3. NOVA Institute for Health of People, Places and Planet, USA);
• Disabilities (ISSN: 2673-7272) focuses on the physical, biopsychosocial, and environmental aspects of disability. The journal is led by Editor-in-Chief Prof. Dr. Reinie Cordier (Curtin School of Allied Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Australia);
• Genealogy (ISSN: 2313-5778) focuses on family, generational, ethnic, ancestral, and national bonds. The journal is led by Editors-in-Chief Dr. Athena Leoussi (Department of Languages and Cultures, University of Reading, UK), Prof. Dr. Natividad Gutiérrez Chong (Institute of Social Research, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico), and Prof. Dr. Joanna Beata Michlic (UCL Institute for Advanced Studies, Centre for Collective Violence, Holocaust and Genocide Studies, University College London, UK);
• Laws (ISSN: 2075-471X) focuses on human rights, gender, environmental, refugee, and criminal law, among others. The journal is led by Editor-in-Chief Prof. Dr. Patricia Easteal (1. School of Law and Justice, University of Canberra, Australia; 2. Legal Light Bulbs, Australia);
• Sexes (ISSN: 2411-5118) focuses on the area of sexuality. The journal is led by Editor-in-Chief Prof. Dr. David L. Rowland (Department of Psychology, Valparaiso University, USA);
• Social Sciences (ISSN: 2076-0760) focuses on sociology, social policy, social work, anthropology, criminology, etc. The journal is led by Editor-in-Chief Emeritus Prof. Nigel Parton (School of Human and Health Sciences, University of Huddersfield, UK);
• Societies (ISSN: 2075-4698) focuses on sociology and societal questions to enhance our understanding of the social realm throughout history. The journal is led by Editor-in-Chief Prof. Dr. Gregor Wolbring (Community Rehabilitation and Disability Studies, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada). 

MDPI mission and values:
As a pioneer of academic open access publishing, MDPI has been serving the scientific community since 1996. Our aim is to foster scientific exchange in all forms across all disciplines. MDPI’s guidelines for disseminating open science are based on the following values and guiding principles:

Open access: All of our content is published in open access and distributed under a Creative Commons License, providing free access to science and the latest research, allowing articles to be freely shared and content to be re-used with proper attribution.

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By adhering to these values and principles, MDPI remains committed to advancing scientific knowledge and promoting open science practices.

Selected Topics and Special Issues:

• “Planetary Health: Urgency and Agency for Systems Change. Including Submissions Associated with the 2025 Planetary Health Annual Meeting (PHAM2025)”;
• “Transportation and Disabilities: Challenges and Opportunities”;
• “Exploring Family Ancestral Histories Through Genetic Genealogy”;
• “Rethinking Law for Nonhuman Minds: AI Agents and the Transformation of Legal Fundamentals”;
• “Social, Structural and Behavioral Interventions for HIV Prevention”;
• “Labor, Health, and the Digital Divide: Leveraging Machine Learning for Social Equity”;
• “The Well-Being of Socially Vulnerable Groups in the Unsteadiness During Social Movements”.

Selected Articles:

• “Nature Connection: Providing a Pathway from Personal to Planetary Health”
• “The Power of Acceptance of Their Disability for Improving Flourishing: Preliminary Insights from Persons with Physical Acquired Disabilities”
• “Notes toward a Demographic History of the Jews”
• “Redefining Boundaries in the Metaverse: Navigating the Challenges of Virtual Harm and User Safety”
• “The Role of Breast Morphology in Women’s Rival Derogation Tactics”
• “Impacts of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education: Research Trends and Students’ Perceptions”
• “AI Tools in Society: Impacts on Cognitive Offloading and the Future of Critical Thinking”