Special Issues

Social Sciences publishes Special Issues to create collections of papers on specific topics, with the aim of building a community of authors and readers to discuss the latest research and develop new ideas and research directions. Special Issues are led by Guest Editors, who are experts on the topic and all Special Issue submissions follow MDPI's standard editorial process. The journal’s Editor-in-Chief and/or designated Editorial Board Member will oversee Guest Editor appointments and Special Issue proposals, checking their content for relevance and ensuring the suitability of the material for the journal. The papers published in a Special Issue will be collected and displayed on a dedicated page of the journal’s website. Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies and Guest Editor responsibilities can be found here. For any inquiries related to a Special Issue, please contact the Editorial Office.

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Community Engagement in Education: Diverse Stakeholders Share Their Roles in Educational Policy and Practice
edited by Catherine Hands
submission deadline 31 Mar 2026 | Viewed by 336 | Submission Open
Keywords: community involvement; community engagement in education; school-community relations; social context; educational reform; K-12 education; higher education; educational partnerships; collaboration
Planning Inclusive Communities: Applying Transformative Research Methods
edited by Lisa Stafford
submission deadline 31 Mar 2026 | Viewed by 310 | Submission Open
Keywords: inclusive communities and cities; transformative research; social justices; spatial justice; disability; planning; creative methods; place; inclusive methods; practice-based
(This special issue belongs to the Section Community and Urban Sociology)
Credibility and Public Belief in the Contemporary Digital Information Environment
edited by
submission deadline 31 Mar 2026 | Viewed by 247 | Submission Open
Keywords: information credibility; digital communication; belief formation; misinformation and disinformation; media trust; public opinion; institutional legitimacy; media literacy; digital publics; behavioral response
International Social Work Practices with Immigrants and Refugees
edited by Adriana Sandu, and
submission deadline 1 Apr 2026 | 5 articles | Viewed by 4900 | Submission Open
Keywords: refugees; asylum seekers; social services; vulnerability; trauma informed care; capacity building
(This special issue belongs to the Section International Migration)
Criminal Justice Responses to Juvenile Delinquency
edited by
submission deadline 20 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 307 | Submission Open
Keywords: juvenile justice; delinquency; youth crime; diversion; rehabilitation; juvenile courts; prevention; adolescent development; reentry; justice policy; risk-assessment; dual-process youth
(This special issue belongs to the Section Crime and Justice)
Restorative/Transformative Justice Responses to Intimate Partner Violence
edited by Mavis Morton and
submission deadline 20 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 253 | Submission Open
Keywords: gender based violence; restorative justice; transformative justice; intimate partner violence; alternative justice; intersectionality; critical feminist
(This special issue belongs to the Section Crime and Justice)
Sustainability Policy: Key Actors in Its Design—the Role of Public Administration, Policy Entrepreneurs and the Judicial System
edited by Assaf Meydani and Fany Yuval
submission deadline 22 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 381 | Submission Open
Keywords: sustainability policy; policy entrepreneurs; public administration; judicial review; governmentality
Decision-Making in Child Abuse and Neglect: Insights from Professionals’ Perspectives
edited by Merav Jedwab and
submission deadline 29 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 224 | Submission Open
Keywords: decision-making  ; child protection  ; professionals  ; child abuse and neglect  ; risk and protective factors  ; child well-being
(This special issue belongs to the Section Childhood and Youth Studies)
Revisiting School Violence: Safety for Children in Schools
edited by
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | 7 articles | Viewed by 19835 | Submission Open
Keywords: school violence; physical violence; psychological violence; gender-based violence; bullying; cyberbullying; children in armed conflicts; child protection; anti-bullying strategies; children’ s rights
(This special issue belongs to the Section Childhood and Youth Studies)
Health and Migration Challenges for Forced Migrants
edited by , Sonja Novak-Zezula and
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | 8 articles | Viewed by 14590 | Submission Open
Keywords: forced migration; forced displacement; migrant health; refugees; asylum seekers; internally displaced people; health challenges; health services; human rights; practice
(This special issue belongs to the Section International Migration)
Reimagining Climate Change Education for Sustainable Development: Interdisciplinary Pathways and Sociocultural Commitments
edited by , and Juan Alberto Gran Castro
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 171 | Submission Open
Keywords: climate change education; social vulnerability; collective action; sociocultural commitments
(This special issue belongs to the Section Community and Urban Sociology)
Labor, Health, and the Digital Divide: Leveraging Machine Learning for Social Equity
edited by
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 111 | Submission Open
Keywords: machine learning ethics; digital divide; algorithmic bias; health equity; future of work; digital inclusion; social stratification; artificial intelligence; occupational inequality; technological justice
(This special issue belongs to the Section Work, Employment and the Labor Market)
Maternal Health and Family Relationships: Pathways to Resilience and Well-Being
edited by and David Knox
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 87 | Submission Open
Keywords: maternal health; maternal health disparities; resilience; family relationships; family support; family systems
(This special issue belongs to the Section Family Studies)
Tourism and Migration for Sustainable Living and Regions: Possibilities and Limitations
edited by Shiro Horiuchi
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 70 | Submission Open
Keywords: sustainable tourism; lifestyle migration; population decline; environmental conservation; degrowth; social inclusion; ethical consumption; migration support; environmental education; related populations
(This special issue belongs to the Section International Migration)
AI and the Reimagining of Gendered Organizations: Design Perspectives on Power and Futures
edited by and Vaike Fors
submission deadline 30 Apr 2026 | Viewed by 23 | Submission Open
Keywords: artificial intelligence (AI); organizational futures; gender and power relations; design inquiry; speculative design; critical and norm-critical design; feminist and intersectional technologies; algorithmic bias and fairness
(This special issue belongs to the Section Gender Studies)
Belonging and Engagement of Students in Higher Education
edited by
submission deadline 1 May 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 3840 | Submission Open
Keywords: student belonging; student engagement; academic success; retention rates institutional culture; peer relationships; faculty support
The Impact of Housing Displacement on Quality of Life
edited by
submission deadline 1 May 2026 | Viewed by 1002 | Submission Open
Keywords: housing; displacement; gentrification; foreclosure; eviction; geographic trauma; public housing; urban renewal
Public Policy and Family Economic Stability: Fostering Security in Macroeconomic Instability
edited by Dylan Bellisle and Renada Goldberg
submission deadline 1 May 2026 | Viewed by 57 | Submission Open
Keywords: family economic security; social welfare policy; anti-poverty policy; employment policy; economic inequality; policy reform
(This special issue belongs to the Section Social Policy and Welfare)
Inclusion and Integration Issues Among Forced and Voluntary Migrants in Social Work
edited by and Eveliina Heino
submission deadline 5 May 2026 | Viewed by 129 | Submission Open
Keywords: forced migration; voluntary migration; refugee; social work; integration; inclusion
(This special issue belongs to the Section International Migration)
The Civic Potential of Love: Solidarity in Action and the Making of the Social submission deadline 15 May 2026 | Viewed by 173 | Submission Open
Keywords: social love; civic engagement; solidarity; prosocial behavior; collective care; public sociology
Civic Education in the Digital Age
edited by and Antoni Santisteban-Fernández
submission deadline 20 May 2026 | Viewed by 570 | Submission Open
Keywords: artificial Intelligence in Schools; civic and citizenship education; competences for democratic culture; critical thinking against misinformation; digital citizenship among young people; online hate speech; social justice education; students’ counter-narratives; youth polarization
Zones of Violence: Mediating Gender, Power, and Place
edited by
submission deadline 25 May 2026 | Viewed by 124 | Submission Open
Keywords: gender-based violence; intersectionality; spatial logics of violence; private/public spheres; victimhood narratives; power and place; media representation; criminalization of gendered bodies; abolitionist feminism; state violence; carceral feminism; survivor resistance; queer and trans experiences of violence; anti-trafficking discourse; moral panic
(This special issue belongs to the Section Gender Studies)
Achieving Crime Prevention and Community Safety Through Evidence-Based and Theoretically-Driven Early Interventional, Diversionary, as Well as Community Building and Engagement Programs
edited by Mark David Chong
submission deadline 30 May 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 5022 | Submission Open
Keywords: modern approaches to crime prevention and community safety; early intervention; proactive; diversionary; evidence-based; theoretically driven; criminal opportunity-focused; non coercive; non-penally oriented; community building and engagement; primary; secondary; and tertiary interventions; community/NGO– governmental partnerships.
(This special issue belongs to the Section Crime and Justice)
Ethical Challenges in the Intersection of AI, Digital Technology, and Society submission deadline 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 294 | Submission Open
Keywords: digital ethics; ethics of artificial intelligence; algorithmic governance; technology and society
Journalism, Disinformation, and Artificial Intelligence: Ethical, Political, and Social Challenges
edited by , Giulia Sandri and
submission deadline 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 260 | Submission Open
Keywords: AI-driven disinformation; media literacy and civic education; platform governance; journalism autonomy; and public accountability; political communication; political polarization
Romantic Relationships and Mental Health Outcomes During Adolescence and Young Adulthood
edited by Byron Miller and Kathryn Tillman
submission deadline 1 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 40 | Submission Open
Keywords: adolescents; young adults; youth; romantic relationships; dating; marriage; cohabitation; sexual activity; mental health; lifecourse
(This special issue belongs to the Section Childhood and Youth Studies)
Foundational Social Science Research on LGBTQ+ Communities and Populations
edited by Elbert P. Almazan
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | 5 articles | Viewed by 15783 | Submission Open
Keywords: LGBTQ+ community; foundational research; cultural and institutional barriers
(This special issue belongs to the Section Gender Studies)
From Precarious Work to Decent Work
edited by , Hangyoung Lee and Harry Blatterer
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | 7 articles | Viewed by 8496 | Submission Open
Keywords: precarious work; decent work; employment; sociology of work; social inequality
(This special issue belongs to the Section Work, Employment and the Labor Market)
Cybercrime and Digital Victimization
edited by , Simon Mackenzie and Daniel Silverstone
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 1890 | Submission Open
Keywords: identity theft; romance fraud; pig-butchering scams; online sexual threats; ransomware; cyberbullying; online harassment; phishing attacks; incident response; cybercrime legislation
(This special issue belongs to the Section Crime and Justice)
Eco-Social Policies and Work in the Poly-Crisis: Sustainable Welfare in a Conflicting Ecological Transition submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1277 | Submission Open
Keywords: Eco-social policies; eco-social work; sustainability; ecological change; social inequalities
(This special issue belongs to the Section Social Policy and Welfare)
Language and Discourse in Death, Dying and Bereavement
edited by Michael Brennan, Gayle Letherby, and Kate Woodthorpe
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 451 | Submission Open
Keywords: language; discourse; death; dying; grief; end-of-life; narrative; auto/biography; creativity; media
Sexual Violence in University Settings submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 415 | Submission Open
Keywords: sexual violence; acquaintance rape; prevalence; consent; restorative justice; reparation for harm; university women; sexual assault; offender accountability
Comparative Perspectives on Law Enforcement Decision-Making Processes and Their Complexities
edited by Ray Bull, Matt Long and Monika Baylis
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 224 | Submission Open
Keywords: comparative criminology and policing; law enforcement decision-making processes; discretion; ethical issues/methodological approaches in international criminal justice research; comparative criminological reflexivity; complexities of researching discretion; policing models; protecting the rights of the (alleged) victims; witnesses or offenders; confirmation bias; abuse of power; miscarriages of justice
(This special issue belongs to the Section Crime and Justice)
Improving the Competence and Professional Identity of Social Work Students
edited by Einav Segev
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 160 | Submission Open
Keywords: professional identity; competence development; social work education; identity formation interventions; formative experiences; reflective practice; role integration; curriculum innovation
The Vocational Education and Training of Early Childhood Education and Care Professionals: Weaknesses and Strengths of the Dual Model
edited by Magdalena Jimenez, Mónica Torres Sánchez and
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 158 | Submission Open
Keywords: vocational education; dual VET; early childhood education; care
Exploring the Intersection of Social Policy and Social Innovation submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 107 | Submission Open
Keywords: social innovation; social policy; social problems
(This special issue belongs to the Section Social Policy and Welfare)
Educational Innovation and Child Participation in Early Childhood Education
edited by Ana Castro Zubizarreta and
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 75 | Submission Open
Keywords: educational innovation; early childhood education; child participation; educational quality; educational improvement; teacher training; childhood; educational experiences
(This special issue belongs to the Section Childhood and Youth Studies)
Contemporary Organised Crime: Challenges and Issues
edited by Robert Mclean and
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 68 | Submission Open
Keywords: organized crime; drug supply; trafficking; online crimes; fraud; money laundering; international  county lines; exploitation; victimization
(This special issue belongs to the Section Crime and Justice)
Games, Play and Care
edited by , Jasper Van Vught and René Glas
submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 51 | Submission Open
Keywords: games; play; care; well-being; sustainability; heritage; community; futures; online/offline; belonging
Advancing the Social Dimensions of Sustainability Frameworks and Indicators for Resilient Organizations and Communities submission deadline 30 Jun 2026 | Viewed by 49 | Submission Open
Keywords: social sustainability; organizational resilience; psychological safety; employee well-being; technostress; hybrid work; gamification; artificial intelligence in organizations; ethical leadership
Social Innovation: Local Solutions to Global Challenges
edited by
submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 11882 | Submission Open
Keywords: social innovation; social entrepreneurship; social finance; cross-sector collaboration; collaborative governance
(This special issue belongs to the Section Contemporary Politics and Society)
Social Work Education in the Context of Globalization: Perceptions, Challenges and Innovations
edited by Denise MacDermott
submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1259 | Submission Open
Keywords: sustainable social work practices; social justice; social work in disasters; social work education; social work field education; student– faculty pedagogic partnerships; new technologies and professional development; supervision; inter professional learning; international social work
(This special issue belongs to the Section Social Policy and Welfare)
Emerging Trends in Family and Marriage Behaviors and Values
edited by
submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | Viewed by 873 | Submission Open
Keywords: family; marriage; intimacy; emerging trends
(This special issue belongs to the Section Family Studies)
Parenthood in the Contemporary Foster Care System
edited by
submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | Viewed by 177 | Submission Open
Keywords: shared parenthood; foster care systems; child welfare; parent– child relationship; kinship care; multi-parent families; parental responsibility; children’ s rights; family diversity
(This special issue belongs to the Section Family Studies)
Beyond Arrival: Policies and Practices of Refugee and Immigrant Integration submission deadline 30 Aug 2026 | Viewed by 104 | Submission Open
Keywords: migration; refugees; immigrants; integration; resettlement; inclusion; belonging; social cohesion; migration policy
(This special issue belongs to the Section International Migration)
Gender Equity in K-12 Education, Academia and Higher Education: A Global Perspective
edited by
submission deadline 31 Aug 2026 | Viewed by 929 | Submission Open
Keywords: gender; equity; education; disparities; global perspectives
(This special issue belongs to the Section Gender Studies)
Education Innovation and Change Leadership in an Emerging Artificial Intelligence Society
edited by Eugene G. Kowch
submission deadline 31 Aug 2026 | Viewed by 237 | Submission Open
Keywords: artificial intelligence; digital transformation; leadership development; organizational change; social innovation; higher education innovation; education innovation; educational change
Navigating Citizenship and Education: Refugees, Belonging, and the Production of the “Good Citizen”
edited by and
submission deadline 31 Aug 2026 | Viewed by 60 | Submission Open
Keywords: refugee; education; citizenship; belonging; social cohesion; good refugee
(This special issue belongs to the Section International Migration)
Exploring the Dynamics of Interracial Couples and Families
edited by Gita Seshadri
submission deadline 31 Aug 2026 | Viewed by 54 | Submission Open
Keywords: individual; couple; and relational well-being; mental health; intersectionality; parenting; immigration; race; culture; faith; couple and family identity development; social support; stigma and discrimination; power and privilege; navigating difference
(This special issue belongs to the Section Family Studies)
The Coming Decade: European Perspectives on Evolving Physical Health Challenges in Prisons submission deadline 31 Aug 2026 | Viewed by 22 | Submission Open
Keywords: prison; incarceration; inequality; prisoner health; physical health
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