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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Leisure, Labour, and Active Living: A Holistic Approach submission deadline 30 Sep 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 3028 | Submission Open
Keywords: leisure; labour; recreation; sport; well-being
The Social and Emotional Wellbeing of LGBTQ+ Young People
edited by
submission deadline 30 Sep 2025 | 3 articles | Viewed by 2414 | Submission Open
Keywords: LGBTQ+; wellbeing; young people; emerging adults; gender; identity
(This special issue belongs to the Section Gender Studies)
Active Aging Across the Life Course
edited by Lili Xie
submission deadline 30 Sep 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1299 | Submission Open
Keywords: active aging; lifespan; older adults; lived experiences; social engagement
(This special issue belongs to the Section Family Studies)
Gender Equity in K-12 Education, Academia and Higher Education: A Global Perspective
edited by
submission deadline 30 Sep 2025 | Viewed by 497 | Submission Open
Keywords: gender; equity; education; disparities; global perspectives
(This special issue belongs to the Section Gender Studies)
Social Work Education in the Context of Globalization: Perceptions, Challenges and Innovations
edited by Denise MacDermott
submission deadline 30 Sep 2025 | Viewed by 390 | 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)
Understanding Societal Resilience
edited by Martin Endress and Alexandra Busch
submission deadline 30 Sep 2025 | Viewed by 265 | Submission Open
Keywords: societal resilience; communities; socio-historical processes; individuals; multi-level dynamics
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 Sep 2025 | Viewed by 162 | 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)
Race and Ethnicity Without Diversity
edited by and Denise O’Neil Green
submission deadline 15 Oct 2025 | Viewed by 795 | Submission Open
Keywords: race; ethnicity; higher education; diversity in higher education
Thinking about Opinions: Formation, Discourse, Re-examination, and Changing Opinions in the Streaming Era
edited by , Barbara Lewandowska-Tomaszczyk, Chaya Liebeskind and Milana Bolatbek
submission deadline 15 Oct 2025 | Viewed by 725 | Submission Open
Keywords: opinion formation; discourse; opinion expression; opinion re-examination; opinion change; sentiment analysis; opinion evaluation; online opinions; opinion-based group membership; opinion polarization; natural language processing; machine learning; opinion framing; computational social science; natural language processing; social media; social movements; computational linguistics; social network analysis; information manipulation; online trust
(This special issue belongs to the Section Contemporary Politics and Society)
Comparative Perspectives on Mental Health and Justice Systems
edited by Steven T. Keener
submission deadline 30 Oct 2025 | Viewed by 61 | Submission Open
Keywords: mental health; co-occurring disorders; comparative perspectives; diversion from incarceration; decarceration; abolition; criminal justice reform
(This special issue belongs to the Section Crime and Justice)
The Open Society 2.0: Democracy in the Age of Social Media and Populism
edited by Friedel Weinert and John Ackroyd
submission deadline 31 Oct 2025 | 4 articles | Viewed by 6153 | Submission Open
Keywords: challenges of modern societies; information technology; populism; social media; liberty; the rule of law; migration; civil disobedience
(This special issue belongs to the Section Contemporary Politics and Society)
Educational Technology for a Multimodal Society submission deadline 31 Oct 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1732 | Submission Open
Keywords: education; educational technology; digital competence
Equity Interventions to Promote the Sexual Health of Young Adults submission deadline 31 Oct 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1468 | Submission Open
Keywords: youth; diversity; sexual health; equity; policies
Women’s Voices in the Media
edited by Kathryn Shine
submission deadline 31 Oct 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1442 | Submission Open
Keywords: news media; women in the news; gender; gender equality; news sources; news representation; diversity; journalism practice; interviewing; journalism education
(This special issue belongs to the Section Gender Studies)
Understanding the Influence of Alternative Political Media
edited by Hélder Prior
submission deadline 31 Oct 2025 | Viewed by 301 | Submission Open
Keywords: alternative media; journalism; political communication; public sphere; social media; disinformation; polarization; populism; democracy
Migration and Housing
edited by , Qiong He and Anna Pearce
submission deadline 31 Oct 2025 | Viewed by 291 | Submission Open
Keywords: migration; housing; homelessness; social exclusion; race and ethnicity; citizenship; power; intersectionality
Exploring Access and Equity for LGBTQIA Students in Higher Education submission deadline 31 Oct 2025 | Viewed by 133 | Submission Open
Keywords: LGBTQIA students; higher education; campus climate; intersectionality; DEI; LGBTQIA policy; student experience; student identity development; access and belonging; social justice
Social Work on Community Practice and Child Protection
edited by Susan Young, Shayne Walker and Celine Harrison
submission deadline 31 Oct 2025 | Viewed by 82 | Submission Open
Keywords: developmental community work; best interests of the child; policy practice; risk prevention; risk management; primary; secondary and tertiary prevention; cultural responsiveness
In Solidarity with Trans and Gender-Expansive Youth: Resisting Erasure, Demanding Affirmation
edited by Deanna N. Cor
submission deadline 31 Oct 2025 | Viewed by 69 | Submission Open
Keywords: trans youth; gender-expansive youth; gender-affirming care; social justice; counseling and psychotherapy; advocacy; systemic violence; bias; suicide; distress
(This special issue belongs to the Section Childhood and Youth Studies)
Tech-Based Domestic and Family Violence
edited by
submission deadline 31 Oct 2025 | Viewed by 67 | Submission Open
Keywords: technologically mediated violence; intimate partner violence; sexual assault; digital dating abuse; coercion; sexting; revenge porn; digital surveillance; online victimization
(This special issue belongs to the Section Family Studies)
Group Processes Using Quantitative Research Methods
edited by Alison J. Bianchi
submission deadline 31 Oct 2025 | Viewed by 30 | Submission Open
Keywords: group processes; quantitative research methods; theories of group interactions
Towards Equity: Services for Disabled Children and Youth
edited by and Kathryn Underwood
submission deadline 3 Nov 2025 | 3 articles | Viewed by 4817 | Submission Open
Keywords: disabled children and youth; transnational services; service experiences; community interventions; intersectional interpretations
(This special issue belongs to the Section Childhood and Youth Studies)
Intimate Relationships in Diverse Social and Cultural Contexts
edited by Pan Wang and
submission deadline 15 Nov 2025 | Viewed by 273 | Submission Open
Keywords: intimacy; love; courtship; sex; marriage; emotion; romance; affection; partnership; relationship
(This special issue belongs to the Section Family Studies)
Technology, Digital Transformation and Society
edited by
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | 4 articles | Viewed by 11138 | Submission Open
Keywords: digital transformation; societal impact; artificial intelligence; social equity; privacy and ethics; cultural dynamics; inclusivity in digital age; sustainability and technology; policy implications; future directions
Conducive Contexts and Vulnerabilities to Domestic Abuse
edited by Emmaleena Käkelä
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 977 | Submission Open
Keywords: domestic abuse; gender-based violence; intersectionality; conducive context; COVID-19 pandemic
(This special issue belongs to the Section Family Studies)
Cybercrime and Digital Victimization
edited by , Simon Mackenzie and Daniel Silverstone
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | Viewed by 762 | 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)
The Experiences of Undocumented Immigrants Overcoming Social Exclusion
edited by Fanny Lauby
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | Viewed by 582 | Submission Open
Keywords: undocumented immigrants; exclusion; immigrant incorporation; public policy; education; workforce participation; political incorporation; challenges to exclusion
(This special issue belongs to the Section International Migration)
Social Policies in the Digital World
edited by
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | Viewed by 498 | Submission Open
Keywords: digitalization; social policy; welfare state; automation; datafication; artificial intelligence; big data; digital governance; social equity; privacy
(This special issue belongs to the Section Social Policy and Welfare)
Nurturing Bridges: Embracing Growth and Connecting Life for Children
edited by Chi Hung Leung
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 464 | Submission Open
Keywords: child development; emotional well-being; educational practices; holistic growth; nurturing environments; social connections; innovative approaches; evidence-based practices; community engagement; supporting relationships
(This special issue belongs to the Section Childhood and Youth Studies)
Belonging and Engagement of Students in Higher Education
edited by
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | Viewed by 328 | Submission Open
Keywords: student belonging; student engagement; academic success; retention rates institutional culture; peer relationships; faculty support
Disinformation in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
edited by Xosé López García, Hermenegildo José Casas García, and
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | Viewed by 273 | Submission Open
Keywords: disinformation; artificial intelligence; information disorders; disruptive technologies; communication and journalism; digital media
Planning Inclusive Communities: Applying Transformative Research Methods
edited by Lisa Stafford
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | Viewed by 176 | 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)
Police Community Engagement and Evidence-Based Crime Reduction Strategies
edited by Rachel Boba Santos, Scott M. Mourtgos and
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | Viewed by 172 | Submission Open
Keywords: community engagement; evidence-based policing; proactive crime reduction; crime prevention; police legitimacy; police organization; police culture; crime analysis
(This special issue belongs to the Section Crime and Justice)
Big Data and Political Communication
edited by Ana María Velasco Molpeceres, and
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | Viewed by 99 | Submission Open
Keywords: big data; political communication; populism; social media influence; micro-targeting; political polarization; misinformation; data privacy; electoral integrity; digital regulation
Youth Violence and the Urban Response
edited by Lorece Edwards
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | Viewed by 49 | Submission Open
Keywords: youth violence; urban response; public health; mental health; social determinants; structural inequality; evidence-based solutions
(This special issue belongs to the Section Childhood and Youth Studies)
The Impact of Housing Displacement on Quality of Life
edited by
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | Viewed by 28 | Submission Open
Keywords: housing; displacement; gentrification; foreclosure; eviction; geographic trauma; public housing; urban renewal
The Role of Support in Mitigating the Impact of Family Imprisonment on Children and Families submission deadline 15 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 5 | Submission Open
Keywords: children of criminalized individuals; development; familial imprisonment; families; intersectionality; marginalization; need-based support; stigma; silence; voice; wellbeing
(This special issue belongs to the Section Crime and Justice)
Contemporary Challenges to Democracy, Citizenship and Political Participation
edited by Paul W. Posner
submission deadline 30 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 464 | Submission Open
Keywords: inequality; political polarization; extremism; identity politics; ethno-nationalism; voter turnout; erosion of trust; decline of political participation; populism; marginalization of minority groups
(This special issue belongs to the Section Contemporary Politics and Society)
Civil Society, Migration and Citizenship
edited by Taku Suzuki
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 3 articles | Viewed by 6431 | Submission Open
Keywords: migrants; asylum seekers; refugees; civil society; states; international organizations; non-governmental organizations; citizenship; legality
(This special issue belongs to the Section International Migration)
Mental Health and Wellbeing in Elderly People: The Forgotten Loneliness
edited by Philip Tyson, Daniel Bowers, Klara Price and Alexis Jones
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1106 | Submission Open
Keywords: elderly; aged populations; loneliness; mental health; well-being
The Mental Health and Well-Being of Children and Adolescents in the Digital Age
edited by , Philip Mullins, Susan Bray, Claire Gregory and Xun Liu
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 677 | Submission Open
Keywords: well-being; mental health; suicide prevention; family dynamics; substance use; cyberbullying; social media; online safety; school-based interventions
The Roles of the Media in the Dissemination of Health Information
edited by Xueying Zhang, Ziyuan Zhou and Laura Marshall
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 456 | Submission Open
Keywords: health literary; health crisis; misinformation; health equity; ethics in health media; new media technology in health communication; media and public’ s advocacy of health; health behavior change
Social Work and Social Policy: Advances in Theory and Practice
edited by Cathy McElderry and Charnetta Gadling-Cole
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 406 | Submission Open
Keywords: social policy; policy development; policy reform; social work practice; equity; service delivery
(This special issue belongs to the Section Social Policy and Welfare)
Job Stress and Burnout: Emerging Issues in Today’s Workplace
edited by and Beatriz Martin del Rio
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 158 | Submission Open
Keywords: job stress; burnout; occupational health; well-being at work; mental health at work; organizational intervention; organizational culture
(This special issue belongs to the Section Work, Employment and the Labor Market)
Advancing Inclusive Education: Policies, Practices and Cultural Shifts
edited by , and James C. Coviello
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 48 | Submission Open
Keywords: inclusive education; inclusion; disability inclusion; inclusive practices; ableism; curriculum; educational policy; educational leadership; disability studies; equity
Policying and Policing: The Governance of Refugee/(Im)migrant Education in an Age of Hostility—2nd Edition
edited by Jill Koyama
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 39 | Submission Open
Keywords: refugee education; education policy; education equity
Research on Prisons and Ageing
edited by Julie N. Brancale
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 38 | Submission Open
Keywords: prisons; ageing; older inmates; prison healthcare; prison management; prison victimization; re-entry; correctional officers
(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 31 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 34 | Submission Open
Keywords: co-social policies; eco-social work; sustainability; ecological change; social inequalities
(This special issue belongs to the Section Social Policy and Welfare)
History Education and Digital Technologies in Populist Times
edited by
submission deadline 20 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 178 | Submission Open
Keywords: history education; digital technologies; digital education; populisms; critical thinking; historical evidence
The Role of Poverty and Inequality: A Focus on Housing Insecurity, Homelessness and Social Policies
edited by Shane Warren
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 96 | Submission Open
Keywords: inequality; poverty; housing insecurity; homelessness; social policy
(This special issue belongs to the Section Social Stratification and Inequality)
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