Call for Papers - Special Issue
Democracy and Knowledge
“Respecting the knowledge of the people for me is a political attitude consistent with the political choice of the educator if he or she thinks about a different kind of society. In other words, I cannot fight for a freer society if at the same time I don’t respect the knowledge of the people.” Paulo Freire
Respecting the knowledge of the people, as Paulo Freire highlights, is crucial in a free and democratic society. Acknowledging diverse forms of knowledge and experience is essential to the democratic ideal of equality and mutuality. At the same time, access to knowledge is important to achieve equity and democratic participation.
The relationship between knowledge and democracy is fundamental yet fraught with complexities, and achieving democratic ideals is never without its difficulties. In a time of growing authoritarianism, political polarization, increased disinformation and politicization of research, alongside other interconnected crises, these democratic ideals find themselves in a hostile and challenging landscape.
In this special issue, we welcome contributions from scholars with various disciplinary backgrounds to discuss and debate contemporary and historical issues on knowledge, education, and democracy from various educational, philosophical, and political perspectives.
Topics suitable for this special issue could include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Democracy and education
- Student/pupil participation and influence in their schooling
- Surveillance and disciplinary control in educational spaces
- Knowledge access
- Academic freedom
Submissions do not have to be focused on the Scandinavian context, and contributions from authors around the globe are welcome. Submissions of papers should be done here by 30 October 2025.
We look forward to your submission!
Confero Editorial Team
About Confero
Confero, Latin meaning “bring or collect together, gather; unite, join” is an interdisciplinary, double-blind peer-reviewed, open access journal focusing on issues relating to education and social criticism. The journal is hosted by the publisher Linköping University Electronic Press at Linköping University, Sweden. The journal, which is indexed in the Norwegian list and DOAJ, provides a space for essayistic writing and encourages discussions, especially of philosophical and political concern. Confero welcomes articles/essays that are not only stringent and systematic but also beautiful, esoteric, and profound.
Notes for Contributors
The submission language is English, but we also accept manuscripts in Swedish, Danish, or Norwegian. We encourage authors to use the APA referencing system. To give the essay form and improve its readability, we ask that the essay has a clearly defined topic or theme that is laid out in the introduction of the piece. We also encourage the writer to divide the text into sections, using headings to promote its readability. Authors are encouraged to refrain from self-references. The text should be proofread before submission. Contributions within the scope of the journal and potentially possessing the qualities for publication will be sent out for peer-review.
We encourage authors to visit our homepage at www.confero.ep.liu.se for further instructions and information. Authors are welcome to contact the editorial group at confero@liu.se when planning your contribution. The terms and conditions of use are related to Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY).
