International Journal of Žižek Studies

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Launched in January 2007, IJŽS is a peer-reviewed, open access academic journal. As its title unambiguously proclaims, it is devoted to the work of Slavoj Žižek, a Slovenian philosopher/cultural theorist. Despite such predictably caricatured media portrayals as "the Elvis of cultural theory" and "the Marx brother", Žižek has attracted enormous international interest through his application of otherwise esoteric scholarship to contemporary mass culture and politics.

With a desire to avoid "how many Žižeks can dance on the head of a pin?" types of debate, and mere hagiography, IJŽS aims to provide a valuable resource for those interested in his inimitable brand of critical thought. Just one small indication of Žižek's wide appeal is apparent from the diverse nature of IJŽS’s Editorial Board and the Journal will be devoted to engaging with the substantive and provocative implications Žižek’s work has for a range of academic disciplines.

For some, the notion of a journal devoted to the work of a theorist very much alive and intellectually kicking is discombobulating. That death should be a prerequisite for sustained scholarly interrogation of a patently substantial body of work, however, is perhaps stranger still. In an interview with one of the many journalists interested in packaging Žižek for mass consumption, Tony Brown of the Editorial Board has pointed out that:

Žižek is alive, which allows him to answer back. Derrida once claimed that people treated him as though he were dead before he actually died, since they were too ready to sum up the import of his work. Žižek always resists such encapsulations of his work and forces us to carry on thinking. He readily challenges people trying to sum him up. Hence his presence on the Board of the journal is unsettling rather than anything else - unsettling in a positive way. Anyone who tried to pin him down would be beating him up, intellectually speaking. Since Žižek is very alive he is able to kick back, interrupt encapsulations, celebrations, as well as criticisms.

Žižek thus defies easy categorisation but the importance of his contribution to contemporary cultural theory is clear. The fact that his success is largely built upon a consistent examination of ideology forcefully belies claims that we now live in post-ideological times. Moreover, his seemingly irrepressible urge and inexhaustible ability to articulate theory at length, in depth, and with manifold entertaining examples, offers significant hope for those seeking respite from the cultural tinnitus of pervasive soundbites.

Focus and Scope

The International Journal of Žižek Studies (IJŽS) is an online, peer-reviewed academic journal devoted to investigating, elaborating, and critiquing the work of Slavoj Žižek. IJŽS is an interdisciplinary journal that is open and welcoming to diverse approaches, methodologies, interpretations, and language of composition.

In its first Issue, IJŽS presents a number of 'Why Žižek?' papers from Board members in order to provide firsthand accounts of Žižek's significance to scholarship. Thereafter, although we invite proposals for guest-edited Special Issues, we welcome articles on any aspect of Žižek's work. IJŽS has no predisposition for specific interpretations of Žižek or the thinkers he interprets.

To utilize the medium-specific qualities of the Web, IJŽS has no pre-set publication dates. Papers will be accepted after peer review into a rolling programme of publication with the expectation of one Volume per calendar year and a variable number of issues per volume depending upon the number and quality of submissions received. This online publication schedule avoids needlessly imitating the limitations of paper-based publications whilst retaining the value of its tried and tested peer review process. The aim is for a journal with high standards but one that also has maximum flexibility and responsiveness to topical issues.

Section Policies

Articles

IJŽS adheres to a policy of blind, peer-review. In order to ensure appropriate review, author name(s) should appear only on the title page, references to any author's prior work should be masked, and internal identifications in the text should be avoided. Manuscripts that have already appeared in any other published form or are under review at any other journal cannot be considered.

Reviews and Debates

IJŽS welcomes book reviews (1,000-2,000 words) and review articles (2,000-3,000 words) relating either directly to Žižek or to closely related themes/writers. We also welcome responses from the authors of works previously reviewed in IJŽS. Please contact the Editorial Office if help is needed obtaining review copies.

Translations

IJŽS invites translations of any of its own content, previously untranslated work by Žižek, or previously untranslated commentaries and reviews of Žižek's articles, book chapters, or other publications. If you are interested in preparing a translation for IJŽS, please contact the editor to coordinate activities.

Interviews and Lectures

IJŽS will occasionally publish interviews with and about Slavoj Žižek. Readers interested in contributing material to this section should contact the General Editor.

Resources and News

IJŽS will occasionally publish information about and access to resources useful for students and scholars of Žižek. Readers interested in contributing material to this section should contact the General Editor.

Announcements/Calls

This section is used for provding announcements of interest to the readers of the journal and for issuing calls for participants interested in contributing to future issues. Unchecked Open Submissions Checked Indexed Unchecked Peer Reviewed

Publication Frequency

To utilize the medium-specific qualities of the Web, IJŽS has no pre-set publication dates. Papers will be accepted after peer review into a rolling programme of publication with the expectation of one volume per calendar year and a variable number of issues per volume depending upon the number and quality of submissions received. This online publication schedule avoids needlessly imitating the limitations of paper-based publications whilst retaining the value of its tried and tested peer review process.

Open Access Policy

This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.

The Sublime Objects of IJŽS

Purely in a spirit of fun* and in keeping with Žižek's own irreverent style, we have created a range of IJŽS-themed objects that can be purchased online (the size chart provides a choice of fits for clothing). They are all sold at the minimum cost price quoted by the specialist customizing site which handles all purchasing and delivery issues. Currently, this customizing site is USA-based, but for Europeans, a UK-based version is due online shortly. We would like to emphasize that there is *no profit whatsoever* made by IJŽS on any sales.

External Links

http://zizekstudies.org/index.php/ijzs/index