Publishing Opportunities

Polarization and Health Policy in a Global Context (Abstracts: 04/30, Submission: 10/01)

Special issue information: 

Political polarization is on the rise in many parts of the world. Research shows that polarization has numerous negative impacts on population health (Fraser et al., 2022; Nayak et al., 2021; Oberlander, 2024). Rising political polarization often leads to polarization of health issues as well, such as vaccine or pandemic response policies. It can also shape social norms that undergird public health approaches, or give rise to overly politicized responses to public health measures. While there is growing research interest in political polarization and health, much of this research has focused on US and European contexts, and on a relatively narrow set of health issues (Oberlander, 2024).

This special issue of Social Science and Medicine aims to collect a broader array of geographic and disciplinary perspectives on the topic of polarization and health policy. We are particularly interested in research which expands our understanding of how social and political polarization impacts the ability of states and societies to act in ways that protect the public’s health, and which generates new knowledge about strategies that could be used to address such effects of polarization. To this end, we particularly encourage submissions that explore:

• Evidence-based studies of polarization in diverse geopolitical contexts to broaden our understanding of how polarization impacts health policymaking;
• Evidence-based and conceptual studies of polarization related to health issues / topics that have received less research attention (beyond the frequently examined cases of vaccination, masking, and abortion);
• Theoretical and empirical work on how certain health topics become highly polarized while others do not, within or across political societies;
• Papers exploring or applying approaches or investigating cases that directly challenge and test the limits of existing theories of polarization as a concept in health research;
• Studies of how policymakers and health advocates navigate highly polarized political contexts; and what strategies they use to push forward policy agendas in these contexts;
• Interventions that seek to address and diminish real, ideological, or affective polarization around key health issues;
• Historical case studies of health issue polarization–not only how it has grown, but the mechanisms and factors leading to declines over time;
• Empirical studies of how digital information environments and social media impact the polarization of health issues.

Manuscript submission information:

We will follow the below timeline for submissions:

1. April 30, 2026: Abstracts due2. May 30, 2026: Final abstracts selected and corresponding authors provided with a submission link for the journal.3. October 1, 2026: Manuscript submission deadline for selected abstracts

Abstracts for consideration should be submitted to polarizationandhealthSI@gmail.com by April 30, 2026 in the following format:

1. Author’s name, title, and institutional affiliation (including school, college, and/or discipline);
2. Manuscript title;
3. 4-5 keywords;
4. Abstract of 500 words maximum which explains the purpose of the research, principal results and major conclusions. Please also include brief details as to the status of the research being presented and affirming any necessary ethical review board approvals.

Abstracts will be assessed for their fit and contributions to the special issue topic as well as their alignment with the aims and scope of the journal. All submissions should adhere to Social Science & Medicine’s guidelines for authors.

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Guest editors:

Nora Kenworthy, Professor, School of Nursing and Health Studies, University of Washington Bothell, njk8@uw.edu

Joseph Harris, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Boston University, josephh@bu.edu

Interested in becoming a guest editor? Discover the benefits of guest editing a special issue and the valuable contribution that you can make to your field.

Posted 02/20/2026

Nature: Special Collections – Call for Papers The journal Nature (impact factor: 42.78) has issued calls for several topical issues focused on social science themes including: Continuity and change in Russian politics; Green criminology and environmental harm; China in the Global South; Digital society and capitalism; Social and spatial inequalities: processes, impacts and policies; Conceptualizing health research participation in the era of big data; Migration, poverty and inequality; Critical and cultural perspectives on dementia and more. Learn more at Nature: Special Collections.

Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity is a scholarly journal dedicated to the dissemination of information in the field of sexual orientation and gender diversity. The journal seeks submissions in all areas of psychological research, including developmental, social, clinical, community, counseling, family, gender roles and gender nonconformity, lifespan and aging, cultural diversity including race and ethnicity, and international issues. To learn more about the journal, including how to submit a manuscript, see the Psychgology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity website.