Topic: Institutionalization and Sustainability
Release Date: January 2028
Submission Date
Start: 15 September 2027
End: 30 September 2027
Framework
The issue of institutionalization and sustainability has moved beyond being the concern of specific sectors or disciplines; it has become one of the fundamental issues of life, encompassing social order, humanity’s relationship with nature, education, health, economy, agriculture, environment, knowledge production, and forms of governance. On the one hand, how institutions become established, operate, continue, or disappear; on the other hand, what kind of transformations take place within these structures to make the future possible, are inevitably interrelated.
This thematic issue of the Journal of İnsan ve İnsan aims to understand how the concepts of institutionalization and sustainability correspond structurally and systemically at the individual, societal, and institutional levels, and what kind of theoretical gaps and practical problems arise when these two concepts are not considered together.
Some Questions We Seek to Answer in This Issue:
This issue is concerned with what the concepts of “Institutionalization” and “Sustainability” are, how they can relate to each other, and under what conditions they reinforce or exclude each other. We consider it important to look at institutionalization and sustainability together; to go beyond descriptive or clichéd memorization and approach the subject with a deep, questioning perspective.
In this context, the following questions form the intellectual framework and focus of this issue.
• What do institutionalization and sustainability mean for individuals, societies, countries, and the world? What is the relationship between these two concepts? How does the multifaceted nature of sustainability (environmental, social, economic, cultural, administrative) compel us to rethink which dimensions of institutional structures?
• Is one possible without the other? In other words, is sustainability possible without institutionalization, or institutionalization without sustainability? What kind of institutionalization is required for sustainability, or vice versa?
• What are the purpose, fundamental elements, and essential components of institutionalization and sustainability? Under what conditions can institutionalization and sustainability gain depth and become possible?
• Are there any historical examples or models of institutionalization and sustainability that are still relevant today, that are visionary and guiding? Is it possible to rethink or model these examples today?
• Why do institutionalization and sustainability often remain superficial or weak in Turkey and around the world? What are the social, political, structural, cultural, psychological, mental, or structural barriers to this?
• What kinds of theoretical discussions and proposed solutions have been developed on this subject from the past to the present?
• What kinds of crises does the lack of institutionalization and sustainability cause at the individual, social, economic, cultural, and managerial levels?
• How can sustainability be achieved in social structures and institutions? What kinds of transformations are needed in many areas of life, from family to university, education to health, media to politics, business to art and faith?
• Why do academic studies often remain superficial and confined to formal patterns, failing to make in-depth contributions in areas such as institutionalization and sustainability?
In light of the questions raised, this thematic issue will feature studies that discuss and analyze the relationship between institutionalization and sustainability.
In this context, theories related to the subject, conceptual discussions, the sustainability of institutional structures, policy continuity, institutional memory, transformation capacity, efficiency, ethics, social responsibility, sustainability dynamics at the local and national levels, in education, health, culture, art, and urban life, academic institutionalization and the sustainability of knowledge production, the transformation and sustainability of institutional structures in media, communication, and digital ecosystems, legitimacy and continuity in law, justice, and democratic institutions, and institutionalization and sustainability at the environmental or global level.
However, beyond merely addressing these topics from a formal or descriptive perspective, this issue expects original studies that genuinely engage with the subject matter, particularly those with a solid theoretical background, depth, high empirical or theoretical contribution value. Superficial repetitions, descriptive content, or studies based solely on one-sided analysis will not be considered compatible with the thematic framework.
Submitted works are expected to be in line with the publication policy, writing rules, and ethical principles of İnsan ve İnsan Dergisi; to be meticulous in terms of writing and language; to have high academic and scientific originality and consistency; and to have content that has the potential to contribute to society and academia.