Microcosms of Hope

The essays in this Fall 2008 (VI, 4) issue of Human Architecture: Journal of the Sociology of Self-Knowledge entitled Microcosms of Hope: Celebrating Student Scholars, received awards in The Kingston-Mann Student Achievement Awards for Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship. Written by undergraduate students who address deeply urgent and important issues, each essay possesses a clear, distinctive voice. The authors do not turn away from difficult questions and do not waffle, even when they are dealing with questions and data that are ambiguous or contradictory. Although faculty may be accustomed to academic articles rife with qualifiers, indirect points, jargon, and a limited concern for relevance, the essays included here are the works of engaged researchers. They frequently include a call to action, sometimes persuasive for its subtle, measured tone. In this issue, students invite us to consider some traditional merits of scholarly work that have been lost, such as clear and jargon-free writing. They also point the way to new kinds of merit, such as using previously neglected information sources, paying attention to silenced or marginalized voices and questions, and raising issues of social justice. Contributors include: Maureen S. Scully (also as journal issue guest editor), Esther Kingston-Mann (also as journal issue guest editor), Laura Paz, Jaclyn Foster, Eugenia Trabucchi, Jessica Gama, José Luiz Prado Filho, Marie Nelson, Friday Onyeoziri, Manda Lynne Kindle, Mia L. Parviainen, and Mohammad H. Tamdgidi (also as journal editor-in-chief). Human Architecture: Journal of the Sociology of Self-Knowledge is a publication of OKCIR: The Omar Khayyam Center for Integrative Research in Utopia, Mysticism, and Science (Utopystics). For more information about OKCIR and other issues in its journal's Edited Collection as well as Monograph and Translation series visit OKCIR's homepage.