Free speech and hate speech
related to SDG 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.
The tension between the protection of individual freedom of expression and the prevention of harm to vulnerable groups lies at the heart of the debate over the boundaries between hate speech and mere free speech.
Historically, free speech emerged as a cornerstone of democratic societies during the Enlightenment period — the free exchange of ideas, even controversial ones, it was argued, was essential for social progress and the pursuit of truth. This underlying principle became enshrined in foundational documents such as the First Amendment to the US Constitution and Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Research is invited that explores the concepts of freedom of speech, and free speech and hate speech, including the grey areas that exist between. Scholarship is invited on all major areas of discussion, including but not limited to:
- Psychological and societal factors (e.g., political polarization and social cohesion)
- ‘Cancel culture’ and censorship
- Radicalisation and violence
- Technological and algorithmic approaches (e.g., content moderation) to enabling free speech/minimising hate speech
- Categories of protected and prohibited speech
- Legal frameworks and regulations
- Minority voices and social justice
- Solutions and policymaking (e.g., media literacy education, digital citizenship, community self-regulation)
- Democracy and representation
- Media ownership and press freedom
Submitting a paper for consideration
To submit your manuscript for consideration at Humanities & Social Sciences Communications as part of this Collection, please follow the steps detailed on this page. On the first page of our online submission system, please select your article type from the drop down menu. When on the “details” tab, you will be presented with the option to select which Collection your article should be submitted to. Authors should also express their interest in the Collection in their cover letter.
Accepted papers are published on a rolling basis as soon as they are ready.
Find out more about the Editors here
For more details refer here
