CfP: Musicology No. 41 – Music and Humanity, Deadline: 01.06.2026

Musicology No. 41 – Call for Papers: Music and Humanity

With the aim of exploring the possibility of establishing humanity as a leading paradigm in the sciences of music, this thematic issue invites contributions that expand perspectives on music and dance – from understanding these practices as carriers of humanizing identities to considering them as active means of humanity. Here, humanity is conceptualized as a form of altruistic action oriented toward the well-being of others, whereas humanitarianism has historically been articulated as an external, often paternalistic orientation toward the “Other” – the foreign, distant, and powerless. This call recognizes distinctions among different forms of altruistic action arising from heterogeneous ideological frameworks, ranging from concepts of social humanism to models of capitalist philanthropy (see: Kuljić 2016). Projects that encourage, promote, or practice benevolence through music may influence the ways in which social crises are perceived and interpreted in the broader public sphere, despite the limited potential of music to directly resolve existential forms of human suffering. Activist-oriented scholarly projects remain a marginal segment of academic production, and one of the goals of this main theme is to contribute to their greater visibility and critical evaluation. Submissions are invited that affirm or critically examine musicological, ethnomusicological, and ethnochoreological methodologies developed in the context of demanding and interventionist practical projects. While ethnographic and participatory research is particularly relevant, the call is not limited to these approaches and also encourages historiographical, theoretical, and interdisciplinary contributions. Articles may address, among other topics:

-        the role of endowments and foundations in securing resources for musical life;

-        the commodification of music within philanthropic campaigns;

-        the role of media at the intersection of musical practices and discourses of humanity;

-        music therapy and humanity;

-        fieldwork methods of inclusion, advocacy, and pedagogy in humanitarian musical practices;

-        structural, decolonial, and other critical analyses of musical means in humanitarian projects;

-        conceptualizations of the humanity of music within networks that include post-human actors;

-        ethical issues in research at the intersection of music and humanity.

We invite authors to submit contributions for issue 41, Music and Humanity, prepared in accordance with the technical guidelines of the journal Muzikologija – Musicology, by 1 June 2026 to the journal’s email address (muzikologija-musicology[at]music[dot]sanu[dot]ac[dot]rs). The call for original research articles and review papers for the “Varia” section, as well as for scholarly critiques and polemics, remains open throughout the year. More information about the journal and publication procedures is available at: https://muzikologija-musicology.com/index.php/MM/index.