Politics, for better or worse, is all about image. From the choices politicians make about their outfits to the colours with which a political party brands itself or the image a speech projects to the public, perceptions frequently dominate over reality.
We invite you to contribute to the Oxford Political Review’s 9th issue, on the theme of ‘Power and Perception’. In this issue, we hope to contemplate the power of the visual side of politics. Who decides what images are presented to the world? How do small decisions impact how these images are perceived? Do these images really matter? What happens when these images clash with reality?
The deadline for submissions is Sunday, 8 January, 2023 (NEW! Extended from previous deadline of Friday, 30 December, 2022).
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We are looking for submissions of a length between 800 and 2,000 words, formatted along the lines of our style guide. For more information on our submission guidelines, please follow this link. Pieces that do not adhere to our submission guidelines will be rejected.
In particular, we look for articles with a strong, unique argument that are written in an accessible manner for non-expert readers. We do not accept pieces that simply summarise research on a specific issue, repeat an already widely-accepted argument, or that are written in the style of an academic essay.
If you have an idea for a submission but you’re not sure if it’s what we’re looking for, you’re welcome to pitch it to us before you write a full-length piece. We recommend that you send your pitch well in advance as a full draft of your article must be received before our submission deadline to be considered for the issue. To submit, please email us at oxfordpoliticalreview@gmail.com.
Typically we have more submissions than we can accept. If we like your submission but cannot accept it for the print issue, we will publish it separately online.
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You are welcome to submit on any topic that could broadly fit under the umbrella of our theme. However, you may also choose to pitch a piece related to any of the sample topics listed below compiled by our editorial team:
- Fashion/style and politics (e.g. politicians moving away from wearing ties at international conferences, Barack Obama’s notorious tan suit, Michael Dukakis and the infamous tank hat, Boris Johnson’s or Kim Jong Un’s famous haircut, Hilary Clinton’s pantsuits, leaders of formerly colonized countries embracing cultural dress vs wearing Westernized suits, beards and politics)
- Architecture and politics (e.g. Soviet architecture, brutalism, hostile architecture)
- Poster design (e.g. political campaign posters, union organizing posters)
- National anthems
- Flag designs
- Political cartoons and caricature
- Campaign slogans
- Social movement names/hashtags
- Branding of the bureaucracy/government agencies
- Transit aesthetics (e.g. Elizabeth line rollout)
- Country branding on the international stage to plaster over human rights abuses (e.g. Japan, Saudi Arabia, Canada)
- Political party names