“The Systemic Paradox of Democracy: Cybernetics, Threat and Resilience in Complex Governance”

Call for Papers – Special Issue: “The Systemic Paradox of Democracy: Cybernetics, Threat and Resilience in Complex Governance”

Journal: Kybernetes
Publisher: Emerald Publishing
Submission deadline: 31 December 2026

Overview

This special issue—published by Emerald Publishing—examines democracy as a complex, self-referential, and adaptive system. It seeks to understand the "structural paradox" of democratic governance, where the very qualities that promote openness and pluralism also expose institutions to instability and manipulation. Grounded in cybernetics, systems theory, and complexity-informed governance, the issue explores how democratic systems interpret and respond to threats like technological disruption, economic insecurity, and climate stress without undermining pluralism.

Key Research Themes

• Systems Theory & Democracy: Analyzing democracy as a self-referential system that manages feedback loops, recursion, and non-linearity.

• Threat & Securitization: Investigating how democratic institutions construct threats and enact emergency politics, and the resulting impact on legitimacy and stability.

• Governance & Resilience: Exploring how public administration, critical infrastructure, and cross-sector arrangements adapt to coupled crises (war, pandemics, economic shocks).

• Digital Dynamics: The role of AI, disinformation, and digital platforms in reshaping democratic communication, inclusion, and exclusion.

Submission Details

• Submission window: 01 May 2026 – 31 December 2026.

• Submission portal: https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/kyb

• Special Instructions: During submission, ensure you select the special issue title from the "Please select the issue you are submitting to" drop-down menu. For pre-submission inquiries, please email Mehmet Recai Uygur (mehmet.uygur@kolegija.lt), copying Eglė Celiešienė and Sami Çoksan.

Guest Editors

• Mehmet Recai Uygur, Vilnius College of Technologies and Design (mehmet.uygur@kolegija.lt)

• Eglė Celiešienė, Vilnius College of Technologies and Design (egle.celiesiene@kolegija.lt)

• Sami Çoksan, Western University (scoksan@uwo.ca)

Why This Issue Matters

This special issue—published by Emerald Publishing—brings together disparate fields, including democratic theory, organization studies, and resilience thinking, to foster a robust systems-theoretical vocabulary for democratic governance. It aligns with Emerald's "Fairer Society" goal and supports UN SDGs 10, 11, and 16. It offers a unique opportunity to contribute intellectually ambitious scholarship that addresses the cascading crises of the contemporary era.

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