[Press Release] The 1st UMI4AA Annual Call for Papers  

The original Korean version of this announcement was posted on August 4, 2024. (Click HERE to view.)  

The 1st UMI4AA Annual Call for Papers

October 1, 2024 – March 16, 2025

Topics: Unwed motherhood and related themes

Selection: 3 to 5 papers

Prize: KRW 400,000 per paper 

Eligibility: Open; submissions in Korean only

Submit/Inquire: umi4aa@gmail.com | (+82) 31-772-8639

For full details in Korean, scan the QR code.

The 1st UMI4AA Annual Call for Papers  

♣ Background 

The term “unwed mother” intersects with a range of complex themes, including minority identity, otherness, motherhood, family normativity, adoption systems and practices, mixed-race and non-mixed-race identities, orphans, child abandonment, the rights of children born outside marriage, social stigma, poverty, diaspora, Christianity, and even eugenics. However, scholarship on unwed motherhood has traditionally framed single mothers primarily as welfare recipients, inadvertently re-marginalizing them and reinforcing the stigma surrounding unwed motherhood.

In response, Unwed Mothers Initiative for Archiving and Advocacy (UMI4AA) is pleased to announce the 1st Annual Call for Papers. This initiative seeks to promote scholarship that examines unwed motherhood as a historical concept and social phenomenon, exploring how “unwed motherhood” has been constructed, represented, transformed, and politicized over time. We warmly invite scholars from diverse academic disciplines to share their perspectives and insights on this critical topic.

♣ Overview 

• Research Topics: 
• We welcome scholarly papers on topics related to unwed motherhood, including but not limited to sexuality outside of marriage, reproductive rights, family structures, motherhood, adoption, children born outside of marriage, and the lived experiences of unwed mothers. Papers may draw from disciplines such as history, anthropology, cultural studies, sociology, women’s studies, social history, cultural history, social welfare history, legal studies, literature, art, or oral history. This list is not exhaustive, and submissions on any relevant themes or disciplines are encouraged.
• Note: Policy recommendation papers are not encouraged.
• Accepted Papers:
• 3 to 5 submissions will be selected for recognition.
• Prize for Accepted Papers:
• Each selected paper will receive KRW 400,000, with an additional KRW 200,000 for papers accepted for publication in a journal recognized by the National Research Foundation of Korea within six months of selection.
• Eligibility:
• This call for papers is open to all capable of writing an academic paper.
• Note: Submissions must be written in Korean.
• Submission Period:
• October 1, 2024 – March 16, 2025
• Required Documents and Submission Format:
• All submissions must be prepared in Hancom Word, written in Korean, and formatted in A4 size, 10pt font, with 160% line spacing.
• Application Form: Available for download on our website HERE
• Abstract: Approximately 1-2 pages (200-600 Korean words; 1,000-3,000 characters)
  
• Full Paper: Approximately 48-60 pages (4,800-6,000 Korean words; 24,000-30,000 characters)
• Submission Method:
• Please email all submissions to umi4aa@gmail.com
• Inquiries:
• For questions, please contact us at (+82) 31-772-8639 or umi4aa@gmail.com
• Announcement:
• Results will be posted on our website, and winners will be notified individually in April 2025 following a review by the paper review committee (composed of 3-5 members).
• Presentation of Selected Papers:
• Authors of selected papers will be invited to present their work at a paper presentation event in May 2025.
• Notes: 
• Only unpublished papers are eligible; duplicate submissions to other journals are not accepted.
• Submitted papers will not be returned.
• Selected authors will be required to submit a plagiarism report (using Copy Killer).

Thank you for your interest in contributing to the 1st UMI4AA Annual Call for Papers. We look forward to your submissions!