The Journal for Cultural and Collective Studies is a forum that aims to develop a collective science based on cultural studies. This new discipline focuses on the collective as a bearer of culture, serving both practical cultural research and providing novel insights into the nature of the social. The broadly defined concept of the collective replaces traditional notions of groups and societies, making previously hidden layers of human communal existence accessible. The journal is published biannually, alternating between thematic issues and conference proceedings. Issue 4/1 is dedicated to the promises, ambivalences, and pitfalls of collectivities. The contributions describe, from an interdisciplinary perspective, the political effectiveness and the conditions of constitution of collectives.