Utopia: Social Theory and the Future

Jacobsen & Keith Tester (eds.), Michael Hviid

ISBN 10: 1409406997 / ISBN 13: 9781409406990

Published by Ashgate, Aldershot, 2012

About this Item

Size: 8vo 7 3/4 - 9 3/4". x + 228pp. Internally clean. Binding firm, spine slightly cocked. Edges slightly marked. Covers slightly marked. Quantity Available: 1. Shipped Weight: Under 1 kilogram. Category: Sociology & Culture; Politics & Government. ISBN/EAN: 9781409406990. Pictures of this item not already displayed here available upon request. Inventory No: 58663.

Seller Inventory # 58663

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Utopia: Social Theory and the Future
• Publisher: Ashgate, Aldershot
• Publication Date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1409406997
• ISBN 13: 9781409406990
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: First Edition.
• Condition: Very Good
• Dust Jacket Condition: No Dust Jacket
• Seller catalogs:
  • Sociology & Culture

About this title

Synopsis

In the light of globalization's failure provide the universal panacea expected by some of its more enthusiastic proponents, and the current status of neo-liberalism in Europe, a search has begun for alternative visions of the future; alternatives to the free market and to rampant capitalism. Indeed, although these alternatives may not be conceived of in terms of being a 'perfect order', there does appear to be a trend towards 'utopian thinking', as people - including scholars and intellectuals - search for inspiration and visions of better futures. If, as this search continues, it transpires that politics has little to offer, then what might social theory have to contribute to the imagination of these futures? Does social theory matter at all? What resources can it offer this project of rethinking the future? Without being tied to any single political platform, Utopia: Social Theory and the Future explores some of these questions, offering a timely and sustained attempt to make social theory relevant through explorations of its resources and possibilities for utopian imaginations. It is often claimed that utopian thought has no legitimate place whatsoever in sociological thinking, yet utopianism has remained part and parcel of social theory for centuries. As such, in addition to considering the role of social theory in the imagination of alternative futures, this volume reflects on how social theory may assist us in understanding and appreciating utopia or utopianism as a special topic of interest, a special subject matter, a special analytical focus or a special normative dimension of sociological thinking. Bringing together the latest work from a leading team of social theorists, this volume will be of interest to sociologists, social and political theorists, anthropologists and philosophers.

About the Author

Michael Hviid Jacobsen is Professor of Sociology at Aalborg University, Denmark, and co-editor of The Sociology of Zygmunt Bauman, Encountering the Everyday, and The Transformation of Modernity. Keith Tester is Professor at The Thesis Eleven Centre for Cultural Sociology at LaTrobe University, Australia and Senior Fellow at the Centrum Myśli Jana Pawła II, Warsaw, Poland. He is author of Humanitarianism and Modern Culture, Moral Culture, The Social Thought of Zygmunt Bauman, and Animals and Society.