2012 Annual Meeting of American Sociological Association
Real Utopias: Emancipatory Projects, Institutional Designs, Possible Futures
2012 Annual Meeting of American Sociological Association
August 17-20, 2012 Denver, CO
“Real Utopias” seems like an oxymoron: Utopia means “nowhere”—a fantasy world of perfect harmony and social justice. To describe a proposal for social transformation as “utopian” is to dismiss it as an impractical dream outside the limits of possibility. Exploring real utopias implies developing a sociology of the possible, not just of the actual. This is a tricky research problem, for while we can directly observe variation in what exists in the world, discussions of possibilities and limits of possibility always involve more speculative and contentious claims about what could be, not just what is. The task of a sociology of real utopias, then, is to develop strategies that enable us to make empirically and theoretically sound arguments about emancipatory possibilities. This opens a wide and challenging agenda for sociology:
Empirical studies of innovative contemporary institutions and practices around the world that in one way or another prefigure emancipatory alternatives to dominant social structures and institutions. The task here is both to seek out the best and most interesting examples of innovation and to understand the limits, contradictions, and dilemmas which they confront. Systematic theoretical models of alternative institutions at both the micro-level and the macro-level, with particular attention to the normative ideals and trade-offs of different institutional designs. 、
Studies of the role of utopian thinking in sociological theory, philosophy, and other forms of social thought.
Research on discourses about social alternatives in the popular imagination and social movements.
Research on various political processes and social struggles involved in advancing and opposing real utopian transformations.
Methodological discussions of the problem of studying limits of possibility and the transformations of such limits.
Explorations of the dilemmas of linking strong normative commitments to empirical research.
The 2012 meeting of the ASA will explore this agenda in the context of the many subfields of sociology. We also welcome proposals for innovative formats for panels and sessions at the annual meeting.