Towards a Sociology of Hope

Towards a Sociology of Hope
Author: Guido Gili
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 178
Release: 2024-12-02
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1040262805

Why does hope appear in certain epochs and places, only at other times to disappear from people’s lives and from society as a whole? This book addresses hope from a sociological perspective, offering a theoretical framework and a set of concepts to consider a range of questions. With attention to who the historical bearers of hope are, and which social groups are most inclined towards hope and why. It also considers the objects and goals towards which their hope is directed and the conditions under which hope is easier. An enquiry into the relationship between hope and social, cultural, economic and political conditions, this volume redirects the sociological gaze towards the discovery of social experiences in which hope resurrects and contributes to the imagination of a new social world. It will therefore appeal to scholars of sociology and social theory with interests in the emotions, social practices and social movements.

The Sociology of Hope

The Sociology of Hope
Author: Henri Desroche
Publisher: Routledge & Kegan Paul Books
Total Pages: 230
Release: 1979
Genre: Social Science
ISBN:

This book focuses on hope as a religious phenomenon, as the inspiration for various kinds of millenarianism, their cults of possession and utopian experiments. Drawing in particular on anthropology and the sociology of religion, the author presents a survey of millenarianism in many cultures, including Judaism, Islam and the early Christians. He also considers more recent millenarianisms such as the Fifth Monarchy Men, the Mormons, the Doukhobors and 'Black Messiah' movements in the Third World. He goes on to indicate the relationships between revolutionary ideologies and religious messianism, and points to the contrast between older movements, which were predominantly religious, and more recent forms of millenarianism, which tend to be social in character. He stresses, however, that both have or had a common aim -- the achievement of a perfect society.

Problems of Hope

Problems of Hope
Author: Patrick Bresnihan
Publisher: ARN Press
Total Pages: 159
Release: 2017-11-01
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0957588224

However hopeless we often feel, we are creatures of hope. This collection of short accessible essays explores the ways in which hope is bound up with power in worlds that are composed through imagination, transformation and feeling. Hope is the most precious ingredient of power. The essays do not assume hope to be inherently good or emancipatory. Rather they reflect on how hope can both support and obstruct us in our efforts to make lives more livable, or futures more just. The essays draw on social research, philosophy, literature, music and film to show how hope might re-enchant writing and politics for a post-hopeful age. This is a book for those who want to remain hopeful but find it hard to see how. Contents Introduction: Problems of hope Cranes, Luke Carter On finding hope beyond progress, Leila Dawney Xanadu, Miles Link Hope without a future in Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower, Patrick Bresnihan Eagles, Luke Carter Seeking, Claire Blencowe Hope in a minor key, Naomi Millner Hopefully indebted, Sam Kirwan Starlings, Luke Carter Rhythms of hope, Julian Brigstocke Networked hope, Aécio Amaral The Psychonaut’s journey: Race, closure, and hope, Tehseen Noorani Epilogue Further Reading

Sociology for Optimists

Sociology for Optimists
Author: Mary Holmes
Publisher: SAGE
Total Pages: 174
Release: 2016-09-10
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1473934265

Breaking away from the idea that sociology only ever elaborates the negative, Sociology for Optimists shows that sociology can provide hope in dealing with social issues through critical approaches that acknowledge the positive. From politics and inequality to nature and faith, Mary Holmes shows how a critical and optimistic sociology can help us think about and understand human experience not just in terms of social problems, but in terms of a human capacity to respond to those problems and strive for social change. With contemporary case studies throughout grounding the theory in the real world, this is the perfect companion/antidote to studying sociology.

Green Utopias

Green Utopias
Author: Lisa Garforth
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 208
Release: 2017-11-10
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0745684777

Environmentalism has relentlessly warned about the dire consequences of abusing and exploiting the planet's natural resources, imagining future wastelands of ecological depletion and social chaos. But it has also generated rich new ideas about how humans might live better with nature. Green Utopias explores these ideas of environmental hope in the post-war period, from the environmental crisis to the end of nature. Using a broad definition of Utopia as it exists in Western policy, theory and literature, Lisa Garforth explains how its developing entanglement with popular culture and mainstream politics has shaped successive green future visions and initiatives. In the face of apocalyptic, despairing or indifferent responses to contemporary ecological dilemmas, utopias and the utopian method seem more necessary than ever. This distinctive reading of green political thought and culture will appeal across the social sciences and humanities to all interested in why green utopias continue to matter in the cultivation of ecological values and the emergence of new forms of human and non-human well-being.

Measuring Culture

Measuring Culture
Author: John W. Mohr
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Total Pages: 290
Release: 2020-08-11
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0231542585

Social scientists seek to develop systematic ways to understand how people make meaning and how the meanings they make shape them and the world in which they live. But how do we measure such processes? Measuring Culture is an essential point of entry for both those new to the field and those who are deeply immersed in the measurement of meaning. Written collectively by a team of leading qualitative and quantitative sociologists of culture, the book considers three common subjects of measurement—people, objects, and relationships—and then discusses how to pivot effectively between subjects and methods. Measuring Culture takes the reader on a tour of the state of the art in measuring meaning, from discussions of neuroscience to computational social science. It provides both the definitive introduction to the sociological literature on culture as well as a critical set of case studies for methods courses across the social sciences.

Historical and Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Hope

Historical and Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Hope
Author: Steven C. van den Heuvel
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 272
Release: 2020-07-20
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 303046489X

This open access volume makes an important contribution to the ongoing research on hope theory by combining insights from both its long history and its increasing multi-disciplinarity. In the first part, it recognizes the importance of the centuries-old reflection on hope by offering historical perspectives and tracing it back to ancient Greek philosophy. At the same time, it provides novel perspectives on often-overlooked historical theories and developments and challenges established views. The second part of the volume documents the state of the art of current research in hope across eight disciplines, which are philosophy, theology, psychology, economy, sociology, health studies, ecology, and development studies. Taken together, this volume provides an integrated view on hope as a multi-faced phenomenon. It contributes to the further understanding of hope as an essential human capacity, with the possibility of transforming our human societies.

Decolonizing Sociology

Decolonizing Sociology
Author: Ali Meghji
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 130
Release: 2021-01-07
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1509541969

Sociology, as a discipline, was born at the height of global colonialism and imperialism. Over a century later, it is yet to shake off its commitment to colonial ways of thinking. This book explores why, and how, sociology needs to be decolonized. It analyses how sociology was integral in reproducing the colonial order, as dominant sociologists constructed theories either assuming or proving the supposed barbarity and backwardness of colonized people. Ali Meghji reveals how colonialism continues to shape the discipline today, dominating both social theory and the practice of sociology, how exporting the Eurocentric sociological canon erased social theories from the Global South, and how sociologists continue to ignore the relevance of coloniality in their work. This guide will be necessary reading for any student or proponent of sociology. In opening up the work of other decolonial advocates and under-represented thinkers to readers, Meghji offers key suggestions for what teachers and students can do to decolonize sociology. With curriculum reform, innovative teaching and a critical awareness of these issues, it is possible to make sociology more equitable on a global scale.

Sociology in Perspective

Sociology in Perspective
Author: Mark Kirby
Publisher: Heinemann
Total Pages: 852
Release: 2000
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 9780435331603

This text, specifically for AQA specifications, is designed to be easy and encouraging for students to use. The book contains updated material and activities together with a new chapter on study skills. It also indicates clearly where activities meet the new evidence requirements for key skills.