30429 - Doom, Disaster, Dystopia, and Escape: Visions of an Apocalyptic Future

Description

We have entered what many believe to be a dystopian and apocalyptic age. Indeed, the breadth and scale of the problems we face from climate change to increasing armed conflict to the rise of fascism have led academics to draw upon terms like ‘polycrisis’ and ‘postnormal’ times to describe it. Given that we are living in an era of heightened risk and uncertainty, with growing fears of societal collapse, there is burgeoning scholarly interest in understanding this moment. This panel will discuss sociological thinking on disaster, doomerism, dystopia, and apocalypse. The discussion will focus on key emerging questions such as how do people make sense of and cope with an age that seems to be spinning out of control? How do they think about and approach their futures in these dark times? What role does religion, culture, political ideology, and social movements play in steadying or comforting people (or not) in such precarious times? And what are the social, political, and emotional consequences of all of it?

Sub Unit

• Special Session

Presider

• Marianne Cooper, Stanford University

Panelists

• Dana R. Fisher, American University

• Ming-Cheng M. Lo, University of California-Davis

• Anna Maria Bounds, CUNY-Queens College

• Maricarmen Hernández, Barnard College

Session Organizer

• Marianne Cooper, Stanford University