Possible Worlds, Alternative Futures: Utopianism in Theory and Practice​

This seminar will explore approaches to the ideal society in literature, film, art, politics, architecture, and history. Combining classic utopian theory, such as Bloch and Jameson, with recent writing which seeks to expand and test the boundaries of utopian studies, including digital utopianism, performative utopias, and attempts to modify the analysis of class through attention to race, gender, and sexuality, the seminar will explore key questions in a variety of disciplines and contexts about the limits of utopianism in today’s world.