TY  - CHAP
T1  - Something More Than the Here and Now: Imagined Futures
A1  - Mlynar, Jakub
ED  - Ruzzeddu, Massimiliano
ED  - Šubrt, Jiří
ED  - Maslowski, Nicolas
TI  - Society of the Future: A Social Science View of What We Assume and What We Can Expect
Y1  - 2026
PB  - Springer
UR  - https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-032-11658-1_5
M2  - doi: 10.1007/978-3-032-11658-1_5
KW  - future
KW  - Human-Centered Computing
KW  - Sociology
KW  - utopia
N2  - What does it mean for a society to “dream” and “imagine”? Are these merely ornamental metaphors, or do they hold deeper significance for our understanding of the world? These are some of the overarching questions of this chapter, which investigates the shifting role of utopian and dystopian thought in shaping collective imaginaries and visions of the future. It traces the evolution of utopias from classical, rational models of ideal societies to fragmented, individualized forms embedded in everyday practices. Emphasizing the temporal and spatial dimensions of utopian thinking, the text explores how modernization, globalization, and futurology have transformed utopian discourse. By engaging with concepts such as “everyday utopias,” it argues that despite their changing forms, utopian imaginaries remain vital as critical and imaginative tools for envisioning alternative social orders in an increasingly complex world.
ER  -