Abstract:

While the anthropology of the future began to appear in the 1970s, it quickly petered away but has started to make a comeback in recent years. Bearing the gravity of the ecological crisis, particularly climate change in mind, this seminar explores three possible scenarios for the future of humanity: (1) a dystopian future, (2) a future of ‘reflexive modernisation’ and (3) a democratic eco-socialist revolution. I argue that addressing climate change in a responsible manner will entail nothing short of commitment to what John Bellamy Foster terms an ‘ecological revolution’ – one that has over the long run the potential to lead to a new world system based upon social parity and justice, democratic processes, environmental sustainability, and a safe climate.

Bio

Hans A Baer is Senior Honorary Research Fellow/Associate Professor in the School of Social Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne. He has published 19 books and some 180 book chapters and refereed articles on a diversity of research topics, including Mormonism, African-American religion, socio-political life in East Germany, critical health anthropology, medical pluralism in the US, UK, and Australia, the critical anthropology of climate change, and Australian climate politics. Baer’s most recent book is The Anthropology of Climate Change: An Integrated Critical Perspective with Merrill Singer (Earthscan at Routledge, 2014). He considers himself a scholar-activist who over the years has worked in the labour, environmental, climate, peace, and socialist movements.