Unruly Climates, Contested Futures I

An exploration of how different forms of collective, community-based climate activism shape and imagine a more sustainable future. 

The future has become a key focus in the social sciences, both as a research topic and as a space for political imagination and resistance. Since the climate crisis has moved into public consciousness, with movements like Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion rising to prominence, questions about what a climate-just future looks like―and how it can be achieved―are now more urgent than ever. This book explores how different collective actors imagine and shape the future in the context of climate justice. It examines tensions between radical transformation, post-growth, and green modernization, as well as the contrasting ecological visions of left-wing and right-wing activism. Future imaginaries are presented not only as visions, but also as tools for action, shaping resistance, inspiring self-organization, and influencing strategies for sustainable change. Drawing on examples from grassroots climate movements, guerrilla gardening, ecovillages, and other forms of collective action, this volume offers one of the first comprehensive overviews of how imagined futures can guide political practice and societal transformation.

Antje Daniel is a senior scientist in the Department of Development Studies at the University of Vienna. Frank Adloff is a professor of sociology in the Department of Socioeconomics at the University of Hamburg and one of the three directors of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) Humanities Centre for Advanced Studies Futures of Sustainability at the University of Hamburg. Juneseo Hwang is an assistant professor of sociology at Sungkonghoe University, South Korea. He is a former research associate at the DFG Humanities Centre for Advanced Studies Futures of Sustainability. Philipp Jacobi is a research associate at the DFG Humanities Centre for Advanced Studies Futures of Sustainability. Luis Poscharsky is a reseach assistant at the DFG Humanities Centre for Advanced Studies Futures of Sustainability.