edited by M. Magatti (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore)
Under the spell of globalization and democratization, there was the great expectation that the world would become a better place through the spread of growth and wealth, democracy, and participation as well as individual rights and emancipatory politics. Thirty years later, we see a world of increasing disorder and turmoil, but also one with new hopes for a change of paradigm.
A great portion of the economically underprivileged population has been lifted out of absolute poverty, especially in the non “Western” world, and has fuelled a new desire for active participation. In fact, economic and social inequalities are skyrocketing due to the rise and dominance of the super-rich class. The gap between the top one per cent and the rest of the population is widening, loosening the social bond which social peace and prosperity are built upon. This diminishes people’s confidence in politics and especially the regulatory power of the State. The situation is worsened by ongoing waves of crises we face globally at various levels. Abrupt weather events due to climate change, bursts of regional conflicts that may escalate to a global level, recurrent pandemic emergencies and ongoing migration and refugee crises are all entangled with the side effects of economic growth: pollution, exploitation of natural resources and habitat, financial crisis etc. The global risk society redefines not only power relations between nations and supra-national institutions, but also class relations at the national and trans-national level. At the same time, it calls for a paradigmatic change that envisions new and more sustainable ways of life, the reduction of inequalities, and new forms of political participation and organization.
Given these major challenges, in a (un)sustainable world, how should life opportunities and different normative views on them be considered? How do structural transformations affect social inequality? Which socio-cultural visions might sustain the social change needed to overcome these major problems?
Deadline: September 30, 2023. This issue (2023, 3) is scheduled to appear at end of November 2023.
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