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The societal changes of the last century, especially in the aftermath of World War II, have led thinkers to imagine philosophical anthropology centred on the concept of hope. From very different perspectives, authors such as Ernst Bloch, Erich Fromm, and Hannah Arendt understood that hope is deeply connected with the condition and destiny of humanity. Various sociologists have developed concepts closely linked with hope: action, social change, utopia, revolution, emancipation, innovation, and trust. However, a coherent and systematic analysis is yet to emerge. Taking up the threads of this rich but fragmented reflection, this paper intends to outline the traits of a “sociology of hope” as a tool for critically interpreting today’s society and the processes of change crisscrossing it, starting from some crucial questions: Who are the actors and historical bearers of hope? What are the main socio-historical forms of hope? What social, political, and cultural conditions favour the emergence and strengthening of this disposition? What are the effects and consequences on personal and social life?

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What happens during an emergency situation? And which ideas about the future stem from these events? The COVID-19 pandemic offers the opportunity to reflect on human actions occurring with a dimension of solidarity only in situations of emergency. We will start from Sorokin's intuition, which can be summarized in the statement:The future of humanity is in the hands of humanity itself. We will assume that collective damage requires collective strategies, reinforcing and renovating networks in the community. To highlight the necessary changes to turn individual and collective dynamics towards resilience, we follow with the consideration that it is necessary to rediscover the positive values of individuals. This, in turn, leads to further reflection on the problems of choice and the ethics of responsibility that permits individuals to embrace the concept of "common good", something that they experience as members of a community and that they can only pursue from the standpoint of solidarity. The latter, indeed, is what gives meaning to human action and the very development of humankind.

SpringerBriefs in Psychology and Cultural Developmental Science is an extension and topical completion to IPBS: Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science Journal (Springer, chief editor: Jaan Vasiner) expanding some relevant topics in the form of single (or multiple) authored book. The Series will have a clearly defined international and interdisciplinary focus hosting works on the interconnection between Cultural Psychology and other Developmental Sciences (biology, sociology, anthropology, etc). The Series aims at integrating knowledge from many fields in a synthesis of general science of Cultural Psychology as a new science of the human being.The Series will include books that offer a perspective on the current state of developmental science, addressing contemporary enactments and reflecting on theoretical and empirical directions and providing, also, constructive insights into future pathways.Featuring compact volumes of 100 to 115 pages, each Brief in the Series is meant to provide a clear, visible, and multi-sided recognition of the theoretical efforts of scholars around the world.Both solicited and unsolicited proposals are considered for publication in this series. All proposals will be subject to peer review by external referees.