Introduction: Utopias and the Revival of Imagination

Eskelinen, Teppo; Lakkala, Keijo; Laakso, Maria

doi:10.5040/9781350225633.ch.001

Cited by 9 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 5 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Envisioning an ideal life is not only an exercise in wishful thinking. Such visions tell a story of the social world in which they are narrated (Eskelinen et al, 2020: 9). Differences between higher- and lower-income people can be summarised in that people with a high income in many ways already live that dream by eating what they want.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, for these interviewees, such a life requires nearly unlimited abundance; for them, it is an ideal that could be realised only with financial independence and freedom from responsibilities such as paid work. Such an ideal world represents a utopia of escape (Eskelinen et al, 2020: 13), turning away from society instead of seeking societal transformation.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Descriptions of ideal diets do not only communicate hopes and desires but also refer to the world in which such ideals are narrated (Eskelinen et al, 2020: 9). The above examples illustrate that people living on a highly restricted budget must compromise their daily eating both in terms of quantity and quality.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Ethical consumption is intimately linked to pursuits to change the world and social structures. Social change, in turn, requires the ability to imagine a better world (Eskelinen et al, 2020; Kennedy et al, 2018; Perrin, 2009). Engaging with people’s views of ideal food consumption in addition to descriptions of their daily food choices can reveal prospects for change.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

‘If I could afford an avocado every day’: Income differences and ethical food consumption in a world of abundance

Salonen

2021

Journal of Consumer Culture

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This study explores how ethical food consumption is framed in the accounts of ordinary people living in affluent societies, with a particular focus on income differences. Research on ethical consumption often associates ‘ethical’ with the consumption of certain predefined products. This study leaves the question of the content of ethical consumption open for empirical investigation. Further, instead of focusing only on the moment of purchasing, this study considers how people with different income levels relate to both food consumption and waste. The analysis draws from qualitative interviews with 60 people living in Canada and Finland. The analysis identified the techniques, subjects and norms through which the question ethical food consumption is posed by the informants and how they framed these issues with regard to income. The findings underline that ethical consumption is a socially constructed, contested and even internally contradictory discourse. Differences in income do not only mean differences in the role that money plays in food choices but also in what kind of consumption people consider worth pursuing. Further, differences in income dictate differences in how people are morally positioned vis-à-vis abundance. For people with a higher level of income, moral blame is asserted on wasteful consumption habits. For the people with a low income, in turn, it is ethically condemnable to refuse to rejoice at the abundance around us. The findings indicate that even in a society where the rhetoric of choice is prominent both as a right and as an obligation by which people ought to display ethical agency, the ethics of choice is tied to the resources available for consumption. People with a severely low income occasionally enjoy the trickling down of abundant treats and surprises. However, for them, occasional indulgence causes not only pleasure but also trouble.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

‘If I could afford an avocado every day’: Income differences and ethical food consumption in a world of abundance

Salonen

2021

Journal of Consumer Culture

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Utooppinen ajattelu ei synny itsestään vaan on taito, joka vaatii harjoittelua (Eskelinen, Lakkala & Laakso 2020). Tavoitteenamme oli tarkastella, miten taiteen piirissä kehitettyjä harjoitteita voisi soveltaa yhteiskuntatieteellisessä ajattelussa ja miten taideperustaisia menetelmiä voisi hyödyntää kriittisen ajattelun kehittämisessä.…”

Section: Johdantounclassified

Kuvittelua opettamassa

Porkola¹,

Salmenniemi²,

Ylöstalo³

2022

Sospedaik

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Utopiat ja toisenlaisten maailmojen kuvittelu ovat tärkeitä yhteiskuntakritiikin välineitä. Kuvittelu ei kuitenkaan synny itsestään, vaan se on taito, joka vaatii harjoittelua. Tässä käytäntökuvauksessa tarkastellaan sitä, miten kuvittelua voi opettaa yliopistossa. Kuvaus pohjautuu sosiologian maisteriopiskelijoille suunnattuun "Harjoituksia poliittisessamielikuvituksessa" -opintojaksoon. Kuvauksessa pohditaan konkreettisten esimerkkien avulla taiteen piirissä kehitettyjen harjoitteiden soveltamista yhteiskuntatieteelliseen ajatteluun ja opetukseen sekä kriittisen ajattelun valmiuksien kehittämiseen. Pohdinta perustuu harjoitusten kuvauksiin, tutkijoiden opetustilanteista kirjoittamiin kenttäpäiväkirjoihin ja opiskelijoiden kurssipalautteisiin. Kuvittelu auttaa edistämään yhteiskunnallista muutosta sekä haastaa etsimään toisenlaisia tietämisen tapoja. Kuvittelu ja sen opettaminen edellyttää mahdollisen pedagogiikkaa, joka ei tarjoa valmiita vastauksia vaan etsii tapoja kurottua kohti tuntematonta.

show abstract