Obama and the Politics of Hope
Prof. Les Back, Deputy Head of Department of Sociology, Goldsmiths, University of London
March 4th
12.45 - 2.00pm
The Function Room (JS1-41)
London Metropolitan University
31 Jewry Street
London EC3N 2EY
See our contacts page for map and details.
Why do sociologist and cultural theorists speak so infrequently about hope? Using the US Presidential election as the immediate context Les Back explores how hope has been used to provoke theological and philosophical reflection and political action. He argues that hope is not simply guaranteed by blind faith - secular or religious - but developed through an ethnographic attentiveness to the damaged and yet unfinished nature of the social world. He argues that our work is needed today for what Raymond Williams called a resource of hope.
Les Back is a Professor of Sociology at Goldsmiths, University of London. His main fields of interest are the sociology of racism, popular culture and city life. His work attempts to create a sensuous or live sociology committed to searching for new modes of sociological writing and representation. This approach is outlined in his most recent book The Art of Listening (Berg 2007). He also writes journalism and has made documentary films. His research interests include sociology of youth, ethnography, political sociology, racism and right wing extremism, music, auditory and popular culture, race and social theory, photography and urban culture and the sociology of sport.
See
Les Back's web page at Goldsmiths for more info.
