Alternative Ideas of Sustainability and Human Flourishing
Ann Hibner Koblitz, Women and Gender Studies, School of Social Transformation
Farzad Mahootian, School of Letters and Sciences (Downtown)
The Alternative Imaginations (AI) Research Cluster is an intellectual space that seeks to cultivate complementary perspectives on science, technology, and policy to address inequality, marginality, and sustainability. AI’s goal is to engage scholars with backgrounds in humanities, social, and physical sciences to participate in dialogues on Alternative Imaginations focusing on issues of alternative living and sustainability. Sustainability science grapples with societal problems that are characterized by a high degree of complexity, uncertainty, and multiple legitimate viewpoints. It considers multidimensional interactions among a broad range of actors at local and global scale and addresses tensions arising from economic, technological, environmental, and cultural interests. It also seeks to explore a richer, more socially aware set of considerations emphasizing the need to develop approaches for evaluating future options, recognizing diverse epistemologies and problem definitions, and encompassing the deeply normative nature of the sustainability problem.