What is the Radical Imagination? Consider the two quotes below: “Normally, when

What is the Radical Imagination?Consider the two quotes below:“Normally, when you challenge the conventional wisdom — that the current economic and political systemis the only possible one — the first reaction you are likely to get is a demand for a detailed architecturalblueprint of how an alternative system would work, down to the nature of its financial instruments, energysupplies, and policies of sewer maintenance. Next, you are likely to be asked for a detailed program of howthis system will be brought into existence. Historically, this is ridiculous. When has social change everhappened according to someone’s blueprint? It’s not as if a small circle of visionaries in Renaissance Florenceconceived of something they called ‘capitalism,’ figured out the details of how the stock exchange andfactories would someday work, and then put in place a program to bring their visions into reality. In fact, theidea is so absurd we might well ask ourselves how it ever occurred to us to imagine this is how changehappens to begin.”– David Graeber“On the surface level, the radical imagination is the ability to imagine the world, life and social institutionsnot as they are but as they might otherwise be…But the radical imagination is not just about dreaming ofdifferent futures. Its about bringing those possible futures ‘back’ to work on the present, to inspire actionand new forms of solidarity today. Likewise, the radical imagination is about drawing on the past, tellingdifferent stories about how the world came to be the way it is, and remembering the power and importanceof past struggles…Without the radical imagination, we are left only with the residual dreams of the powerful,and for the vast majority they are not experienced as dreams but as nightmares of insecurity, precarity,violence and hopelessness. Without the radical imagination, we are lost.”– Excerpt from The Radical Imagination (2014)by Alex Kobayashi and Max HaivenFor many, it is a difficult task to imagine a future that differs from the present. Having yet to experience thefuture, our visions of the future are shaped by the present, our understanding of the past and by our dreamsand fears. From literature to film, cultural depictions of the future are saturated by visions dominated by ourfears of the future. Examples of these include: Blade Runner, 1984, The Hunger Games, Elysium, and more…Now, as Graeber argues, it is a much more difficult task to try and think about what a more just andegalitarian society looks like. And as he notes, the challenges to thinking through whatexactly a better world looks like is often used to dismiss efforts at advancing social justice.Despite what Graeber sees as the absurdity of developing a blueprint for social change, movements for socialjustice are always engaged in imagining more just futures. When people come together to resist climatechange, when they come together to unionize gig workers, when they come together to organize againstevictions, they are part of a process of envisioning a better world.2The Radical Imagination EssayThe Future of Work – SOSC 1510 A & BAssignment Objectives: To learn how to do scholarly research and referencing To develop critical reading skills To practice constructing strong arguments To explore how people envision justice, social change, and strategies to make changeEssay Guidelines:In this essay you will be analysing an organization or movement that fights for what they believe is amore just and egalitarian future. You will first choose a movement or organization to focus on.Some of the options listed below relate to struggles against workplace injustices, while others dealwith broader issues of social, political, and economic justice. What is important is you chose one thatinterests you. They each feature different visions of a just future and how we might fight to build amore just future.Step 1Choose a Topic:Choose a social or workers’ justice movement or organization from the following list:Wages for Students The Industrial Workers of the WorldIncarcerated Workers Organizing Committee The League of Revolutionary Black WorkersGlobal Women’s Strike Movement of Worker Recuperated EnterprisesAlternatively, you can choose an organization or movement featured in one of the following films:A Time to Rise Vanguard of the RevolutionHow to Survive a Plague The Ninth FloorBread and Roses Kanehsatake 270 Years of ResistanceThis is What Democracy Looks Like MaquilapolisStatus Quo? The Unfinished Business of Feminism in Canada A Place Called ChiapasDisobedience Harlan County USAPlease note that these are mainly historical movements because there is a lot more written on them. If thereis an organization or movement you are interested in that is not listed here, you can email mewith the name of the movement or organization, how it fits with the coursethemes and assignment objectives and why you would like to write about it. You may only write on this topicif it is approved by your Prof. and TA.Step 2Start your Research:Visit the York University library website or google scholar. Find at least five academic sources on themovement or organization you chose. Please note that if you chose a film, the film counts as one of your fivesources.3The Radical Imagination EssayThe Future of Work – SOSC 1510 A & BRead and take notes of the articles and book chapters you found with the following questions inmind: What organization did you choose? Why did they come together? What is their vision for a more just future and how does it relate to course themes andconcepts? What do they identify as the root causes of the injustices they confront? How do they organize for change? Do you think their strategies and tactics for making change match their goals?Why or why not? What obstacles do you think they would face in realizing their vision of the future?Step 3Putting the Essay Together:Develop a simple structure for the essay based on answering the above questions. Think of this as a shortreport on how and why your movement or organization fights for a more just future. If you find it useful toorganize the paper using the questions as subtitles for each section, go ahead and do so, just remember toinclude an introduction, thesis, and conclusion. *Draft a one page outline of your paper before you beginwriting (point form is fine) and please include the outline with your paper.Step 4Review your Work:Essay Checklist1. First, did you do the basics?Check to make sure you have: an appropriate topic and thesis drawn from at least five scholarly sources used an accepted citation style provided in text citations where necessary included your one page essay outline2. Did your analysis address the theme of radical imagination and other course themes?3. Did your analysis go beyond summary?4. Were you able to support your arguments?5. Were you able to develop a strong analysis about the way the movement envisions change?Evaluation Criteria: How does my essay hold up to the evaluation criteria?You will be evaluated on the following: Your ability to do appropriate research Your comprehension of the research you did The depth of your analysis i.e. do you develop an analysis or simply provide description? Your ability to answer the questions posed accurately and with appropriate evidence The structure of the paper, the clarity of your writing and use of proper citations