Viable Utopian Ideas: Shaping a Better World: Shaping a Better World

Utopias -- whether philosophical, literary, or actual experiments -- are attempts to solve all social problems. In the wake of the attack on the World Trade Center, unfolding corporate scandals, and other devastating shocks, it is natural to search for practical lessons in utopian literature. In this collection noted sociologists renew the call to develop an altruistic social order. They address a wide variety of topics as they look for viable utopian ideas that can be applied to today's society. Written in an engaging, jargon-free style, and directed to introductory sociology students as well as anyone concerned with social problems, the book provides both visionary ideals and insights for pragmatic decision-making as we venture into an uncertain future.

Arthur B. Shostak is professor of sociology at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and adjunct sociologist on the faculty of the National Labor Relations College at the AFL-CIO George Meany Center for Labor Studies in Silver Spring, Maryland