Fantasy and Social Movements

by Ormrod, James S.

• ISBN13: 9781137348166
• ISBN10: 113734816X
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2014-09-29
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Summary

It is sometimes assumed that fantasizing stands in contrast to activism. This book, however, argues that fantasy plays a central role in social movements. Drawing on the psychoanalytic theories of Freud, Klein and Lacan, and psychosocial theories inspired by them, Fantasy and Social Movements examines the relationships between fantasy, reality, action, the unconscious and the collective. It makes a case for distinguishing between various 'modes of fantasy', which configure these relationships in different ways. Illustrated by a case study of activists who support the exploration, development and settlement of outer space, the book's theoretical arguments
provide a platform for a critical psychosocial reworking of contemporary social movement theory. The result is a new typology of social movements that places fantasy at its core.

Author Biography

James S. Ormrod is Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Brighton, UK. His research focuses on social movements and psychosocial theory, and on the relationship humans have with their environment and with the universe more generally. He is co-author, with Peter Dickens, of Cosmic Society: Towards a Sociology of the Universe.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Fantasy and Social Movements in Context
PART I: FANTASY, REALITY, THE UNCONSCIOUS, ACTION, AND THE COLLECTIVE
Introduction to Part I
1.Fantasy in Freudian Theory
2.Fantasy in Kleinian Theory
3.Fantasy in Lacanian Theory
4.Modes of Fantasy
PART II: FANTASE AND SOCIAL MOVEMENT THEORY
Introduction to Part II
5.Social Movement Theory and Types of Action
6.Smelser's Theory of Collective Behaviour
7.A Typology of Social Movements
PART III: A CASE STUDY OF THE PRO-SPACE MOVEMENT AND FANTASY
Introduction to Part II
8.Fantasy in the Pro-Space Movement
9.The Pro-Space Movement and Social Structure
10.The Pro-Space Movement and Ideology
11.The Pro-Space Movement and Political Organization