Visions of a Post-Industrial Society

For decades people have predicted the end of industrial society: As factory work is replaced by automation or moved overseas a new society is to emerge based on pure information and creativity. In some ways these predictions have come true, but many of the utopian visions—abundant leisure time, social equality, enlightened leadership, a clean environment—have not. Through a mix of classic fiction, film, and social thought, this class will explore the ways people have imagined the possibilities and pitfalls of a post-industrial society. Who wins and who loses in these future visions and the reality they produce? WRIT