Giacomo Bazzani, Dipartimento di Sociologia, Università degli Studi di Firenze
Ort: Wittgenstein Institute of Demography VID), Austrian Academy of Sciences
Place, VID, 1010 Vienna, Georg Coch-Platz 2 Room 8/ 5th floor
Time: Wednesday, April 30, 2025, 18.00 – 19.30 o‘clock
Abstract: The future is constantly intertwined with our actions, whether in everyday decisions like climbing the stairs or in crucial choices such as ensuring a sustainable planet for future generations. But where exactly does the future manifest in daily life? How can we recognize and evaluate its impact on both short-term decisions and long-term projects? Building on the theoretical framework developed in Futures in Action (Sociology, 2023), this presentation explores the role of expectations, imaginaries, and future narratives in decision-making under uncertainty. Concrete examples from the field of fertility choices will be presented, analyzing how economic, social, and environmental factors shape individuals’ intentions to have children. Using survey and experimental data, the presentation examines how different representations of the future influence both individual and collective decisions.
Giacomo Bazzani is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Florence. His research interests include future and agency, prosocial behavior, and sustainability transitions. His contributions have been published in journals such as Sociology, Theory and Society, Sociological Forum, Acta Sociologica, and European Journal of Population. He authored the book When Money Changes Society. The Case of Sardex Money as Community (Springer VS). Publications to the topic: Giacomo Bazzani (2023), Futures in action: expectations, imaginaries and narratives of the future, Sociology, 57(2); Agency as conversion process. Theory and Society, 2023, 52(3).