Racial Fictions, Biological Facts: Expanding the Sociological Imagination through Speculative Methods
Main Article Content
Abstract
The facts, alone, will not save us. Social change requires novel fictions that reimagine and rework all that is taken for granted about the current structure of society. Such narratives are not meant to convince others of what is, but to expand our own visions of what is possible: It is 2064. A reparations initiative that allows victims of police brutality to regenerate organs is well underway. A major new component of the initiative will be unveiled for the fiftieth anniversary of the Ferguson uprising, but the largest biobank in the country has been repeatedly hit by raiders intent on selling stem cells on the white market. Aiyana and her team of Risers have to find a way to secure the cell depository and revitalize the movement. Fictions, in this sense, are not falsehoods but refashionings through which analysts experiment with speculative methods, challenge ever-present narratives of inevitability, anticipate new racial formations, and test different possibilities for creating more just and equitable societies.
Article Details
Authors and artists who publish with Catalyst agree to the following terms:
(a) The author(s) or artist(s) retain the copyright and rights to all uses of their work, including reuse for commercial purposes.
(b) The author(s) or artist(s) grant Catalyst a license to publish their work in Catalyst.
(c) The author(s) or artist(s) grant the right for this work to be distributed for scholarly and educational purposes and not for commercial purposes. Scholarly and educational use is free. Other uses depend on the written permission of the author or artist.
(d) In cases of first publication, the author will mention Catalyst as a source whenever the author later republishes the article on other platforms.