Jonas Spengler

PhD thesis: Making Heaven a Place on Earth: Utopianism and Organization Studies

Our world is being rocked by grand challenges, be it climate change, wars, global pandemics, or poverty. But for many of these challenges, there is no tech fix. They are systemically routed in how our societies are organized: Climate change is linked to our obsession with economic growth, companies are not built to act responsibly, and capitalism thrives on inequality. Because of this, we need to fundamentally rethink how we live, labor, and love together.

My research supports efforts at rethinking social life by studying how organizations and communities create 'real utopias' - i.e., how they establish alternative forms of organizing at the fringes of society. Through embedding with utopian communities and organizations, I seek to understand the challenges and solutions that one encounters when putting dreams into practice.

Who or what inspired you to pursue your research interests?

The 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, or, more precisely, the fact that most governments ratifying it have so far failed to live up to their promises. This made me realize that many actors in our society are not incentivized to think about the future - they are rooted in the now. Only if we can redesign the structures in the now, then we might have a shot at a more desirable future.