5th ISA Forum of Sociology (6-11 July 2025)

The ‘Anthropocene’ is contested by various scholars for the overgeneralization of human’s responsibility for degrading the earth (Haraway, 2015, 2016). This implies equal blame on each human being when in fact marginalized communities contribute the least to the world’s carbon footprint (World Bank, 2022). Decolonising knowledge production means incorporating the perspectives of marginalised groups, including those historically excluded based on race, who are often absent from discussions about the ‘Anthropocene’. By providing a new perspective on the importance of race and coloniality in the ‘Anthropocene’, this regular session aims to explore the intersection of race, social justice, and the ‘Anthropocene’. The session will employ a modified ecological model to understand how various environmental factors, institutional structures, commonplace (social) spaces, and power dynamics intersect to shape the marginalized lived experience in relation to their environment/s (Haraway, 2016).

The regular session aims to address: 1) The interplay between race, power, and knowledge production. How do institutions perpetuate racial inequalities? What are the complex dynamics involved in this interplay? 2) Centering marginalized voices for justice in the ‘Anthropocene’. How do he lived experiences of marginalized communities contribute to a more nuanced understanding of environmental and social justice in the ‘Anthropocene’? Can decoloniality, as a critical lens, offer practical solutions in centralising marginalized voices? What decolonial research methods exist that can empower marginalized voices to document their realities and challenge dominant narratives about race in the ‘Anthropocene’?