Pauline Cullen is Professor of Sociology at Maynooth University, National University of Ireland, researching civil society and feminist analysis of inequalities in representation and care. Her recent book is Pathways to Political Candidacy for Minoritised Women in Ireland (2025).Alberta Giorgi is Associate Professor of Sociology of Culture and Communication at the University of Bergamo, Italy. Her work explores boundaries and classifications at the intersection of politics, gender, religion, science. Recent publications include (Un)silencing Academia in Times of Epistemic Conflicts (Routledge, 2026, with H. Eslen-Ziya) and The Routledge Handbook of Religion and Politics in Europe (2026, with E. Fokas).

• List of contributors The future and political sociology PAULINE CULLEN AND ALBERTA GIORGIPART 1Political sociology frameworks and concepts: revision and recuperation 1 Exploring desire as a political concept: a queer-feminist ride STEFANIE CLAUDINE BOULILA2 Quilting the movement: a metaphor for engaging with social movement hybridity ELENA PAVAN3 A political sociology of care: care imaginaries and care pantomimes PAULINE CULLEN4 Feminism and the study of institutions: gendering the analysis of institutions from the inside-outCHERRY MILLER5 Rethinking the far right through a social movement lens MANUELA CAIANI6 Why and how territory in political sociology OSCAR MAZZOLENI7 Charisma and charismatic leadership in contemporary democracies LORENZO VIVIANIPART 2Political sociology speaks to the future: crises old and new 8 Politically incorrect humour in the manosphere: a pathway to anti-genderism? HANDE ESLEN-ZIYA9 The political sociology of post-truth politics HANS-JÖRG TRENZ10 The political sociology of emotions in the age of affective machines ROSA M. SANCHEZ SALGADO11 Reflections on video games in far-right studies and meaningmaking in techno-cultural worlds BRIAR DICKEY12 Democratic backsliding in the EU: causes and means of diffusion CARLO RUZZA13 In/visibilities in the political sociology of religion: epistemic responsibilities ALBERTA GIORGI14 Rethinking power and privilege in political sociology: averse co-production in studying far-right actors ELŻBIETA KOROLCZUKPART 3Political sociologists: intellectual pathways and conceptual epiphanies15 Journeying with human rights and political sociology: sexualities, cities, and the crisis and future of human rights MICHELE GRIGOLO16 Understanding politics with the sociology of knowledge: from optimistic beginnings to austerity and digitalized de-democratization ROSALIND CAVAGHAN17 Feminist political economy: a companion on a journey from gender equality policy to economic governance ANNA ELOMÄKI18 Abolitionist futures of intersectionality ANNA CARASTATHIS19 Political sociology, collective action, and the roots of transformative environmental governance LOUISA PARKSA political sociology of and for the future PAULINE CULLEN AND ALBERTA GIORGIIndex

Pauline Cullen is Professor of Sociology at Maynooth University, National University of Ireland, researching civil society and feminist analysis of inequalities in representation and care. Her recent book is Pathways to Political Candidacy for Minoritised Women in Ireland (2025).Alberta Giorgi is Associate Professor of Sociology of Culture and Communication at the University of Bergamo, Italy. Her work explores boundaries and classifications at the intersection of politics, gender, religion, science. Recent publications include (Un)silencing Academia in Times of Epistemic Conflicts (Routledge, 2026, with H. Eslen-Ziya) and The Routledge Handbook of Religion and Politics in Europe (2026, with E. Fokas).

• List of contributors The future and political sociology PAULINE CULLEN AND ALBERTA GIORGIPART 1Political sociology frameworks and concepts: revision and recuperation 1 Exploring desire as a political concept: a queer-feminist ride STEFANIE CLAUDINE BOULILA2 Quilting the movement: a metaphor for engaging with social movement hybridity ELENA PAVAN3 A political sociology of care: care imaginaries and care pantomimes PAULINE CULLEN4 Feminism and the study of institutions: gendering the analysis of institutions from the inside-outCHERRY MILLER5 Rethinking the far right through a social movement lens MANUELA CAIANI6 Why and how territory in political sociology OSCAR MAZZOLENI7 Charisma and charismatic leadership in contemporary democracies LORENZO VIVIANIPART 2Political sociology speaks to the future: crises old and new 8 Politically incorrect humour in the manosphere: a pathway to anti-genderism? HANDE ESLEN-ZIYA9 The political sociology of post-truth politics HANS-JÖRG TRENZ10 The political sociology of emotions in the age of affective machines ROSA M. SANCHEZ SALGADO11 Reflections on video games in far-right studies and meaningmaking in techno-cultural worlds BRIAR DICKEY12 Democratic backsliding in the EU: causes and means of diffusion CARLO RUZZA13 In/visibilities in the political sociology of religion: epistemic responsibilities ALBERTA GIORGI14 Rethinking power and privilege in political sociology: averse co-production in studying far-right actors ELŻBIETA KOROLCZUKPART 3Political sociologists: intellectual pathways and conceptual epiphanies15 Journeying with human rights and political sociology: sexualities, cities, and the crisis and future of human rights MICHELE GRIGOLO16 Understanding politics with the sociology of knowledge: from optimistic beginnings to austerity and digitalized de-democratization ROSALIND CAVAGHAN17 Feminist political economy: a companion on a journey from gender equality policy to economic governance ANNA ELOMÄKI18 Abolitionist futures of intersectionality ANNA CARASTATHIS19 Political sociology, collective action, and the roots of transformative environmental governance LOUISA PARKSA political sociology of and for the future PAULINE CULLEN AND ALBERTA GIORGIIndex

Pauline Cullen is Professor of Sociology at Maynooth University, National University of Ireland, researching civil society and feminist analysis of inequalities in representation and care. Her recent book is Pathways to Political Candidacy for Minoritised Women in Ireland (2025).Alberta Giorgi is Associate Professor of Sociology of Culture and Communication at the University of Bergamo, Italy. Her work explores boundaries and classifications at the intersection of politics, gender, religion, science. Recent publications include (Un)silencing Academia in Times of Epistemic Conflicts (Routledge, 2026, with H. Eslen-Ziya) and The Routledge Handbook of Religion and Politics in Europe (2026, with E. Fokas).

• List of contributors The future and political sociology PAULINE CULLEN AND ALBERTA GIORGIPART 1Political sociology frameworks and concepts: revision and recuperation 1 Exploring desire as a political concept: a queer-feminist ride STEFANIE CLAUDINE BOULILA2 Quilting the movement: a metaphor for engaging with social movement hybridity ELENA PAVAN3 A political sociology of care: care imaginaries and care pantomimes PAULINE CULLEN4 Feminism and the study of institutions: gendering the analysis of institutions from the inside-outCHERRY MILLER5 Rethinking the far right through a social movement lens MANUELA CAIANI6 Why and how territory in political sociology OSCAR MAZZOLENI7 Charisma and charismatic leadership in contemporary democracies LORENZO VIVIANIPART 2Political sociology speaks to the future: crises old and new 8 Politically incorrect humour in the manosphere: a pathway to anti-genderism? HANDE ESLEN-ZIYA9 The political sociology of post-truth politics HANS-JÖRG TRENZ10 The political sociology of emotions in the age of affective machines ROSA M. SANCHEZ SALGADO11 Reflections on video games in far-right studies and meaningmaking in techno-cultural worlds BRIAR DICKEY12 Democratic backsliding in the EU: causes and means of diffusion CARLO RUZZA13 In/visibilities in the political sociology of religion: epistemic responsibilities ALBERTA GIORGI14 Rethinking power and privilege in political sociology: averse co-production in studying far-right actors ELŻBIETA KOROLCZUKPART 3Political sociologists: intellectual pathways and conceptual epiphanies15 Journeying with human rights and political sociology: sexualities, cities, and the crisis and future of human rights MICHELE GRIGOLO16 Understanding politics with the sociology of knowledge: from optimistic beginnings to austerity and digitalized de-democratization ROSALIND CAVAGHAN17 Feminist political economy: a companion on a journey from gender equality policy to economic governance ANNA ELOMÄKI18 Abolitionist futures of intersectionality ANNA CARASTATHIS19 Political sociology, collective action, and the roots of transformative environmental governance LOUISA PARKSA political sociology of and for the future PAULINE CULLEN AND ALBERTA GIORGIIndex