Utopia in the Present: Cultural Politics and Change

The essays address the cultural politics of our global present. They offer a contribution towards keeping the spirit of utopia alive by practicing it, promoting that the struggle for liberation may continue in an era whose landscape is not inhabited by the presence of great utopian constructs. The collection adapts the idea of utopia to the intercultural present using it as a metanarrative projected towards the future and rooted in local experiences and actions. The book presents an interdisciplinary and anti-canonical perspective, and methodological frames from Cultural Studies and Postcolonial Studies. Imagining social and cultural change outside hegemonic articulations of power is a practice of freedom opposed to the protective drive that raises borders and walls around potential islands to claim the right of keeping them isolated and self-sufficient

Contents -- Itala vivan -- Foreword. thinking means venturing beyond yen -- Claudia gualtieri -- Utopia and the present -- Utopia in theory -- Fabio vighi -- From utopia to endgame: what is left of capitalist metaphysics -- Massimo campanini -- The utopian dimension of a (possible) islamic philosophy of history -- Utopia in performance and practice -- Lanfranco vicari aka moder -- Mauro and tiziana, perelãáâ's code, nails in my mouth -- Roberto pedretti -- Performing rap, practising utopia, building resistance -- Pina piccolo -- The black body telling stories: giullarate in the 21st century -- Claudio venturelli / Gokce Hazal Karabas -- From knowledge to practice: a possible utopia in the global era with -- Refugees and social services. the door to door project: a network against tiger mosquitoes -- Utopia and localities: north america -- Maureen matthews â¿¿ roger roulette -- Minongeng, an anishinaabe utopia: a. i. hallowellâ¿¿s contribution to a -- Unesco anishinaabe cultural landscape -- Francesco meli -- Euro-american utopia and native american ethics: a comparison -- Marco sioli -- Utopian view: thomas mckenneyâ¿¿s portfolio of american indians -- Raffaella baccolini -- Feminine weakness and restored masculinity in post-9/11 science fiction -- Cinema -- Stefano simonetta -- Afterword. in search of (never)land -- Notes on contributors