Untrammelled neoliberalism and the inexorable force of production
have produced a 21st century crisis of community: a narcissistic
cult of authenticity and mass turning-inward are among the
pathologies engendered by it. We are individuals afloat in an
atomised society, where the loss of the symbolic structures
inherent in ritual behaviour has led to overdependence on the
contingent to steer identity. Avoiding saccharine nostalgia for the
rituals of the past, Han provides a genealogy of their
disappearance as a means of diagnosing the pathologies of the
present. He juxtaposes a community without communication - where
the intensity of togetherness in silent recognition provides
structure and meaning - to today's communication without community,
which does away with collective feelings and leaves individuals
exposed to exploitation and manipulation by neoliberal
psycho-politics. The community that is invoked everywhere today is
an atrophied and commoditized community that lacks the symbolic
power to bind people together. For Han, it is only the mutual
praxis of recognition borne by the ritualistic sharing of the
symbolic between members of a community which creates the footholds
of objectivity allowing us to make sense of time. This new book by
one of the most creative cultural theorists writing today will be
of interest to a wide readership.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
