After Utopia: Leftist Imaginaries and Activist Politics in the Postsocialist World

This collection explores how the loss of state socialism and the failures of postsocialist civil society building have impacted new generations of progressive, anti-nationalist, anarchist, and social-justice-oriented activists in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus. It argues for a need for a careful, theoretically nuanced, and context-specific analysis across the uneven political landscapes of the former socialist world.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 122 pages
Publication date: 25 September 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This collection delves into the profound consequences of the loss of state socialism as a global project and the subsequent challenges faced by postsocialist civil society in building a more inclusive and equitable society. It explores the impact of these historical developments on the thinking and actions of progressive, anti-nationalist, anarchist, and social justice-oriented activists across Eastern Europe and the Caucasus.

Understanding postsocialism as a multifaceted experience and a geopolitically sensitive form of knowledge, this collection of essays aims to shed light on the diverse range of political activism that exists in the region, beyond the confines of specific street protests and public disruptions. The contributors examine the enduring forms of activism that emerge in the aftermath of protest movements and during protracted crises, seeking to understand how activists navigate the complex pressures of neoliberal governance and strive to create their desired futures.

The ethnographies presented in this collection, which span from Armenia to Ukraine, Bosnia-Herzegovina to the newly established transnational Balkan route created by refugees and migrants, provide a rich insight into the ways in which local activists engage with and interpret their socialist heritage. They showcase how activists imagine different futures, drawing on a range of political, social, and cultural resources to shape their visions for a better world.

The collection argues for a need for a rigorous, theoretically nuanced, and context-specific analysis of the diverse political landscapes of the former socialist world. By examining the complexities and contradictions within these societies, the chapters in this book contribute to a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing activists and policymakers alike as they navigate the transition towards a more inclusive and sustainable future.

Weight: 453g
Dimension: 246 x 174 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367712419