Precarity in Contemporary Literature and Culture

Precarity in Contemporary Literature and Culture explores the concept of precarity through literary and cultural texts, emphasizing its contemporary manifestations and existential dimensions. It examines vulnerabilities such as unemployment, environmental crisis, temporary contracts, and migration and considers whether precarity is a new phenomenon, its relationship to traditional class politics, global dimensions, and the links between contemporary crisis and existential human vulnerability.

Format: Hardback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 20 May 2021
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

The modern era is defined by a pervasive sense of precarity, a growing and deepening vulnerability intricately linked to political and economic frameworks. This book delves into the complexities of precarity, exploring its contemporary manifestations while also tracing its historical roots and existential dimensions. Through a multidisciplinary approach, it examines the vulnerabilities that shape our anxious existence, encompassing issues such as unemployment, environmental crises, temporary contracts, and patterns of migration. Organized into three central themes—feelings, bodies, and time—Precarity in Contemporary Literature and Culture examines whether precarity can be considered a novel phenomenon, explores the interplay between precarity and traditional class politics, analyzes its global implications, and reflects on the connections between contemporary crises and the inherent vulnerability of human existence. Drawing from a diverse array of literary and cultural forms, including contemporary, realist, science fiction, and modernist novels, films, theater, and lyric poems, this book extends beyond national boundaries to consider texts from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and South Africa. By examining these diverse texts, the book offers a comprehensive exploration of precarity's multifaceted manifestations and its profound impact on individuals, communities, and societies.

Weight: 490g
Dimension: 164 x 241 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350166707