We live an age of nostalgia, incarnated by populist fantasies of "taking back control" and making nations "great again". In the long aftermath of the 2007-08 economic crisis, nostalgia has been established as the cultural zeitgeist of Western society. Populist fantasies of nostalgia represent a cry for help against the demise of the societal model of the postwar era, based on stable employment and mass consumption. The promise of an impossible return to the 'good life' of the 20th century, Gandini contends, particularly appeals to the older generations, who are incapable of making sense of the evolution of Western societies after decades of globalization and neoliberal policies. The younger generations, in the meantime, are instead trying to build a new 'good life' based on another form of return, this time to old practices of craft production and consumption.

About the Author
Alessandro Gandini is a senior researcher in Digital Sociology at the University of Milan, and he was previously a lecturer for Kings College, London. He has published books in English and Italian, including The Reputation Economy: Understanding Knowledge Work in Digital Society. Alessandro tweets @afrontiercity. He lives in Milan, Italy.


Book Information
ISBN 9781789044478
Author Alessandro Gandini
Format Paperback
Page Count 136
Imprint Zero Books
Publisher Collective Ink