'To concieve of a better society without addressing the historic crime of racism betrays the utopian project itself. Ventura and Chan have provided this wonderfully nuanced set of essays that condemn this not unintentional suppression and celebrate the potential of a future society that has defeated structural and existential racism and enabled the flourishing of a truly diverse and inclusive humanity.' Tom Moylan, Glucksman Professor Emeritus, University of Limerick, Ireland
'This volume makes a substantial contribution by defining race broadly to include a variety of markers used to discriminate against and disenfranchise individuals and communities. It reminds us that, in our society, where racial slavery was essential for the accumulation of wealth and the development of capitalism, all social structures were and continue to be deeply inflected by slavery and race.' Hoda Zaki, Professor of Political Science, Hood College, USA
A timely and valuable contribution that fills a critical gap in both literary studies and utopian studies by giving priority to the vital relationship between race and utopia.' Aihua Chen, Utopian Studies Journal
Bringing together a variety of scholarly voices, this book argues for the necessity of understanding the important role literature plays in crystallizing the ideologies of the oppressed, while exploring the necessarily racialized character of utopian thought in American culture and society.
Utopia in everyday usage designates an idealized fantasy place, but within the interdisciplinary field of utopian studies, the term often describes the worldviews of non-dominant groups when they challenge the ruling order. In a time when white supremacy is reasserting itself in the US and around the world, there is a growing need to understand the vital relationship between race and utopia as a resource for resistance. Utopian literature opens up that relationship by envisioning and negotiating the prospect of a better future while acknowledging the brutal past. The collection fills a critical gap in both literary studies, which has largely ignored the issue of race and utopia, and utopian studies, which has said too little about race.
Edited by Patricia Ventura and Edward K. Chan (Waseda University, Japan) Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan; 1st ed. 2019 edition (October 12, 2019) Publication Date: October 12, 2019 ISBN-13: 978-3030194697