Politics of the Everyday

Abstract

In Politics of the Everyday, celebrated design theorist Ezio Manzini advocates for the creation of flexible communities which are open and inclusive, and therefore resilient and socially sustainable. He proposes a radical overhaul in how we as individuals spend our time, and in what we value. By choosing different ‘policies’ for our own lives in this way, Manzini demonstrates that we can reverse negative current trends such as living in connected solitude; often working, travelling and relaxing alone, yet feeling misleadingly sociable by means of technology. The book draws on precedents of various innovative projects which have successfully used design thinking to address social challenges, like carpooling in California, participatory politics at Milan’s City Council and research into ‘meaningful encounters’ at the University of the Arts London. Manzini argues that the success of these examples indicates the real possibility of changing society, not by making demands, but by putting into practice new ways of doing things as individuals.

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