Against the Romance of Community

Rating:
Summary: A powerful read!
Review: Miranda Joseph's book is fantastic. If you tend to think the word "community" is synonymous with "a good thing," you will think again after reading this book. The book challenges some of the basic assumptions of non-profit organizations, political activists, and progressive thinkers, yet it does so from a sympathetic and decidedly leftist perspective. This is no armchair, right-wing, or libertarian attack, but rather a careful and constructive critical engagement with progressive thought and practice. The first chapter lays out a compelling case for the interrelations between community and capitalism, challenging the common, romantic idea of community as a group of people with shared identities and common interests that are necessarily opposed to and more progressive than governmental or business interests. It shows how capitalism produces communities, and so makes us aware of how we might be complicit in that which we hope to question. The remaining chapters offer case studies that exemplify this position, and so offer multiple points of entry for a diverse range of readers. Set aside some time and read this book, it will be worth it.