Studies in Critical Social Science Crisis' Representations

An important sociological intervention into the role played by media narratives—usually reflecting the ruling ideas—in shaping social and political responses to Europe's refugee 'crisis.' This timely volume brings together prominent sociologists from across the world to unravel the role played by contemporary "narrations" of the economic and refugee crisis as they have mobilized every aspect of social storytelling over the course of the last decade throughout Europe. Because the different (mass and social) media reflect the dominant ideas and representations, it becomes essential to analyze the meaning of their narratives to even begin to understand the relationship (or "inexistent dialogue") between official political discourses and popular myths—most notably the valuation of prosperity so actively promoted by the mass culture and the cultural industry's products. Time and again the pieces in Crisis' Representations find that, despite ongoing inequalities and other social difficulties, contemporary audiences seem to counterbalance their misery with the dreams of happiness provided by these dominant narratives. Contributors include: Christiana Constantopoulou, Amalia Frangiskou, Evangelia Kalerante, Laurence Larochelle, Debora Marcucci, Valentina Marinescu, Albertina Pretto, Maria Thanopoulou, Joanna Tsiganou, Vasilis Vamvakas, and Eleni Zyga.