Lecture by Luca Mavelli, University of Kent, UK
Date: 22 FEBRUARY 2022 from 17:30 to 19:00
Event location: Sala Rossa, Palazzo Marchesini, Via Marsala, 26 - Bologna - In presence and online event
Type: Lectures
With cosmopolitan illusions put to rest, Europe is now haunted by a pervasive neoliberal transformation of citizenship that subordinates inclusion, protection, and belonging to rationalities of value. Against the backdrop of four major crises – Eurozone, refugee, Brexit, and the COVID-19 pandemic – in this lecture I wish to discuss how neoliberal citizenship rewrites identities and solidarities in economic terms. The result is a sacralized market order in which those superfluous to economic needs and regarded as unproductive consumers of resources – be they undocumented migrants, debased citizens of austerity, or the elderly in care homes – are excluded and sacrificed for the well-being of the economy. Hence, a common thread connects the suspension of search-and-rescue missions in the Mediterranean, the punitive bailout of Greece, the widespread adoption of austerity measures, the normalization of racism, the celebration of resilience, and the fact that in Europe and North America, during the first wave of the pandemic, almost half of all COVID-19 deaths were care home residents. This thread is the sacralization of the market that, by making life conditional upon its economic and emotional value, turns ‘less valuable’ individuals into sacrificial subjects. This sacrificial violence is the product of a remarkable inversion performed by neoliberal citizenship which enthrones the market as a sacred entity that dictates who must live (and how) and who must die.
Link to ZOOM: Click here to access
If you prefer to attend this lecture in presence, you should write to segreteria.isa@unibo.it within February 22nd, 12 p.m. and book your place. The places will be assigned on “first come first served” basis.
In order to attend lectures in presence you must have a COVID-19 Green Pass and show it on the premises.
In-presence attendance is allowed for the academic community only.
The visit of Luca Mavelli is organized in collaboration with Fabio Bravo from the Department of Sociology and Business Law.