ABSTRACT
In the previous chapter, I constructed critical utopianism as a methodological approach through a dialogue between several bodies of theory. A broad definition was put forward that emphasized the simultaneously critical and creative function of critical utopias, allowing a wide range of forms of both theory and practice to be studied side-by-side. Critical utopias were defined as articulations of dreams and desires that resisted the transcendental principles of state and capitalism whilst also resisting counter-hegemonic ideas and relationships that might emerge as embryonic micro-states. It was argued that a dialogue between theory and practice is essential for a truly critical utopian approach since practice presents a realm of contingency whereby potentially transcendental and stultifying epistemologies can be critiqued and transgressed. Practice also creates spaces wherein desires articulated in the virtual field of knowledge can be actualized and therefore is essential for social change. Further, critical utopian practices not only articulate dissatisfaction with the status quo but also produce immediate means by which needs, wants and desires might be satisfied in the present. I have also previously argued in Chapter 1 that the relationship between theory and practice is not at all clear-cut. Political theory is itself a practice, and practitioners who aim for social change themselves must have theories to guide their action. The purpose of the present chapter is to think through the range of practices that might be considered to be critical utopian, to reflect on the methods by which legitimate knowledge about such practices can be produced and also to offer brief descriptions of the groups and communities that contribute to the formulation of a critical utopian theory of politics and citizenship throughout the remainder of the book. These descriptions serve as a context and point of reference for the more analytical and interpretive work undertaken in the substantive chapters that follow, which attempt to draw on knowledge produced through fieldwork in articulating a critical and utopian approach to politics and citizenship.
