Normal Now

Individualism as Conformity

Normal Now
MGE Kelly
RRP:
NZ$ 37.99
Our Price:
NZ$ 32.29
Paperback
h212 x 138mm - 184pg
1 Apr 2022 UK
International import eta 10-30 days
9781509550951
Out Of Stock
Currently no stock in-store, stock is sourced to your order
This is a book about what we consider normal. It details how the very concept of normality emerged in the modern era, and how it has changed over the centuries. By the mid-twentieth century, the expansion of norms across various areas of human endeavour generated a governing normative order in Western societies. Normality was defined as conformity with a narrow model of conventional human behaviour. However, this model has since been displaced by an anti-conformism, in which normality is defined as absolute self-fulfilment, defying older restrictions on our behaviour. Paradoxically, narcissistic individualism and rebellion against conformity have become compulsory. Normal Now explores in detail how this new normative order plays out today in the arenas of politics, health, and sex and sexuality. In all these areas, the uncompromising perfectionism of our norms of self-expression leads to increasingly deep-seated and ubiquitous anger, anxiety and dissatisfaction.
' A bold, challenging and provocative analysis of how we have moved from a society governed by rules to one governed by norms. Building on work by Georges Canguilhem and Michel Foucault, this is a fundamental challenge to normative political theory. ' Stuart Elden, University of Warwick' The pressure to be normal has a long history. But, as Mark Kelly reveals in this sharp and exciting book, normality has undergone a mutation in recent years whereby, to come across as normal, we also have to refuse normality. How, then, could we ever escape norms? ' Carl Cederstroem, author of The Wellness Syndrome
Mark G. E. Kelly is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Western Sydney University.
Status: Active
ISBN-13: 9781509550951
Published: 1 Apr 2022
Published In: United Kingdom
Imprint: Polity Press
Publisher: Polity Press
Format: Paperback
Height: 212mm
Width: 138mm
Spine: 16mm
Weight: 240g
Pages: 184

In stock - for items in stock we aim to dispatch the next business day. For delivery in NZ allow 2-5 business days, with rural taking a wee bit longer.

Locally sourced in NZ - stock comes from a NZ supplier with an approximate delivery of 7-15 business days.

International Imports - stock is imported into NZ, depending on air or sea shipping option from the international supplier stock can take 10-30 working days to arrive into NZ. 

Pre-order Titles - delivery will vary depending on where the title is published, if local stock is available in NZ then 5-7 business days, for international imports it can be 10-30 business days. In all cases we will access the quickest supply option.

Delivery Packaging - we ship all items in cardboard sleeves or by box with either packing paper or corn starch chips. (We avoid using plastics bubble bags)

Tracking - Orders are delivered by track and trace courier and are fully insured, tracking information will be sent by email once dispatched.

View our full Order & Delivery information