The revolt of the voters that exploded in 2016 represents a reaction to the effects of financial globalization, with economic discontent driving heightened political and cultural divisions. As populist parties grow across Europe, the common thread – on both left and right – is criticism of the economic policies embraced and enforced by the institutions of the European Union. To suggest that the answer is “more Europe” means putting the cart before the horse, and failing to address the substantive contradictions dogging the EU. As European nations look to the future, the goal must be to defend the well-being of the population as a whole, in a world where public institutions have too often been manipulated to the benefit of private interests.
At the end of the last century, the so-called "new technologies" started to question the process of design, production, sales and consumption through a radical change, which today re-defines many concepts both in industry and every-day life. The notion of "size" – a cross-cutting term in the cultural and creative sector – has gone through a phase of crisis from which it is now re-emerging, enriched with new meanings and possibilities. To re-define this complex term, the authors of the book have observed the path of audiovisual products and social media, fashion, everyday objects, architectures and cities, and identified in each of these fields elements of continuity, breaking points with the past as well as future alternatives. In this collection of essays, the authors adopt an interdisciplinary approach overcoming the boundaries of their discipline. Through different perspectives this volume presents and develops new paradigms that explain the complexities of the contemporary era and its new "sizes".