White Utopias

"White Utopias is a vivid ethnography of the overwhelming whiteness of transformative festivals and yogic retreats. Amanda J. Lucia lays bare the structural racism undergirding the moral goal of self-development, essential to participation in these communities. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in religion and spirituality, and the convoluted links between the two."--Tulasi Srinivas, author of The Cow in the Elevator: An Anthropology of Wonder "This scrupulous interrogation into white spiritual festivals illustrates how a utopian vision, rooted in a commitment to personal and social transformation, holds these communities together. White Utopias enters many live fields in the study of religion, including spirituality, globalism, capitalism, and race--especially the theorization of whiteness--with brilliant analytical acumen."--Andrea R. Jain, author of Peace Love Yoga: The Politics of Global Spirituality "This book is a wonderfully rich and intimate ethnographic study of transformational festivals as well as a powerful critique of the white privilege that permeates them. Lucia deftly explores how the complex dynamics of inclusion and exclusion in these countercultural spaces inflect their utopian aspirations. White Utopias is essential reading for anyone interested in understanding the contemporary spiritual landscape."--Sarah M. Pike, author of For the Wild: Ritual and Commitment in Radical Eco-Activism