‘Utopia’ failed? Social enterprise, everyday practices and the closure of neoliberalism

In the context of recurrent economic crises, ‘alternative’ models organising such as social enterprise offer compelling examples utopian imageries a better future ‘to come’. Social qua utopia implies not only that alternative ways being and co-existence are desirable, but there is often disjuncture between desirable futures imaginaries project extent to which they actualised or even actualisable in practice. The UK, has long been considered most conducive environment for activity, offers fertile ground study this tension imagination empirical actualization. Drawing from three large-scale research projects focusing on economy Scotland North England, paper explores link political program lived material practices unfolding under conditions extreme resource scarcity caused by austerity measures. Our findings reveal whatever impulse might contain, it constituted, last instance, movement ideas everyday life, i.e. aggregate mundane practices, routines experiences. Attentiveness precariousness instigated through measures, budget cuts, key contribution makes jettison approaches treat context-independent totalizing ideal divorces its potential realized.