Since 1987, when this book first saw the light of day, many years have passed, nearly two decades. Although this time interval may seem large when examined from a macro-historical perspective, it remains a small whisper in the grand clock of the centuries.

However, from 1987 until today, a lot has happened in our country, which some would call world-changing, while I would simply refer to them as peeling away. Greece has changed its skin, changed its identity, changed its idiosyncratic characteristics.

Back then, in 1987, those of us who had delved into sociological studies frequently used the term alienation, attributing it to the French term alienation. This attribution was successful, as the ancient word αλλοτρίωσις (the term αλλοίωσις could also be used) means deprivation, primarily alienation. And this was what we wanted to express: the alienation from ourselves.