Enhancement and Efficiency: The Myth of Adequacy in Productivity Culture
In a world where productivity and strength are prized above all, it's essential to examine the impact of capitalism on individuals who are unwell, chronically ill, or disabled. Ariel Salleh's book, "Ecofeminism As Politics," sheds light on this issue, highlighting how capitalism structurally links individual worth to productivity.
Salleh's work draws attention to the shared roots of the words ecology and economics, both stemming from the ancient Greek word oikos, which refers to familial relationships within a household. This connection underscores the intertwined nature of our relationship with the environment and our economic systems.
Capitalism, in essence, functions to make land, sea, air, and body productive and profitable. This drive for productivity extends to people, valuing them primarily based on their labor capacity and output. As a result, those deemed "non-productive"—such as those who are disabled or chronically ill—are often marginalized and devalued, both economically and socially. This marginalization is a product of the system itself, as capitalism creates the conditions that define disablement.
Marx's analysis of alienation in capitalist labor further reinforces this idea. Disabled individuals often find themselves excluded from productive roles, reinforcing the notion that they are unable to contribute meaningfully to the system. This exclusion deepens the relationship of economic devaluation of unwell or disabled individuals within the workforce.
Moreover, the labor process in capitalism can produce disablement by exposing workers to conditions that cause chronic illness or injury. This vicious cycle further entrenches the marginalization of these individuals.
In the face of this systemic marginalization, it's crucial to prioritize empathy and healing. By learning to write with fury, as Audre Lorde suggests, and by believing in both one's own pain and the pain of those with chronic illness, we can begin to empathize with a wider worldly struggle.
Georgina Johnson, the editor of The Slow Grind, has felt the brunt of this systemic marginalization. Her life has felt like a fizzing electrical wire ready to shock her at every turn due to a series of hospital admissions. Johnson feels lost due to the silence and inaction from doctors, and feels that the medical system isn't built to serve or fully understand pain, chronic illness, or mental health.
Lorde encourages reorganizing "the enemy outside and within" and reclaiming our planet and our bodies with care and tenderness. By prioritizing empathy in a world built on apathy, we can begin to heal the wounds caused by profit-seeking, productivity, and extractivism.
In conclusion, capitalism is more than just an economic system; it is an existential conflict felt deep in our bones, minds, and ecosystems. It undermines our relationship to nature, causing us to cohesively exploit and extract from it. To overcome this, we must acknowledge the link between the personal and the political and seek to celebrate "the social value of caring," as Salleh argues. Only then can we begin to dismantle the systemic marginalization of the unwell and disabled and create a more equitable society.
[1] Salleh, A. (2009). Ecofeminism As Politics. Zed Books Ltd. [3] Berube, M. (1997). The Disability Studies Reader. Routledge.
- The intertwined nature of our relationship with the environment and our economic systems, as highlighted by Salleh's book "Ecofeminism As Politics," is a powerful reminder of the shared roots of words like ecology and economics.
- Capitalism, with its emphasis on productivity and profit, often structures individual worth around labor capacity and output, leading to marginalization and devaluation of individuals afflicted by chronic diseases, disabilities, or other conditions that diminish their productivity.
- Marx's theory of alienation in capitalist labor reinforces this idea, as disabled individuals are often excluded from productive roles, deepening the economic devaluation of unwell or disabled individuals within the workforce.
- The labor process in capitalism can generate disablement by exposing workers to conditions that cause chronic illness or injury, further entrenching the marginalization of these individuals.
- In a world where empathy and healing are crucial to help those who have been marginalized by the system, learning to write with fury, as Audre Lorde suggests, can help us understand and empathize with a wider worldly struggle.
- Even in the medical field, where one would expect understanding and support for those with chronic illness or mental health issues, individuals like Georgina Johnson, the editor of The Slow Grind, feel lost due to the silence and inaction of doctors.
- By prioritizing empathy and reorganizing the enemy both outside and within, as Lorde encourages, we can begin to heal the wounds caused by profit-seeking, productivity, and extractivism, and create a society that values caring and equitable treatment for all.
- To tackle the systemic marginalization of the unwell and disabled, it is essential to acknowledge the link between the personal and the political, celebrate "the social value of caring," as argued by Salleh, and work towards dismantling this unjust system in education, finance, business, careers, health and wellness, self-development, and other areas of life, fostering a culture of lifelong learning and personal growth.
