Glad to see someone is researching some of these dynamics behind social media. I’m also especially interested in how women feel they have to hide the fact that they’re ambitious, or present it as ‘just happening’..fascinating stuff!
I'm listening to "A History of Rock and Roll in 500 songs" and a lot of artists did work for aspirational reasons. I think that as companies ask more and more of employees, in the form of productivity, people feel there needs to be some way out.
Related I think the pace of change has made it difficult to feel that they understand and make a meaningful contribution to our communities as they change in swirls of motion. So the historical and technological pressures have created lower barriers to entry for many once unheard of things, but they've also devalued them.
And don't get me started on being a 'good citizen' in the literary world or how poetry is a 'gift economy.' Yes, there's a ton of unpaid work to go around, and many people doing it in service of 'craft' or 'the field.' They're also the people who don't have to earn a living. I've been so glad to see people uncovering how economic advantage sits at the root of these lofty notions. But the continual 'get to the next step' then the next step, then the next step, then the 'real payoff' will come (literally) is such a harmful and privileged ideology to espouse — and in these worlds (academe, literary) it routinely is.
Sara, you asked an excellent question around drawing a parallel between this aspirational labor and writing on Substack. I felt your question was not answered (at least not to my satisfaction). I have been pondering on this subject for some time now and would love to continue to inspect and socialize with like-minded writers.
Glad to see someone is researching some of these dynamics behind social media. I’m also especially interested in how women feel they have to hide the fact that they’re ambitious, or present it as ‘just happening’..fascinating stuff!
I'm listening to "A History of Rock and Roll in 500 songs" and a lot of artists did work for aspirational reasons. I think that as companies ask more and more of employees, in the form of productivity, people feel there needs to be some way out.
Related I think the pace of change has made it difficult to feel that they understand and make a meaningful contribution to our communities as they change in swirls of motion. So the historical and technological pressures have created lower barriers to entry for many once unheard of things, but they've also devalued them.
Loved reading this and will seek out Duffy's book. It's maddening to me how entrenched 'free labor' is in (too many!) fields I'm in, including academe. I wrote about this a few years ago: https://www.businessinsider.com/problem-academic-journals-not-paying-writers-scholars-2021-5
And don't get me started on being a 'good citizen' in the literary world or how poetry is a 'gift economy.' Yes, there's a ton of unpaid work to go around, and many people doing it in service of 'craft' or 'the field.' They're also the people who don't have to earn a living. I've been so glad to see people uncovering how economic advantage sits at the root of these lofty notions. But the continual 'get to the next step' then the next step, then the next step, then the 'real payoff' will come (literally) is such a harmful and privileged ideology to espouse — and in these worlds (academe, literary) it routinely is.
Sara, you asked an excellent question around drawing a parallel between this aspirational labor and writing on Substack. I felt your question was not answered (at least not to my satisfaction). I have been pondering on this subject for some time now and would love to continue to inspect and socialize with like-minded writers.
Great research and article. Thank you.
Great interview. Provocative and all too real.