DeepSummary
In this episode of the Delete Your Account podcast, host Qmarz Salehi interviews labor journalist Sarah Jaffe about her new book 'Work Won't Love You Back: How Devotion to Our Jobs Keeps Us Exploited, Exhausted, and Alone.' Sarah shares her personal journey into becoming a labor journalist and explores the myth of the 'labor of love' that has been perpetuated in the neoliberal era.
Sarah discusses the historical background of the labor movement, tracing its roots from feudalism to the social democratic compromises of the post-war era, and how these gains were gradually eroded by neoliberal policies. She examines the experiences of workers across various sectors, including service, care work, creative work, and professional sports, and their struggles against exploitation and precarious employment.
The conversation also delves into the concept of the 'professional-managerial class' (PMC) and its relevance in understanding class dynamics today. Sarah emphasizes the need for a nuanced understanding of power relations and solidarity across different groups of workers, rejecting the notion of static class categories. Throughout the discussion, she advocates for a radical, historically-grounded approach to addressing the challenges faced by workers in the 21st century.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- The 'labor of love' myth, which encourages workers to find passion and fulfillment in their jobs, has been a powerful narrative in the neoliberal era, obscuring the exploitation and precariousness faced by many workers.
- The erosion of labor rights and the dismantling of social democratic compromises in the post-war era were driven by neoliberal policies that prioritized capital accumulation over workers' interests.
- Workers across various sectors, including service, care work, creative work, and professional sports, have faced similar challenges of precarious employment, exploitation, and the need to organize against these conditions.
- The concept of the 'professional-managerial class' (PMC) has limitations in capturing the complexity of contemporary class dynamics, and a more nuanced understanding of power relations and solidarity across different groups of workers is necessary.
- Historical change and contingency in class relations challenge static conceptions of class, and a radical, dynamic approach is needed to understand and address the challenges faced by workers in the 21st century.
- Solidarity and collective organizing across different groups of workers, regardless of their perceived class status, are essential for addressing the systemic issues of exploitation and precariousness in the workplace.
- Maintaining hope and perseverance, while also maintaining a critical analysis of reality, is crucial in the struggle for workers' rights and in envisioning alternative forms of work and social organization.
- The labor movement's history and struggles offer valuable lessons and insights for understanding the present challenges faced by workers and for developing strategies for resistance and transformation.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “Punk rock and shitty jobs is a very, very short answer to everything, right?“ by Sarah Jaffe
- “If we just think somehow that, like, the world only works one way, then we're screwed, right? Because like, okay, it works this way and this way sucks. We have to actually be aware of the various ways that it has changed in order to understand how we can change it.“ by Sarah Jaffe
- “Hope is a discipline.“ by Miriam Kaba (quoted by Sarah Jaffe)
- “The statement often attributed to Gramsci, which Joshua Clover will yell at me if I actually attribute to Gramsci, because it was somebody else who apparently said it, is pessimism of the intellect and optimism of the will.“ by Sarah Jaffe
Entities
Company
Person
Book
Podcast
Publication
Episode Information
Delete Your Account Podcast
Delete Your Account
2/12/21
Roqayah is off this week, so Kumars is joined from the top of the hour by independent labor journalist Sarah Jaffe, reporting fellow at Type Media Center, cohost of Dissent Magazine’s Belabored podcast, and the author of two books: Necessary Trouble: Americans in Revolt, and a new book out now from Hurst and Bold Type Books, Work Won’t Love You Back: How Devotion to Our Jobs Keeps Us Exploited, Exhausted, and Alone. In her new book, Sarah examines the expectation in the neoliberal era that we should love our work, and documents the resistance of workers who fight back against the “labor of love” myth by organizing.
Sarah and Kumars discuss the main themes and historical background of the book, highlighting the commonalities between workers in sectors as disparate as social work and professional sports, as well as the roots of their contemporary struggles in the development of capitalism. They round out their discussion by reflecting on the obstacles to and possibilities of working-class politics in the 21st century, including the idea of the “professional-managerial class” (PMC) and the relevance of Marxism today.
Follow Sarah on Twitter at @sarahljaffe, keep up with her work on her personal website sarahljaffe.com and workwontloveyouback.org, hear her on the Belabored podcast, and don’t forget to pick up a copy off Work Won’t Love You Back.
If you want to support the show and receive access to tons of bonus content, subscribe on our Patreon for as little as $5 a month. Also, don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the show on Apple Podcasts. We can't do this show without your support!!!