The family is at the heart of neoliberalism. Thus argues Melinda Cooper in her 2017 book Family Values. Usually when I hear the term neoliberalism I think about the individual and personal responsibility. Yet, Cooper demonstrates, the family is central to its operations and maintenance. I think Arendt’s critique of the family can be especially helpful in illuminating this claim. But, she also naturalizes the family in a way — similar to neoliberalism. Personal responsibility equals family … [Read more...]
Pandemic time is a strange thing
With the warm weather and the gradual opening of the economy, people are beginning to emerge from their pandemic cocoons. For me, this has meant getting back to some of my hobbies and commitments, but also running more errands and getting out in general. Well, in theory… As excited as I was to visit some of the stores I have been thinking about since the pandemic closures, I found myself clinging onto parts of my pandemic schedule. The paradox of productivity Back in March, I thought I had … [Read more...]
Human rights and the family
When people describe their workplace or community group as if they're "like family," my neck hair rises. I am suspicious, and immediately skeptical about the stability of the organization being described. If I were a Kelpien, my threat ganglia would extend whenever someone made this kind of reference. Let me be clear: I am not anti-family. I love families! Yay families! I'm just skeptical that family structures are good models for social or political groups to adopt. Arendt's critique of … [Read more...]
The myth of a simple surrogacy
The call to better regulate surrogacy highlights the need to reduce possibilities for exploitation and other harms. Jessica Allen's experience as a surrogate reminds me that surrogacy will always be unpredictable. Yes, we need better regulation (in Canada and elsewhere). But surrogacy won't be simple. Superfetation, a rare occurrence in human pregnancy On October 25, the New York Post reported about a surrogacy that went wrong in an unexpected way: Allen conceived while gestating an embryo for … [Read more...]
Equality, Diversity, and the Family
This past weekend I attended the Organizing Equality conference at Museum London in London, Ontario. This conference brought together activists, academics, and community members to discuss various aspects of building more just worlds. This post shares the presentation I gave with my friend and collaborator, Dr. Rita A. Gardiner, on family as an organizational structure and diversity. Rita is a scholar and teacher of Critical Policy, Equity and Leadership Studies in the Faculty of Education at … [Read more...]