New Economy
A blog on the vocabulary of inequality
Speaking of words, John Pat Leary notices that words “bind together ways of seeing culture and society.” Some words, he says, end up reframing reality and distracting us from what’s actually going on. To help us notice how, he publishes a blog that names words and phrases that take on new meanings when considered in the light of income inequality. His first entry is the word ‘innovation’:
“Other than mystifying creativity itself—which now looks more like an intuitive blast of inspiration, and less like work—‘innovation’ gives creativity a specific professional, class dimension. It is almost always applied to white-collar and profit-seeking activities, although its increasing popularity in educational contexts only reflects the creeping influence of market-based models in this field. Rare is the “innovative” carpenter, plumber, or homemaker, in spite of the imagination, improvisation, and managerial skills required of each.”
He's even more brutal when talking about Brand/Branding/Rebrand.
Blog: Keywords for the Age of Austerity