Unlocked Interview: Make Your Own Job by Erik Baker
Apr 4, 2025
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Erik Baker, a Harvard lecturer and author of 'Make Your Own Job,' dives into the intense world of entrepreneurialism and its effects on the labor movement. He discusses how the ideology of self-made success has shaped societal narratives, especially during economic downturns. Baker explores the implications of the gig economy and labor classification, contrasting the struggles faced by workers. He also critiques self-help ideologies and their historical roots, urging solidarity across diverse working classes in the fight for fair labor practices.
Dr. Erik Baker discusses how the rise of the entrepreneurial work ethic has reshaped American economic narratives, emphasizing individualism over systemic issues.
The podcast highlights that contemporary entrepreneurialism obscures traditional employment structures, leading to increased worker precarity and exploitation under the guise of independence.
A critique of the intersection between masculinity and entrepreneurialism reveals how elite narratives distract from structural economic failures, fostering divisions within the working class.
Deep dives
The Rise of the Entrepreneurial Work Ethic
The interview highlights the concept of the entrepreneurial work ethic and its historical evolution alongside U.S. capitalism. Dr. Baker explores how, during economic downturns, the ideological belief that individuals must create their own jobs gains momentum, often attributing economic failures to personal shortcomings. This notion reinforces the idea that success is primarily a result of individual effort rather than systemic issues, perpetuating a cycle where workers blame themselves for economic hardships. The discussion indicates that this mentality significantly influences American society and the labor movement, challenging collective responsibility in favor of individualism.
Current Iterations of Entrepreneurialism
The podcast delves into the contemporary manifestations of entrepreneurialism embodied by tech leaders like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. Dr. Baker asserts that the wealth concentration experienced today, with individuals possessing unprecedented levels of wealth, fosters anti-democratic tendencies and a culture of autocracy. He notes the paradox of increasing numbers of people working under entrepreneurial frameworks that obscure traditional employment structures, leading workers to internalize an entrepreneurial mindset despite often precarious conditions. This shift in labor dynamics emphasizes the critical ideological impacts that accompany these modern forms of corporate governance.
Masculinity and Economic Blame
The conversation shifts to how the concept of masculinity intersects with economic circumstances and entrepreneurialism, particularly in blaming societal failures on a lack of 'masculine energy.' This rhetoric tends to reinforce harmful stereotypes while diverting attention from structural economic issues. Dr. Baker highlights that this trend depicts a historical pattern of capitalists using narratives around masculinity to distract from their own responsibilities for social inequalities. He argues that this ideological device serves the elite's interests by fostering divisions among the working class while asserting the need for traditional male roles in economic productivity.
The Cult of the Self-Made Entrepreneur
Dr. Baker critiques the popular notion of 'be your own boss' and the damaging impact it has on workers who are steered away from collective organizing toward individual entrepreneurship. This entrepreneurial mindset is shown to exacerbate worker exploitation, particularly illustrated through the example of truck drivers who, upon becoming independent operators, face unsustainable work conditions to make a living. The discussion around this ideology unveils how it misleads laborers into believing personal entrepreneurship is a solution rather than addressing the need for stronger collective labor movements. Ultimately, this framing promotes a cycle of labor precarity that highlights the need for solidarity among workers rather than individualistic aspirations.
The Contradictions of Social Entrepreneurship
The podcast examines the tensions between social entrepreneurship and traditional labor movements, where companies tout their progressive values but simultaneously suppress workers' rights. Dr. Baker notes that many businesses promote a mission-driven culture while violating basic worker solidarity principles, exemplifying the contradictions inherent in the social entrepreneurship narrative. He discusses how neoliberal constructs have redefined corporate identities, complicating traditional labor organizing as these entities often mask exploitative practices under the guise of social good. This critical perspective calls for vigilance in recognizing the underlying capitalist motives behind so-called progressive corporate initiatives.
We were very excited to be joined this week for a special interview episode by Dr. Erik Baker, lecturer at Harvard University and author of the great new book, Make Your Own Job: How the Entrepreneurial Work Ethic Exhausted America. The book is a fascinating intellectual history of how the concept of "entrepreneurialism" came to dominate ruling class narratives about the economy. This ideology of the individual business owner charting their own course, being their own boss, and "making their own job" has also had deep impacts on the labor movement through mechanisms such as independent contracting. So it was wonderful to get a chance to discuss this history, how it has impacted the union struggle, and how we see it manifesting today!
Follow the pod at instagram.com/workstoppage, @WorkStoppagePod on Twitter, John @facebookvillain, and Lina @solidaritybee
More info on the show at http://workstoppagepod.com/
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