Crystallising Economikit's Core Beliefs and Principles
Hello all @pospi put up a draft version of our beliefs and principles on this HackMD Link last week. I think it's a great articulation of what Economikit hopes to stand for.
There's a few things though that stood out for me, some of it summarised below:
How relevant is the word 'female'/'feminine', especially since it lands differently with people. I suggest using a 'Yin/Yang' framework instead?
What I like about Yin-Yang is that it doesn't exclude the other. So while feminine thinking may lead, there is a role here for the 'gentle masculine' to give shape to what emerges.
Suggested softening a few words and phrases
While there's enough collectives out there focused on moving to the p2p/distributed paradigm, I'm excited by the prospect of building contextual systems that guide this new space. Wondering if Economikit's scope extends to this.
Leave your thoughts/comments on the HackMD doc, or in comments below. Have an awesome weekend :)
pospi · Sun 5 Apr 2020 10:49PM
Thankyou for these thoughts. As always, it’s really interesting reflecting on how different cultural perspectives interpret language that we all take for granted.
If we’re talking about changing the wording of the first bullet point I’m open to that; though I do think “the future is female” is a catchy summary that can penetrate a mass consciousness, and a meme that’s worth projecting. I suppose my feelings as to why it’s a worthy meme are the same feelings as to why I think feminist / female is an important label, so either way I think it’s worth me reflecting on some of that and why I wrote it here. I hear you on literal. “The future is feminine” may be a better option.
I guess the short version is that intersectional feminism is the only social theory I have come across (as an institutionalised Western person) that adequately addresses and accounts for the diverse matrix of rights, needs, responsibilities, concerns and relationships necessary to overcome a runaway Patriarchal society. And the other truth I’d pair that with is that outcomes always fall short of ambitions. I find it increasingly necessary to be radical, to place a firm stake in the ground to push against the dominant paradigm in order that our achievements take us as far as possible in the direction of dignity and harmony for all. We will fall short or our aims, so we must overreach. Doing so (as I’m finding in my personal life) surfaces misconceptions and bigotries which may otherwise be missed.
(Note to self: probably want to add “intersectional” to our one-liner description of the collective.)
In the West, Yin-Yang can have a different subtle connotation. Capitalist systems go hand in hand with Scientism, and in many mainstream circles bringing Eastern spiritual philosophy into “serious” conversations often has the effect of lowering the credibility of the speaker. Perhaps understandable, given that many Westerners’ exposure to Eastern philosophies and belief systems is often unfortunately through the lens of “American Folk Bhuddism” which mixes not just Bhuddist but Hindu, Traditional Chinese and other cultural concepts in superficial appropriations of spirituality.
There is also the “paradox of intolerance” to address. I feel the need for a group that is outspokenly anti-intolerant, and softening the wording feels like it compromises such a goal. This comes back to discussions about membrane keeping and inviting new members. My worry with Yin/Yang, particularly with American Folk Bhuddism, is that the feminist ideology could be missed. The last thing I want is representatives of the “sleazy shaman crowd” being attracted to movements like this.
For this reason I find Yin/Yang a bit of a troublesome energy to work with in the West. What does seem resonant though is pushing the concept of an inclusive “feminine” / “masculine” energy balance that exists within us all in different measure. For me, using derivatives of the original separatist “male” & “female” to break these concepts back down into a fluid mix of forces feels like a powerful way to approach deconstructing the gender binary in the mainstream reader. There is something true in the idea that you have to use the “language of the Master” to deconstruct the “culture of the Master”.
It’s good to hear you’re thinking of this as birthing a Matriarchal culture and ecosystem. That’s what I am hoping to see emerge (:
Sounds awesome.
You mean “Specific Culture and Generic Tech Tools”? I’m all-in on that naming.