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Kevin Patrick Fitzgerald's avatar

Yeh. And how does this cultural process influence how we treat strangers who could be friends? I've been looking for work and it feels alienating. Seems like another aspect of the same process. There's also a strategy called post-fordism that seems to link with the topic at hand.

Disobedient Ape's avatar

I think that's part of what I was circling around in the essay, Kevin. The economic frame increasingly coexists with the social frame. A stranger isn't just a stranger anymore, they're potentially a friend, a customer, an employer, an audience, or a connection. It can make social life feel oddly transactional. Also thank you for mentioning post-Fordism. I hadn't considered the connection to it, but the idea seems relevant though. It does feel as if the boundary between social identity and economic identity has become increasingly blurred, especially when looking for work.

Kevin Patrick Fitzgerald's avatar

You are welcome. Thank you.