Speculations on Solidarity: From Fordism to the Gig Economy

Authors

Kendra Roedl, Macalester CollegeFollow

Abstract

In this paper, Roedl traces the decline of worker solidarity starting with labor’s heyday in the 1930s and beforehand through an analysis of Fordism, post-Fordism, and ending on the recent phase of the gig economy. She employs Marxian theory on the base and superstructure to explain how economic phases have always been used to push free-market ideology, but differences in power workers leverage particularly between New Deal Fordism and the hyper specialized, hyper individualized gig economy have reinforced liberal and neoliberal ideology, and prevented unity and solidarity among workers of today.

Author Biography

Kendra Roedl is a senior American Studies major at Macalester College with minors in Political Science and Urban Studies, from Minneapolis. Outside of school, Kendra organizes with fellow restaurant workers to build solidarity and power within the industry.

Recommended Citation

Roedl, Kendra (2020) "Speculations on Solidarity: From Fordism to the Gig Economy," Tapestries: Interwoven voices of local and global identities: Vol. 9: Iss. 1, Article 9.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/tapestries/vol9/iss1/9

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.