AudreLorde

Summary

This lecture delves into the social implications of economic relations, using Marx's analysis of industrialization in Britain as a backdrop. It discusses how the depersonalizing relationship between factory owners and workers, characterized by social alienation, is mirrored in broader societal interactions. The lecture then transitions to Audre Lorde's essay, exploring the concept of surplus labor and its societal reproduction, particularly in terms of social hierarchy and the 'mythical norm.' Lorde's critique of a profit-driven economy's demand for outsiders and its impact on social unity is highlighted, urging a reevaluation of how we address and value human differences.

Takeaways

• 📚 The script discusses the connection between economic relations and social alienation, particularly focusing on Marx's analysis of early factory work during the industrialization in Britain.
• 🧩 It emphasizes that all human relations are social, and there is no such thing as a purely business relationship, as humans are inherently social beings.
• 🏭 The script explains the shift from feudalism to industrialization, highlighting the core relationship between the factory owner and the factory worker, which is central to societal organization.
• 🌐 It introduces the concept of 'surplus labor' and 'surplus value', crucial to understanding profit in capitalist economics, where workers produce more value than they are paid.
• 📈 The lecture ties the idea of surplus labor to societal hierarchies, suggesting that those lower in the social hierarchy perform surplus social labor, such as educating others about their humanity.
• 🌱 The script references Lord's essay, which critiques the profit-driven economy that necessitates the marginalization of certain groups and the devaluation of differences.
• 🔍 It points out the 'mythical norm' in society, which is used as a standard for value and against which differences are measured, often leading to their rejection or exploitation.
• 💡 The discussion suggests that those closer to the mythical norm often do not recognize the surplus social labor they impose on others and may inadvertently contribute to societal fragmentation.
• 🌟 Lord's essay is highlighted for its relevance, even decades after it was written, indicating that the issues it addresses persist in contemporary society.
• 🤔 The script prompts reflection on how we can productively deal with differences in society and whether the current socioeconomic structure is conducive to unity and respect for diversity.

Q & A

What is the central theme of the discussion in the provided transcript?

The central theme of the discussion is the analysis of social and economic relations, particularly focusing on the concept of surplus labor and surplus value in capitalist economies, and how these economic relationships are reproduced in society, leading to social alienation and stratification.

What is the concept of 'social alienation' as discussed in the transcript?

Social alienation refers to the depersonalizing relationships in society where individuals treat each other as means to an end, rather than as ends in themselves. This concept is derived from Marx's analysis of early factory work during industrialization in Britain, where the relationship between factory owners and workers is seen as an example of such dehumanizing dynamics.

What does the term 'surplus labor' signify in the context of the transcript?

Surplus labor is the labor that exceeds the equivalency between wage and value produced. It occurs when the amount of value a worker produces is greater than their wage, meaning they work extra hours without additional compensation, which generates profit for the employer.

How is 'surplus value' different from 'surplus labor'?

Surplus value is the value that exceeds the wages paid to the worker, which is the result of surplus labor. While surplus labor refers to the extra work done by the worker beyond what they are paid for, surplus value is the economic gain that the employer receives from this extra labor.

What is the 'mythical norm' mentioned in the transcript, and how does it relate to social hierarchy?

The 'mythical norm' is a societal standard or ideal that represents the most valued and privileged identity, often characterized by being a white, straight, able-bodied male with a good job. This norm is used to stratify society, with those who deviate from it being marginalized and subjected to surplus social labor.

What is 'surplus social labor' as discussed in the context of the transcript?

Surplus social labor refers to the additional, often unpaid, work that individuals from marginalized groups must perform to educate and explain their experiences and perspectives to those who are closer to the mythical norm. This labor is necessary to challenge and change societal norms and expectations.

How does the transcript connect the economic concept of surplus labor to broader societal issues?

The transcript connects surplus labor to societal issues by illustrating how the economic exploitation of workers in the form of surplus labor is mirrored in social relationships, where marginalized groups are expected to perform surplus social labor to educate and validate their existence to the dominant societal norms.

What is the significance of the example of a women's journal discussed in the transcript?

The example of a women's journal is significant because it demonstrates how the editors, by limiting submissions to prose, inadvertently exclude women from marginalized groups who may not have the resources or time to produce lengthy prose pieces. This exclusion is an example of surplus social labor, where those excluded must educate the editors on the implications of their decisions.

What are the three ways society deals with human differences as outlined in the transcript?

The transcript outlines three ways society deals with human differences: ignoring the difference, copying it if it is perceived as dominant, or destroying it if it is seen as subordinate. These methods reflect the institutionalized rejection of difference in a profit-driven economy.

What is the connection between the concepts discussed in the transcript and the future of the earth as mentioned?

The connection between the concepts discussed and the future of the earth is that the way societies handle economic relations and social differences has profound implications for social cohesion, equality, and sustainability. Addressing these issues is crucial for the long-term health and survival of the planet.

Does the transcript suggest solutions to the problems it identifies?

The transcript does not explicitly suggest solutions but rather highlights the problems and encourages reflection on how societies can deal with differences more productively. It prompts readers to consider the implications of current social and economic structures and to think critically about potential paths forward.

Outlines

00:00

🏭 Marx's Analysis of Industrialization and Social Relations

This paragraph introduces the concept of economic relations in the context of Marx's analysis of early factory work during the industrialization in Britain. It discusses the depersonalizing relationship between factory owners and workers, which Marx argues is reproduced in society, leading to social alienation. The speaker suggests that all human relations are inherently social, and the most significant among these are economic in nature, shaping how society is organized for production and distribution of basic materials. The paragraph sets the stage for a deeper exploration of how these economic relations influence broader social dynamics.

05:01

📊 Labor Power, Surplus Labor, and Surplus Value

The second paragraph delves into the economic concepts of labor power, necessary labor, and surplus labor. Labor power refers to an individual's ability to produce goods, which is sold as a commodity in the job market. Necessary labor is the labor that is compensated with wages equivalent to the value produced. However, in a capitalist economy, the speaker explains, surplus labor is common, where the value produced by a worker exceeds their wage, leading to surplus value, which is the profit for the capitalist. The paragraph uses the example of a Spam canning factory to illustrate these concepts and connects them to the broader social hierarchy and the reproduction of labor relations in society.

10:01

🌐 Social Hierarchy and Surplus Social Labor

Paragraph three expands on the idea of surplus labor by discussing how it translates into 'surplus social labor' within society. The speaker introduces the concept of the 'mythical norm', a societal standard often represented by a white, straight, able-bodied male with a good job, and how this norm influences social stratification. Those who deviate from this norm are expected to perform surplus social labor to educate and prove their humanity to those closer to the norm. Examples include how marginalized groups are expected to educate others about their experiences and existence, which is an additional burden not shared by those at the top of the social hierarchy.

15:02

🌱 The Impact of Socioeconomic Structure on Social Relations

The final paragraph emphasizes the role of socioeconomic structure in shaping social relations and the treatment of differences within society. It discusses how a profit-driven economy necessitates the creation of outsiders and surplus people, leading to an institutionalized rejection of difference. The speaker suggests that this economic structure influences how individuals respond to human differences, often with fear and loathing, and offers three typical responses: ignore, copy, or destroy. The paragraph concludes with a call to consider the implications of these dynamics on society and to reflect on how they affect our relationships and behaviors towards one another.

Keywords

💡Social Alienation

Social alienation refers to the estrangement of individuals from their society and from their own human nature. In the context of the video, it is illustrated by Marx's analysis of the depersonalizing relationship between factory owners and workers during industrialization in Britain, where people are treated as means to an end rather than as ends in themselves. This concept is central to understanding the video's theme of how economic relations can lead to broader societal issues.

💡Economic Relations

Economic relations are the ways in which people organize themselves to produce and distribute goods and services. The video emphasizes that all human relations are social, including economic ones, and that these relations are not strictly business but are deeply intertwined with societal structures. The shift from feudalism to industrialization is highlighted as a significant change in economic relations, with the factory owner-worker relationship being a key example.

💡Labor Power

Labor power is the human capacity to perform work. In the video, it is discussed as a commodity that individuals 'sell' to employers in the job market. This concept is crucial for understanding the dynamics of surplus labor and surplus value, which are central to the video's exploration of how labor is exploited in a capitalist economy.

💡Surplus Labor

Surplus labor occurs when the value produced by a worker exceeds their wage. The video explains this concept through the example of a worker who produces $20 worth of goods in an 8-hour day but is only paid for 4 hours of work. This concept is integral to understanding how profit is generated in capitalism and how it contributes to social hierarchies and the marginalization of certain groups.

💡Surplus Value

Surplus value is the value that exceeds the wages paid to the laborer. It is a key concept in Marxist economics and is discussed in the video as the profit that the factory owner makes from the surplus labor of the worker. This concept is central to the video's argument about the exploitative nature of capitalist economic relations.

💡Mythical Norm

The mythical norm, as discussed in the video, refers to the idealized standard of humanity that is valued most highly in society, often represented by a white, straight, male with a good job and physical fitness. This concept is used to illustrate how social hierarchies are constructed and how they perpetuate the marginalization and exploitation of those who deviate from this norm.

💡Institutionalized Rejection of Difference

Institutionalized rejection of difference is the systemic exclusion or devaluation of certain groups based on their differences from the societal norm. The video discusses how a profit economy necessitates the creation of 'outsiders' or surplus people, and how this dynamic is reflected in societal attitudes and behaviors towards difference. This concept is central to understanding the video's argument about the ways in which economic structures shape social relations and perpetuate inequality.

💡Ethics

Ethics in the video is discussed in relation to ethos, a Greek term that pertains to dwelling, place, habit, and convention. The video explores ethics as questions about how we live, how we treat each other, and how our economic and social structures influence our behavior and attitudes. This concept is integral to the video's broader discussion of the ethical implications of economic relations and social hierarchies.

💡Profit Economy

A profit economy is an economic system driven by the pursuit of profit. The video discusses how such an economy requires the exploitation of labor and the creation of surplus people, which in turn leads to the institutionalized rejection of difference. This concept is central to understanding the video's argument about the connections between economic structures, social hierarchies, and ethical considerations.

💡Cultural Appropriation

Cultural appropriation is the adoption of elements from a culture that is not one's own, particularly when done without understanding or respect for the original culture. The video distinguishes between copying dominant cultural elements for profit and cultural appropriation, suggesting that the latter involves a lack of respect and understanding. This concept is relevant to the video's discussion of how differences are handled within a profit-driven society.

💡Social Hierarchy

Social hierarchy refers to the ranking of individuals or groups within a society based on various criteria, such as wealth, race, gender, or other social factors. The video discusses how surplus labor and surplus value are reproduced in society through the creation of a social hierarchy, with those closer to the mythical norm benefiting at the expense of those further down the hierarchy. This concept is central to understanding the video's argument about the ways in which economic relations shape social structures and perpetuate inequality.

Highlights

Central economic relations are key to understanding social alienation in Marx's analysis of early factory work during industrialization in Britain.

Social relations are not strictly business; all human relations are inherently social.

Economic relations are fundamental to how society is organized for production and distribution of basic materials.

The relationship between the factory owner and worker during the shift from feudalism to industrialization is a core social relationship.

Audre Lorde's essay discusses the ethical implications of how we live in relation to each other and our environment.

The concept of surplus labor and surplus value is fundamental to understanding profit in capitalist economics.

Lorde critiques the institutionalized rejection of difference and the need for outsiders in a profit economy.

The 'mythical norm' in society, often a white, straight, male with a good job, is used to stratify social hierarchies.

Surplus social labor is the additional burden placed on marginalized groups to educate those in power about their experiences and humanity.

Lorde uses the example of a women's journal to illustrate how certain conditions exclude marginalized voices even within progressive spaces.

The essay highlights how labor relations fragment groups and create divisions within the women's movement based on proximity to the mythical norm.

Audre Lorde suggests that society is programmed to respond to human differences with fear and offers three ways societies handle these differences: ignore, copy, or destroy.

The essay calls for reflection on the future of the earth and the importance of ethical living in relation to one another.

Lorde's work is timeless, with insights that remain relevant decades later, challenging readers to consider how societal structures affect our interactions.

The discussion prompts critical thinking on whether socioeconomic structures reproduce unhealthy or violent ways of dealing with societal differences.

The essay invites readers to consider solutions to the issues raised and whether Lorde provides a clear path forward.

Transcripts

foreign

Lord piece um not too much because I

think it's actually a piece better

suited to discussion

um or reflection in your case uh

thinking about it but uh I am gonna give

it a little bit of a background to

what's going on here and talk about a

few other things so

hopefully

hopefully

um you will have had a look at the

PowerPoint that goes over some of

later modern European philosophy that

has a short discussion of Marx in it if

this isn't the case because there's a

chance that after I record this video um

that the course will change the online

course will change I'll swap things in

and swap things out

um so if you haven't had that the

important idea here is that

Central

economic relations so in the case of

Marx analyzing

um early factory work during

industrialization in Britain the

relationship between a factory owner and

a factory worker which is for Marx a

depersonalizing relationship right

um reproduced in Society whereby members

of society treat people in average

day-to-day and even important social

relations so um with your friends and

family and all that and as a means to an

end this is social alienation in Marx so

we have something similar going on and

let me repeat

and the idea here is um

all relations amongst humans are social

relations so there's no relation which

is strictly business or purely business

because humans are social and the way

that we relate to each other is social

so um

the most important social relationships

which are economic in nature and by this

I mean

economics in the broadest possible sense

the the way we organize ourselves in

order to make the things that we need

and and sort of get them to people

distribute them right food clothes these

types of things basic material this this

idea of

um economics broadly like this so the

the ones that are at the core of

organization and um in the shift from

feudalism to industrialization one of

the relationships at the core there was

the relationship between the factory

owner and the factory workers

um that these get reproduced in society

yeah um

throughout Society rather because we're

always in society

um and the backdrop

to the Lord piece here

um which I bring in by the way as the as

the first at least at this point in time

again subjects change as a first

um

explicitly ethical text that the

question where we're asking um not

necessarily about Universal

um what ought to I do what's right or

wrong what's good but really about ethos

in Greek you know pertains to Dwelling

Place habit convention and so the idea

of Ethics is really in some sense about

how we live where we live in relation to

what we live uh in relation to so like

uh you know how we relate to people

at the at the highest levels at the

lowest levels at the most basic levels

how are we living how are we behaving

how are we treating each other these are

ethical questions

um

so as a backdrop what you get here on

the first

uh first page of of this Lord essay

she's talking about

um where the good is defined in terms of

profit that's at the top of the

um first paragraph systemized depression

I mean it comes up also because it goes

through here and at the top of page 159

the First full paragraph you know um

institutionalized rejection of

difference is an absolute necessity in a

profit economy which needs Outsiders as

Surplus people

um

well she's drawing on here is the idea

of surplus labor and surplus value I'm

going to have a look at my notes here

I'm just going to give you the basics of

this so labor power right you need to

know a few terms labor power

is our ability to produce something

right any person's ability to produce

something and generally speaking when we

go on the job market we're selling our

labor power as a commodity

um to the people who hire us so our

ability to make things is treated like a

commodity like something that can be

purchased right bottom sold so on and so

forth

um

so that's the first term labor power the

ability to make something second term

necessary labor uh necessary labor

exists when the

wage

of a person so how much is being

exchanged for your labor power right

that's your wage how much has your labor

power been bought for when the wage is

equivalent to Value produced

so if I work in a Spam canning Factory I

don't even know if people still know

what spam is

um I work in a Spam canning Factory

and I get paid ten dollars

and I produce ten dollars worth of

canned spam you know pushing the button

or whatever it is that I do missions

Canon whatever I produce ten dollars

worth of canned spam and I get paid ten

dollars that is necessary labor the

amount of wage in relation to the amount

of value produced

you can imagine that the capitalist

economy doesn't work that way right um

because no one betrayed a profit if you

were just getting paid for precisely the

amount of value you produce

so you have this next term which is

called Surplus labor Surplus labor

occurs when the amount of value you

produce

exceeds your wage so say that it takes

me four hours

um

to produce ten dollars worth of canned

spam

and I work for eight hours which means

that I produce twenty dollars worth of

canned spam right

so that four extra hours is Surplus

labor

um

it's labor that exceeds the equivalency

between wage and value produced

so Surplus labor as you can imagine

and surplus labor in the next term are

Surplus labor is the real operative term

here um

but Surplus labor always produces

Surplus value

um and surplus value is exactly what it

sounds like value which exceeds

um the wages right so um that extra ten

dollars

that the factory owner got out of me

um because he paid me ten dollars to be

there for eight hours and I produced

twenty dollars worth of can't spam in

that eight hours so that extra ten

dollars is a surplus value

um and that's how that's the basic idea

of profit here how profit Works in a

sort of the most rudimentary way

um

in capitalist economics according to

mocks so

um

Lord throughout this essay is talking

about how Surplus labor this

relationship is reproduced in society

um

particularly on the basis of a social

hierarchy

so you have a social hierarchy um she

refers to something called the mythical

Norm uh or what she refers to as the

mythical norm and the mythical Norm is

um

a white straight male with a good job

who's fit right

um that's the

that's the human Norm valued most highly

in American society and this essay by

the way given uh at Amherst College in

Massachusetts in 1980 so as I'm

recording this in February of 2023

um

it's 43 years old and if you're watching

this video three years from now it

doesn't make a difference

um so much of a difference because I

would say that reading this essay you

should have the sense like it was

written yesterday

um because not so many things have

changed um

since she's written this so

um

basically you have a hierarchy where the

mythical dorm is at the top and then you

know there's a stratification of

marginalization in society that she

links to differences from the mythical

Norm

um

and part of the time she's talking about

are part of the way she's showing how

the the the

labor relationship of surplus labor

which is a relationship which initiates

between the factory owner and the

factory worker is reproduced in society

when people who are lower down on the

totem pole as it were lower down on the

social hierarchy on the social data

um

not only have to do more labor so they

do the jobs that people hire up wouldn't

want to do

um generally what would be considered

less desirable jobs meaning they have

less time they're probably more tired so

on and so forth but they also have to do

this this Surplus social labor and she

talks about it throughout I'm just going

to point you to um

the bottom of 158 tier she says black

and third world people are expected to

educate white people as to our Humanity

women are expected to educate men

lesbians and gay men are expected to

educate the heterosexual world and so on

and so forth

um

this comes up in different ways

throughout the essay and one of the

examples that she uses of this

pertains to how people

closer to the mystical Norm don't have

to do this labor and not only do they

not do this social labor they don't even

have to really give it thought

so the example that she gives is of a

women's Journal

um

and the idea in short right

um

some writers or academics are putting

together this journal and they're doing

it

um

as a women's only journal to get women's

voices out there in writing right um

let's say literature

I think it is literature specified as

literature and they decide

that Pros

is the form of literature as opposed to

poetry or say like theater Stoke

um

that

um is most respected

and so they decide that they're going to

limit submissions to their journal to

only say longest form Pros right prose B

system

[Music]

um

and what's the problem with that

well the problem with that is that there

are certain conditions that are required

to write a prose piece that aren't

required to write other forms Lord gives

the example of poetry now this isn't to

say that poetry is easy to write however

um for poets it's often the case that

something might come to them

um

an outline of a poem that could be

edited later or something like this and

they could jot it down on the back of a

napkin not a piece of scrap newspaper or

they don't need anything more than

something to write on and something to

write with and then some time at any

time you know when they find some time

to edit it right

um or finish it or whatever

um

uh

the prose piece takes more time first of

all

um and she talks about writing a novel

and how hard it is um I write both

poetry and a philosophical prose in the

context in which I'm teaching to you now

um

prose takes more time it's harder in a

way

um

yeah I don't want to get into a deep

discussion that poetry is not easy

um

but the point here is more of that so in

1980 what do you need to write

um a longest form prose piece like a

short story or something like that you

need a typewriter which you need to be

able to afford

and those of you who have printers at

home

think for a second about how much ink

costs

still today

very expensive

so typewriter Inc paper space in your

apartment to put these things

um

in addition to time

and so if you are lower down

um if you're more marginalized and you

are already having your Surplus labor in

the job market

um more exploited than other people

um you probably don't have the time or

money to do this or you might not

um and you might not is enough

um Lord's point is that these editors of

this journal

um white women well I forget if she says

it explicitly

um

presumably at the very least are closer

to the mythical Norm right really the

only people above them on the societal

ladder are white heterosexual men

um so they're trying to

they're looking in that direction right

only at that and they're not thinking

about you know the 50 60 30 whatever

percent it is of people they're totally

excluding from a journal which in theory

is supposed to welcome all women writers

um

they're excluding all of this but the

pro part of the problem is they haven't

even given it the thought

and so having to go out

um say Audrey Lord wrote a letter

um or someone wrote a letter having to

explain to them why this is problematic

that having to explain why this is

problematic is part of the pro is the

the social surplus social labor that

she's referring to throughout the essay

and she talks about ways in which

um

these Labor Relations as social

relations fragment

um groups which should otherwise be

unified and we should we could say

Society should be unified but in in the

case of many of the examples that she's

giving

um it's stratifications within the

women's movement right so um the closer

you are to the mystical Norm within the

women's movement the more differences

ignored probably and the more Surplus

social labor has to be done by the

people

um

further down on the social hierarchy to

explain themselves

um educate the people higher up as to

why

excluding poetry is a problem

um

and other forms you know that might be

more conducive to certain material

situations so that's that's the main

thing that I think you need to know

underlying

um what's going on here the other thing

that I'll just point out it's an

important paragraph right at the

beginning here

um

and I read the first line already

institutionalized did I leave anything

out no

institutionalized rejection a difference

is an absolute necessity in a profit

economy which needs Outsiders as Surplus

people

as members of such an economy we have

all been programmed to respond to the

human differences between us with fear

and loathing and to handle that

difference in one of three ways

to ignore it

and if it is not possible copy it if we

think it is dominant

or destroy it if we think it is

subordinate I think you should think

about examples of that I do want to say

one thing though there is a difference

between copy it if you think it's

dominant

and what we tend to refer to as cultural

appropriation

um but you need to figure out what that

is

so a couple questions that I asked my

students the last time I taught this

um were examples of ignore copy and

Destroy these ways of dealing with

difference

um

whether or not you agree with the

argument that socioeconomic structure

and these core points you know these

core social relations that we have in

the economy

um do in fact reproduce

um in society in a way that is unhealthy

unproductive or even violent in dealing

with differences in society

um

productive ways of dealing with

differences in society examples of what

you think Solutions might be does Lord

give a solution

um and if she doesn't is she obliged to

oh

um

yeah that's it the future of the earth

she talks about on page 168 it's a

powerful paragraph

um

so that's all I have to say on the Lord

piece

um

it's a good one uh it's a great one to

think about how we relate to each other

and the circumstances that cause us to

do so so I hope you sit back and think

about it and I hope you take good care

thank you