Here is Part 2 of an insightful, intergenerational conversation between Kris @iandidea and Romain (Rom) @pharo___ on the topic of capitalism and community. Both are college graduates with Marketing degrees, so their perspectives on capitalism in particular are nuanced as they work both as people affected by and carrying out some of the notions of capitalism. And they are not alone, as it is virtually impossible to untether from capitalism altogether. Still, we can critique it and we can imagine and build and practice beyond it, and this part of the conversation wants to usher in that type of energy.
This week, they touch on some of the ways capitalism conflicts with our commitment to being in community with each other, and how we can shift and deschool by being more aware of the differences and implications between transactional vs human-centered relationships.
Core question for you: How is capitalism showing up and influencing your relationships with young folks in your life?
WHAT WE DISCUSS:
Kris and Rom talk about the importance of recognizing a business entity for what it actually is, which means we must see them as entities, not human beings. By knowing this we can build more human-centered skills, make genuine human connections, begin to deschool our mindsets, and turn community-building into a familiar, effective practice.
They also chat about the differences between communal spaces and businesses. Celebrities and companies have capitalistic based relationships, it’s transactional in that we can’t have two-way conversations, they’re only giving us information, a type of product propaganda, unlike community-based relationships where there is reciprocity and actual listening.
They go on mad question-askin’ on capitalism and how it shows up as indoctrination in that we are led to believe that as long as we stay with the system, we can achieve certain life goals. This directly influences our expectations about what a person should be doing at a certain age: graduating from college, buying a house, owning a car, being busy. How then can we learn how to be in community/partnership and not in a constant transactional dynamic? How does capitalism affect childhood environments and our overall relationships?
LIBERATION WALK
- Akilah’s book, Raising Free People: Unschooling as Liberation and Healing Work is available! Go to rfp.com/book to get it, and tell Akilah what you were feelin’ or what you discovered or what got you hyped… all of it. She’d love to know!
- Get ready for some storytime on patreon.com/akilah, if you ain’t over there yet, come drop your coin in the river and join our make-it-happen-family!
- Shout out to Maude and Javaughn and the whole Green Love kitchen crew, one of our fave, local community businesses!
- Raising Free People Network’s Presence Counselors Leslie Bray and Anthony Galloway, Jr. are here to support unschooling and deschooling processes for families and organizations
- T-shirts of Raising Free People are here, courtesy of Blue Niles Studios, brother Tovijah, partner of Iitel of @smellgoodspa
- Subscribe to Akilah’s Youtube Channel
