DisCO Principle 5: Carework is the Core
DisCOs are centered on carework: By carework we do not only mean the caring practices and mutual support among the members of a DisCO, but also all the activities that keep the collective healthy and thriving (this includes administrative tasks, commitment, management and other material inputs). DisCOs function as living organisms that need to be cared for, revised, and periodically adjusted.
In short: Care is the blood that pumps the DisCO’s heart: care among its members and care towards the DisCO itself.
Overview
Care and affective labour, so often invisibilized and taken for granted by the traditional economic logic, are acknowledged as essential in DisCOs and thus supported and embedded in its very structure. Feminist Economics invites us to value things that are not valued in the market, such as care, nurturing, invisible work, admin unpaid work, mutual support. Conventional economic rationality is profoundly “male-centric” and promotes behaviors like competition and individualism. In contrast, solidarity, care & reciprocity are considered extra-economic and feminine.
The Community Rhythms proposed by our model also ensure that the communication runs in an open, honest, transparent and respectful way, expressing observations and criticisms about the workings of the group. This makes space for stronger interpersonal bonds and better trust-based communication, employing healthier and more emancipatory conflict-resolution tools. Beyond individual members, DisCOs extend the notion of care work towards the collective as an entity represented by the upkeep of its goals and values. This empowers individuals to reframe, undertake, or at least understand, what would usually be considered bureaucratic or administrative work. Upkeep of any DisCO’s social mission is the responsibility of working circles or self-organized teams which collectively manage specific needs (e.g., building community, following leads for livelihood work, evaluating potential co-op members) to ensure that the DisCO is healthy and able to fulfill its values ongoing.
Another way in which a DisCO cares for its members is the mentoring process, through which dating members learn the ropes of the workflow. Mentoring is always bi-directional and peer-to-peer. Although there’s always something that someone can teach others, we pay special attention to those members going through the Dating Phase (who have recently onboarded the team).
Beyond the care extended towards the members of the group and its goals and values. DisCOs do things with care. Rather than seeking efficiency and immediate results, we encourage groups to enjoy their productive processes, bringing back notions of artisanship, craft and the benefits of human production to materials that inspire us. When we say that DisCO is oriented towards social and environmental ends, we are really talking about care. There is deep kinship with the human and non-human worlds.
Examples
Guerrilla Media Collective is explicitly feminist in its orientation. Members’ emotional well being is prioritized daily. Work is organized around these needs, not in spite of them. Every member has a dedicated mutual support buddy and the collective is cared for through various circles dedicated to community, sustainability, outside peers and more.
Care work is closely tied to Laneras’ own origins, worldview and development. Their project has an ecofeminist nature which prioritizes care towards oneself, others and the environment. Community support networks are essential to their mission and the relationships that members form are strongly grounded in trust, mutual support and interdependence.
Why this is important
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Tensions
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Interactions with other principles
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Related Elements
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More Resources
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TLDR
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