Woke Capitalism

LoveReading Says

In Woke Capitalism, Carl Rhodes, Professor of Organization Studies at Sydney’s University of Technology, takes a deep dive into the history and effects of woke capitalism to present a thoroughly fascinating case for the need to wake up to it.

Before Rhodes delves into “how corporate morality is sabotaging democracy”, to quote the book’s subtitle, he clarifies the term woke, tracing its origins to 1960s Black American terminology, with current dictionaries defining it as meaning “well informed”, or “alert to racial or social discrimination and injustice”. Alongside this, Rhodes points out that the term’s current usage also covers negative connotations, such as “a person who affects a false, superficial and politically correct morality. Think, for example, of mega-rich celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Perry. They fly by private jet to a climate summit at a luxury resort in Sicily funded by Google.” 

At the same time, the accusation of “wokeness” is often levelled at people who are genuinely working to, for example, combat racism, climate change, transphobia and misogyny. In Rhodes’ words, “while it may be the case that some people take on political position because they appear fashionable, it does not mean that all people who support those causes are inauthentic or that the causes themselves are worthwhile.”

In this book, though, Rhodes makes a persuasive argument for how “deeply problematic” woke capitalism is. Namely, the way big brands appropriate social and political movements for their own capitalist gain, such as Gillette aligning themselves with the #MeToo movement. This is problematic because it “allows public political interests to become increasingly dominated by the private interests of global capital.” In essence, Rhodes argues that “woke capitalism is a strategy for maintaining the economic and political status quo and for quelling criticism.”

Revealing the history of woke capitalism from the 1950s through to today, this is a must-read for anyone interested in current affairs, political debate, and how to truly advance transformative causes and movements.

Joanne Owen

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