LEAN ON ME

A British-based Australian feminist examines the social importance of building interdependence.

Since the 1980s, dependence—and in particular, dependence on the welfare state—has been demonized. In her latest book, Segal, author of numerous books on feminism, sexuality, and politics, examines how the neoliberal exaltation of individual achievement that has since come to dominate global systems has also created ever-widening gaps between rich and poor. She begins by considering the situation of mothers, who have always been the main social caretakers and also the ones most likely to bear the brunt of contractions in the economy and welfare system. The author concludes that unless society does not move away from “obeisance to the traditional family” to create better forms of social support and care, gender inequality—which too often equates to economic disparity—will continue. The author believes that we can build back into the socioeconomic system a greater ethic of care by rethinking educational practices. Rather than helping build connections between people, education at all levels now focuses on hierarchies, managerialism, and “extensive commercialized competitiveness,” all of which reinforce neoliberal individualism. Campaigns to raise and maintain social awareness about the inevitability of either impairment or the frailties of age could also assist in better care. Segal sees these types of changes as necessary not just for the creation of a more humane society, but also because heightened consciousness of interdependence is required to restore the natural balance that the extractive nature of capitalism has destroyed. “When it comes to understanding the climate crisis,” she writes, “we are all connected”—what happens to global ecology affects all humans. Timely, well-researched, and carefully argued, this book will appeal to those interested in feminist scholarship as well as anyone seeking insights into the relationship between socioeconomic inequality and the current ecological emergency that threatens us all.

Necessary reading in an age of toxic hyper-individualism.