are the cops in our heads and hearts?

Violent Enactments and Erasures: A Western Capitalist Ontology of Labor in Organizational Rhetoric About Resettled Syrian Refugees

“…The dual assumptions of the UNHCR Stories are that these individuals, families, and groups resettle into Western society, and, even if not, must be made understandable and digestible to Western audiences by linking them to overarching neoliberal values of a capitalist system. This case of subjectification reifies critiques of the dominant discourse of a capitalist system, namely that it can “co-opt experiences, practices, even culture, and to then re-create and repackage them within a careerist, profit-driven (even in ‘non-profits’), and competitive logic” (Rojas, 2007, p. 205). Discursive exploitation is especially enacted on Black and Third World populations and social movements, which get packaged into fundable, public-facing material (Rodriguez, 2007).…”

“…Future research could further consider how meanings of labor and work are understood in contexts of migration and marginalization. Alternative approaches may highlight narrative creation and distribution beyond both the organization and the structures of Western neoliberalism, aligning with global movement building work exclusive of nonprofits and altruistic organizations (Rojas, 2007). It speaks to the need for organizational communication practice and scholarship to center global examples and cases of organizing.…”

“…The tensions highlight the complexities of relationships between humanitarian organizations, the communities in which they work, the populations they intend to serve, and the potential for dependency (Papa et al, 2006). These ties are not necessarily negative (Rojas, 2007), but this research reminds us to be cautious in what realities are sustained by discourse, such as the ambiguous and arbitrary way information can be used by migration courts in their decision-making for their own institutional comfort and legitimacy (Sertler, 2018).…”