The new moralism: austerity, silencing and debt morality

Abstract

Do hard lives always lead to harsh judgements?T his article seeks to understand why it is easier to blame the poor, the unemployed and migrants for the financial crisis, rather than to hold responsible those in power. To help explore this question I will look at ways in which the current public mood is shaped through the reinforcement of conservative social norms, particularly in relation to debt and 'hard work', and the focusing of rage and resentment on those who challenge them; and to assist in this I will look in detail at popular responses to the case of unemployed graduate Cait Reilly when she challenged the Department of Work and Pensions over being required to work at Poundland. Anxiety and nostalgiaThe present moment is marked by anxieties about society falling apart, and nostalgia for a lost era of social cohesion. These anxieties shape the dominant narrative about the causes of the recession -which are seen as resulting not from the excesses of the financial sector but from a profligate welfare system and an overly permissive immigration system, which has given the wrong people access to public servicesthe unemployed, the disabled, single parents and immigrants. This narrative justifies the austerity measures implemented by the Coalition government; and it is able to

Building common cause towards sustainable consumption: A cross-generational perspective

“…In the UK, this characterisation of the Baby Boomers and subsequent generations as careless consumers is connected to wider societal discourses of intergenerational fairness, which suggest that the ‘intergenerational social contract’ is being undermined by selfish individualism and short-term thinking (House and Commons Work and Pensions Committee, 2016; Howker and Malik, 2010; Little and Winch, 2017; Willetts, 2011). In this context and especially during the recent period of neoliberal austerity that has followed the 2008 financial crisis, scholars have noted the emergence of ‘new thrift’ – exemplified by the resurgent popularity of wartime slogans such as ‘make do and mend’ – as an idealised sustainable consumption practice (Evans, 2011b; Forkert, 2014; Jensen, 2013).…”

“…So one was brought up with that and that's hard to release, I think. But the next generation, that wasn't necessary.These narratives often alluded to an endemic problem with greed and moral decline across the generations, linked to increasing prosperity (Forkert, 2014; Jensen, 2013). Sally, a retired secretary in her early 80s, reflected on sustainable consumption by contrasting her own upbringing with that of her son:It was suddenly – so the mid – about 1954, 1955 I think we finished with coupons – food coupons – altogether.…”

“…I think that's almost going back to the ‘50s.After the War had ended, because of the rations and things like that, everyone was watching out what they were doing. Then as we've gone away from the War, because we've been more well off, people have been less concerned about it… Because my Nan-Nan grew up in a more difficult time, she watches out what she's doing more.New thrift has been criticised for its problematic portrayal of generational difference, romanticising what it is like to live through austerity, demonising younger generations’ ‘bad wanting’ of consumer goods (Jensen, 2013) and reinforcing conservative social norms with ‘the guilty sense that we have “lost our way” and are living less virtuous, healthy and authentic lives … and so must now repent and return to a worthy modest existence’ (Forkert, 2014: 42). This is a perceptive critique, especially in the current context of neoliberal austerity in the UK, with the rising cost of living and cuts to social security, nonetheless it is important to acknowledge the prominence of this narrative in ordinary people's accounts of what consuming sustainably means to them.…”

The Zombie Economy and the Aesthetic of Austerity

“…"Older, working-class, white voters, citizens with few qualifications, who live on low incomes and lack the skills that are required to adapt and prosper amid the modern, post-industrial economy" (Goodwin and Heath 2016: 404). The strangely numb acceptance of austerity and inequality among these 'leftbehind' populations of voters, who include many people who are themselves relying on social security, is indicative of the power of TINA to annihilate alternatives (Forkert 2014).…”

Emotions of austerity: Care and commitment in public service delivery in the North East of England

“…In this sense, austerity can be viewed as the construction of a threat and as a means of regulating behaviour. Despite reasoned evidence to the contrary (Dolphin, 2011), the government appears to be fighting a battle of 'hearts and minds' through a quasi-religious discourse (Forkert, 2014) in which reductions in welfare expenditure are necessary to redeem the country's guilt about apparent profligacy through the years in which New Labour were in government (1997)(1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010). In their latest 'long term economic plan' the Conservative Party (2014) continues to reinforce this cardinal virtue of prudence against the recklessness of the previous government as central to a national recovery.…”