Cultural Work as a Site of Struggle: Freelancers and Exploitation

Abstract

This paper argues that Marxist political economy is a useful framework for understanding contemporary conditions of cultural work. Drawing on Karl Marx’s foundational concepts, labour process theory, and a case study of freelance writers, I argue that the debate over autonomy and control in cultural work ignores exploitation in labour-capital relationships, which is a crucial process shaping cultural work. To demonstrate the benefits of this approach, I discuss two methods media firms use to extract surplus value from freelance writers: exploitation of unpaid labour time and exploitation of intellectual property through aggressive copyright regimes. I argue that a Marxist perspective can uncover the dynamics that are transforming cultural industries and workers’ experiences. From this perspective, cultural work is understood as a site of struggle.

Crisis or Transformation? Debates over Journalistic Work in Canada

“…While the LFS data are somewhat ambivalent with respect to the quantity of journalistic work in Canada, they seem far less ambiguous with regard to how the craft of journalism is practised and organized. In line with research from Cohen (2011Cohen ( , 2012Cohen ( , 2016, these figures suggest that journalists are often employed in temporary positions at news organizations or are self-employed (i.e., freelance). McChesney and Nichols (2010) also highlight the extent to which journalists are being outnumbered by a surge in the size of the public relations, marketing, and advertising work force.…”

“…Below this broader dialogue about crisis and potential transformation is a discussion about recent changes to the quality and quantity of journalistic labour. Academic research has emphasized the growth of contract work and freelancers, as well as the changing balance between unionized versus non-unionized work (Cohen, 2011(Cohen, , 2012. Some analysts highlight the strikes, lockouts, and labour strife at specific news firms in Canada, for example, Québecor and its protracted lockout of journalists, editorial staff, and others at its flagship Journal de Montréal and Journal de Québec (Edge, 2011b(Edge, , 2016Gorman, 2004).…”

Drama at Disney: A Thematic Analysis of Creative Worker Identity Negotiation and Identification in the Documentary Waking Sleeping Beauty

“…Other markers of identity, such as family and friends, are lost or subordinated in favor of the psychological rewards that come from manifesting their creative visions. In other words, creative people will self-exploit and in extreme situations, become prima donnas (Gotsi, et al, 2010) or addicted to work (Rowlands & Handy, 2012), to experience creative freedom (Cohen, 2012) and the social validation of working in prestigious industries (Bridgstock, 2008;Caves, 2000;Cohen, 2012), such as Disney animation.…”

Media and Cultural Industries Internships: A Thematic Review and Digital Labor Parallels

“…Much digital creative labour operates on these terms; waged and salaried creatives work so they can earn money to subsist. Digital media have also contributed to a boom in freelance creative work, which is executed on a piecework basis, but is no less exploitative (Cohen 2012).…”

“…There is much debate over whether, and how, digital creative labour is "exploited" (Andrejevic 2009(Andrejevic , 2012Cohen 2012;Hesmondhalgh 2010;Hesmondhalgh and Baker 2011;Fish and Srinivasan 2012). Following Holmstrom (1997), Andrejevic (2012) describes capitalist exploitation as a two-part process, entailing (1) the extraction of surplus value through coerced labour and (2) a loss of control over one's productive activity (i.e., alienation).…”