Social Remainders from Psychosocial Remaindering
TRANSCEND MEMBERS, 21 Nov 2011
Anthony Judge – TRANSCEND Media Service
Review of Current Usage and Implications
Prepared as an aid to reflection on the world of “remaindered people” currently of concern to the Occupy movement.
Introduction
The economic practice of remaindering commodities, offers a frame through which to consider the extent of analogous social practices and processes in a society characterized by progressive commodification. A form of “remaindering” is evident in various forms of institutionalized “discounting” or marginalization, especially those of a progressive nature. It could be said to be most evident in slavery, as institutionalized in the past, and as currently practiced in the case of sale into bonded labour or the sex trade. The degree of loss of humanity of those so remaindered invites the provocative interpretation that they are then effectively human “remains” — having been “essentially” killed by social processes.
In exploring the more general psychosocial implications of the economic template of “remainder” and “remaindering”, it is interesting to note that although use of “remainder” is indeed more widely evident, the practice — as a verb — is not (in marked contrast with the economic case). Thus although the existence of “social remainders” is recognized, the process of “social remaindering” — which might be said to engender them — is not (at least in that form). This is also the case with respect to widespread use of “remainder” in relation to subtler cognitive issues and the dynamic through which any such remainder is engendered.
[Note: To facilitate reading of the quoted texts below, terms relating to “remainder” are placed in bold]
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This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 21 Nov 2011.
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