Side Hustle: A Vision for Labour Beyond Profit
By Esto AssociationIn a world shaped by the relentless pursuit of growth and the commodification of labor, Side Hustle imagines a future where work is centered on collective effort, social equity, and sustainability. Drawing on insights from degrowth, post-growth, and postcapitalist scholarship, this vision challenges conventional ideas about work proposing an alternative that values cooperation over competition, community over individualism, and balance over excess.
Work as a Collective Endeavor
The foundation of meaningful work lies in its ability to foster collective relationships that go beyond individual gain. In capitalist economies, work is often viewed through the lens of personal achievement, profit maximization, and competition. This structure isolates workers, pushing them into roles that prioritize efficiency over connection and productivity over well-being. However, thinkers from the degrowth and postcapitalist movements suggest that a different future is possible, one that emphasizes shared decision-making, mutual care, and community-centered goals.
The vision of collective labor rests on the idea that work can be an act of cooperation, where efforts are pooled to create a common good. This approach challenges the status quo, which holds up individual success as the highest aspiration, and highlights the inequalities and alienation created by such values. By creating spaces where people collaborate equally, work becomes a tool for collective transformation, not a means of exploitation.
Redefining Value Beyond Profit
In a world driven by profit, the true value of labor is often obscured. Traditional systems of economic thought, which prioritize efficiency, output, and competition, fail to recognize the broader contributions that labor makes to society—such as care work, emotional labor, and community-building activities. The degrowth and postcapitalist frameworks propose a shift away from profit-based value systems, advocating for economic structures that prioritize social utility, ecological sustainability, and the well-being of all members of society.
By reimagining work as a collective process aimed at fulfilling community needs, these frameworks offer a way to break free from the grip of commodification. Labor in this context is not about increasing productivity or maximizing profit but about fostering meaningful contributions to society that are aligned with shared values and environmental sustainability.
Systemic Changes: Degrowth and Universal Basic Income
A transformative approach to work requires not only a reimagining of its internal structure but also systemic changes to the wider economy. Scholars from the degrowth movement have emphasized the need for policies that challenge capitalist principles, such as the implementation of a Universal Basic Income (UBI) and reduced working hours. These measures aim to separate work from the constant need to generate profit and allow individuals to engage in labor that is fulfilling, sustainable, and socially beneficial.
For the vision of collective work to become a reality, these policy shifts are essential. UBI, for example, could reduce the precarity that often defines modern work providing individuals with the freedom to engage in collective projects that prioritize social and environmental goals over personal or corporate gain. By lowering the pressure to work excessively for profit, it creates the possibility for a more balanced and equitable society, where the focus is on nurturing relationships, communities, and ecological sustainability.
Transforming Work, Transforming Society
At its core, the reimagining of work as a collective endeavor is about more than just transforming how we work; it is about transforming society itself. When work is structured around cooperation, equity, and sustainability, it becomes a powerful tool for reshaping not just the economy, but the social fabric of our communities.
The future of work, as challenged through Side Hustle, is one where collaboration, care, and mutual respect replace competition and exploitation. In this future, work serves as a force for positive change, driving not only personal fulfillment but also social justice and environmental stewardship.
Esto Association is a creative collective based in Athens, established in 2022 to bring together art, design, and research in response to contemporary societal issues. Esto connects local creativity with wider cultural conversations and supports the creative community for cultural events, exhibitions, and open discussions, focusing on ideas of commoning.
If the above sparks an interest in you and you want to continue the conversation, Esto Association is an open space for discussion for collectives and individuals. Reach out to our space with your ideas and proposals and join us for a public discussion on notions of degrowth, labor beyond profit and postcapitalist labor models.
www.estoassociation.com
Zaimi 24 Exarchia