Belief that workers benefit society more than those who get wealth through other means
For the belief in growth, see
Productivism. For democracy focussing on (electoral) procedures, see
Proceduralism.
Producerism is an ideology which holds that those members of society engaged in the production of tangible wealth are of greater benefit to society than, for example,
aristocrats who inherit their wealth and status.
History
Robert Ascher traces the history of producerism back as early as the
Diggers in the 1640s. This outlook was not widespread among artisans of the time because they owed their livelihoods to the patronage of the aristocracy, but by the time of the
American Revolution, the producerist view was dominant among American artisans.[1]
Rosanne Currarino identifies two varieties of producerism in the mid-19th century: "proprietary producerism", which is popular among self-employed farmers and urban artisans, and "industrial producerism", which spoke to wage-laborers and is identified in particular with the
Knights of Labor and the rise of
socialism.[2]
In the United Kingdom, producerism was historically influential in the
Liberal Party, especially its
Radical wing, until the early 20th century, pitting "the many against the few" – i.e. the working and middle classes against the landed aristocracy, expressed in support of ideas such as the
single land tax advocated by
Georgists.[6]
Modern-day producerism
Producerism has seen a contemporary revival, sparked by popular opposition to the machinations of globalized
financial capital and large, politically connected corporations. Critics of producerism see a correlation between producerist views, and views that are antagonistic toward lower income people and immigrants, such as
nativism. These critics see producerism as analogous to
populism.[7][8] Examples of politicians or groups that are cited by these critics include the
Reform Party of the United States of America,
Ross Perot,
Pat Buchanan,
Lou Dobbs, and
Donald Trump[9][10] in the United States; as well as
Jean-Marie Le Pen in
France,
Björn Höcke in
Germany and similar politicians across Europe.[8]
Populism, a political approach that mobilizes the animosity of the "commoner" against "privileged elites"
Surplus value, the profit of businesses achieved by paying workers less than the sale price of the product of their labor
Welfare chauvinism, the belief that social welfare should be tied to nationalism
Work ethic, the belief that hard work and diligence have a moral benefit
Working class, all people in a society who are employed for wages
References
^Ascher, Robert, "Producerism is consciousness of class," Organized labor and American politics : 1894-1994 : the labor-liberal alliance, Albany : State Univ. of New York Press, 1998, pp. 53-55
^Currarino, Roseanne, The Labor Question in America: Economic Democracy in the Gilded Age, University of Illinois Press, 2011, pp. 13-15
^Stromquist, Shelton, "The crisis of 1894 and the legacies of producerism, The Pullman Strike and the crisis of the 1890s : essays on labor and politics, Urbana, Ill. [u.a.] University of Illinois Press 1999, p. 197
^Currarino, Roseanne, The Labor Question in America: Economic Democracy in the Gilded Age, University of Illinois Press, 2011, p. 118
^Westbrook, Robert B., Democratic hope : pragmatism and the politics of truth, Ithaca, N.Y : Cornell University Press, 2005, p.84