The Origins and Controversies of “Woke” in Modern Society: Exploring Audrey Millet’s Perspectives and Critiques

2023-05-18 11:48:58

“As a historian, I wondered where this word came from. The romantic movement from the end of the 18th century condemned inequalities, expressed its dissatisfaction with the world and revolted once morest the Enlightenment, which established reason as the supreme virtue. The romantics claim pleasure and emotions but also criticism of society” explain Audrey Millet who continues: “This word Woke, literally ‘to be awake’, from that time, means that one carries a conscious look at social and racial inequalities, homophobia, sexism, environmental issues“.

For the researcher, inspired by the philosopher de Tocqueville, the industrialization that will follow will be made of intense social struggles where the unions defend the workers who work hard for a poor remuneration. Companies, to calm claims, transform people into consumers: mass consumption, creation of superfluous desires and the emergence of ‘compulsory’ leisure: “In 2023, more than 150 years later, we are in a world of disillusions close to those of the romantics.

For the historian, from In the 19th century, the capitalist system listened to dissenting and protesting thoughts in order to reformulate them and to exploit them for the benefit of the inequalities of which it is often the source. Woke washing – Capitalism, consumerism, opportunism is the title of the new book ofAudrey Millet author of fashion black book who was already denouncing within fashion modern slavery, as well as social, health or environmental dramas.

As for the word “woke”, it has become, according to her, a catch-all and pejorative term that fuels intolerance: “Lhe media likes simple and binary speeches, where we oppose woke and anti-woke, progressive and facho. “Wokiste’ is today an insult given to the givers of a good lesson”.

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