Abstract
Shame and hustle culture are two social constructs that negatively affect every profession. Yet, fewer fields are as affected as design. Design educational and professional environments are built on a foundation of passion and professionalism that enables a culture of long hours and elitism. This is a prime example of a way in which shame culture not only exists on its own but perpetuates hustle culture. Shame culture can be defined as a culture that enforces conventions via a collective fear and/or guilt. Hustle culture, on the other hand, is the constant pursuit of importance that results in work pervading every aspect of life. Hustle needs shame to survive. In creative careers, a sense of pride and self is so inseparable from the profession that designers happily make these sacrifices to satisfy their artistic ego. This unique emotional tie to work alongside the rising presence of comparison culture results in a particularly high-stress environment for all designers. These are also the very aspects of design that present additional hurdles for women as they are biologically more predisposed to empathetic tendencies and culturally more likely to bear a larger portion of the household responsibilities. These factors alone insinuate that women are likely more affected by shame and hustle culture and which are perhaps contributing to their marginal presence in the design workforce, especially in leadership positions. What are the factors that perpetuate shame and hustle culture in creative environments, and do these factors negatively affect creative women?
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Design Management and Professional Practice
KEYWORDS
Shame Culture, Hustle Culture, Women, Comparison Culture, Empathy, Passion, Leadership
