![]() ![]() ![]() Nevertheless, its virtually unchallenged prevalence has contributed to the environmental, social, and economic crisis we now find ourselves in. On the contrary: it is useful, and has helped fuel worthy scientific, economic and technological achievements. This is not to say that this way of thinking is “wrong”, or that it needs to be eliminated. Moreover, it tends to be competitive, combative and, ultimately, destructive. It seeks success, speed, high impact and mastery. How might we describe this kind of reasoning? Well, we could begin by noting that it’s a quantitative, “straightforward,” rational and specialized way of thinking. Note that I am not saying that it is only men that think like this, or that all men do-which would be an unfair stereotype-but that it is a masculine logic, which is present in all of us, regardless of our gender. I also see the linear economy as masculine because its productive logic is based on a linear way of thinking that, at the risk of generalising, I would call masculine. This history reminds us that the linear economy was not built in a vacuum, but rather on the shoulders of a long-running patriarchal system. Only recently have we had the opportunity to act beyond this sphere and to make decisions in the so-called “productive” world. For hundreds of years, it was men who ran our governments and companies, while women worked from home, taking care of the house and the children. Literally, because it was, by and large, created by men. We can start by realising that the linear economy is a masculine economy-literally and metaphorically. A principle that is present and accessible to all of us, regardless of gender, but which has been eclipsed by the destructive linear logic that has prevailed for so long. Today, I would like to explore one such implication, and talk about how circularity relates to the feminine principle of caring. ![]() “There’s another reason why circularity is winning over people’s hearts and minds all over the world-and that has to do with the fact that it is such a strong metaphor.” And, as Deidre McCloskey writes in her seminal book The Rhetoric of Economics, an important metaphor has the power to keep astonishing us with “implications yet unseen”. However, I have come to believe that there’s another reason why circularity is winning over people’s minds and hearts all over the world-and that has to do with the fact that it is such a strong metaphor. One where the value of products and materials is not overlooked but flows through intentional and regenerative cycles. I believe this shows just how much we crave what the circular economy has to offer: an essential guiding vision for a positive future that we can start building today. It’s been both exciting and humbling to take part in this movement and to see how much it’s grown in such a short period of time. Have you ever considered how the concept of a circular economy relates to gender discussions? My name is Carla, and in 2015 I co-founded Ideia Circular, a Brazilian initiative that offers support for people working with design and innovation for the circular economy in our region. ![]()
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