Everyday Re-enchantments: Plants and the Labour of Care in the Time of Covid-19

Abstract

In this essay, I want to reflect upon the role of nature and plants within the pandemic and what they can tell us about the future of care and work. Within this pandemic, whether we are considering the organisation of mutual aid groups or the more spectacular shows of appreciation for health care workers with weekly claps, we have seen a rising concern for the work of care. I focus on how coronavirus has changed our relationships with plants through our increased gardening activities or the enforced absence of workers from public maintenance. Drawing on Silivia Federici’s (2019) discussion of re-enchantment, I explore how these changes may challenge the neoliberal status quo and offer potential sources of multi-species solidarity in the face of the dual crises of coronavirus and climate.

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http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/2893997