Recognition that thinking, teaching, writing, and knowledge-work are forms of labor that deserve compensation, protection, and credit—especially for marginalized knowledge-workers.
Sor Juana was never paid for her intellectual work; it was extracted as part of her duties to the convent and service to powerful men. Her brilliant theological arguments, her scientific observations, her poetry—these were labor that benefited institutions and individuals while she remained economically dependent. This pattern repeats intersectionally: women's intellectual work is undercompensated; scholars of color often do extra emotional and explanatory labor; marginalized people are expected to educate others for free. This concept reframes intellectual work as labor worthy of payment, recognition, and protection. It asks: What intellectual work are you doing without compensation? Whose credibility and career advance from your ideas? What would it mean to treat your thinking as valuable labor? For intersectional practitioners, this is both personal (demanding fair payment and credit) and structural (building systems where marginalized knowledge-workers aren't exploited). It challenges the romanticization of suffering for your work and asserts that justice includes material recognition of intellectual contribution.
Peri can explain this concept, give practical examples, help you decide whether it applies to your situation, or recommend a journey if appropriate.
Explore related journeys or tell Peri what you're working through.