Labour, self-entrepreneurship in Brazil and paradoxes of social freedom

Abstract

In this article we shall explore, in the context of flexible capitalism, emerging forms of social insertion generated by work outside the realms of wage labour, in particular, so-called ‘self-entrepreneurship’ ( autoempreendedorismo). We shall argue that this phenomenon is related to the increase in contract-based employment, which amounts to a new employment regime. Self-management ( autogestão de si) is both a promising pathway to social insertion through work, and a way of internalising certain values. This article presents an empirical portrait of the current state of self-entrepreneurship in Brazil, followed by reflections on Axel Honneth’s notion of social freedom in light of the realities of labour in self-entrepreneurship. The experience of being self-employed and managing oneself entails a paradox: more individual freedom, but a weakening of collective bonds and cooperative support systems.