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me_irl
(lemmy.today)
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this post was submitted on 10 Jun 2026
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me_irl
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I dislike organizational psychologists. The whole field. Every time a problematic hr department does something problematic using 'researched methods', the researchers all cry foul and say 'that's not how you're supposed to implement <policy/test>!' But do you not see your own role in legitimizing this behavior? All the research into how to run a happier bee colony is going to be used to justify mistreatment and discrimination by bad actors. Every test and every policy can be maligned, and providing citations just makes that easier. The research field is itself a tool for maintaining capital.
I don't disagree. I detest the use of my science as a means to control people for capitalist interest. The reality however is that regardless of the captualists, it would be a shame if we didn't understand how humans worked together.
Almost all the research we do indicates that the actions of the current economic system are harmful. Humans need to work less, have reasons to do things outside of money, have separations between their spheres of life, live with the basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and belonging met. If you ever support things like DEI or equal opportunity for workers, those are practices championed by IO psychologist.
We are no more captured by the capitalists as the chemist making a drung to save lives sold for the cost of a house, the doctor working 80 hours while his patients debts mount, or the computer scientist who wanted to build great things but can't afford rent if his paycheck wasn't from Lockheed martain.
I try my best to pull my science in a humanist direction. We are scientists, we can discover, we can advocate, but we can't prevent people from twisting reality to their whim.
Edit: I'm sorry, I regret posting this. I was in a bad mood, and you are not personally at fault for capitalism being evil, it was stupid and tasteless to belittle your career. You seem like a good person and you didn't deserve it.
None of the advances in workers rights or DEI have been due to psychologists convincing CEOs with facts and logic. You are confusing your role with that of a union, a civil rights lawyer, or a political activist and you are rewriting the history of hard fought victories as merely scientific breakthroughs in operating efficiency.
The difference is, those on the outside and the bottom want to challenge existing power structures, while you are advising managers how best to maintain those structures.