Paper short abstract:

Now when neoliberalism have created blurred limits between ‘productive’ and ‘unproductive’, ‘creative’ and ‘uncreative’, ‘work’ and ‘non-work’ and increased competition, new forms of spirituality have grown between employees, that ‘help’ them to become more flexible, confident and autonomous.

Paper long abstract:

Recent ethnographies in the fields of work and organization reveal the increasing importance of so-called 'new-careers', especially among highly educated people. These new careers are pushing individuals to become flexible, autonomous, creative and centered on the perpetual discovery of the facets of their own abilities and interests but often insecure and anxious. In this context alternative forms of spirituality (yoga practices, transcendental meditation, feng-shui, bio-energy, holistic medicine, new-age) have been rapidly developed and demand a careful analysis of the means in which are appropriated to the new economic developing sectors that have emerged in Romania. My argument is that these new forms of spirituality are taking roots not only in everyday life practices but also into the logic of economic practices focused on competition.