Reimagining ‘entrepreneuring as emancipation’ as a broader struggle for a freer life

This paper extends research investigating ‘entrepreneuring as emancipation’ by reimagining it as a broader struggle for a freer life. To do this, I draw upon Martin Hägglund’s philosophy, particularly his view of freedom as having more time to pursue activities that matter to us, and by using two little narratives as illustrative examples. This view of freedom challenges neoliberal and liberal conceptions of a freer life and advances our understanding in two areas. First, the paper illustrates ‘entrepreneuring as emancipation’ as a broader struggle, and as a question of degrees, since it both holds the potential to increase the realm of freedom, thus enabling women to lead freer and more meaningful lives in specific contexts, and the danger of bolstering the realm of necessity, leading women to spend their time on activities where they only endure present ways of living or endorse neoliberal lifestyles. Second, the paper illustrates ‘entrepreneuring as emancipation’ as a broader struggle since it sparks women’s spiritual freedom as they start questioning and transforming taken-for-granted ideas of who they should be and what they should do with their time. Finally, the paper contributes methodologically to research focusing on marginalized voices beyond the lead entrepreneur.