Dignity and work: global market and self-sustenance

Abstract

It is argued here that market fundamentalistic theories ignore the issue of human agency in work, and the different types of work, because – focussing on the market mechanism, supply, demand, and price - they have lost track of that which economic activities (work) are intended for, namely self-sustenance. They have also minimised human agency in the economic theory, and therefore the understanding of being-human is lost from both economic theory and practice. Thus they cannot explicate the role of work for the individual and the community – namely care for self and others – the significance quality work as part of human dignity is forgotten. I am arguing for a restoring of meaningful self-sustenance as the norm for work, and the recognition of the dignifying role of such self-sustenance – both for the community and the individual.