Critical reflections about plural law, Western constructions of human rights, and occupational justice: From Indigenous and African cosmovisions

Abstract

ABSTRACT Importance: This is a provocative, interactive dialogue calling for expansion and enrichment of the concept of occupational justice beyond its first publication in 2000. It is necessary to refine the concept beyond its roots in Western contexts, bringing it into dialogue with ideas of plural law to think about human rights and occupational justice from different experiences such as African and Indigenous. Objective: This study aims to discuss the applicability and representativeness of occupational justice terminology in different contexts. Theoretical and epistemic research: This theoretical and epistemic research presents a critical reflection about decolonizing everyday practices by building occupational justice comprehension based on organic and plural circular rights and justice. Findings: Human rights are not universal in their applicability; rather, they are specific to Western culture. Concepts of occupational justice based on human rights have not questioned this logic, therefore, universalizing these precepts of occupational justice is a new form of epistemic and cognitive colonization of the discipline. Reflecting on the plural construction of occupational rights and justice based on Indigenous and African cosmovisions points us to paths of the right to life in its diversity. The idea is to build everyday organic justice open to various rationalities and to multiple ways of existing, feeling, and doing. Conclusions and relevance: In order to decolonize, it is necessary to uncover existing ways of life and be open to other inventive possibilities of everyday life, seeking a break with modern rationality. This critical reflection is a pathway to decolonizing everyday practices and actions. It starts building the concept based on organic, circular, and plural rights and justices.