The value of indigenous perspectives in the re-valuing of work and labour

Abstract

ABSTRACT Debate concerning the value of work and labour has evolved across various dimensions and extended beyond economic considerations. Recent crises, especially in the form of the COVID-19 pandemic, have prompted what appeared to be an accelerated re-evaluation of the value of labour, incorporating a broader inclusive review. This article argues for a more substantive re-configuration that challenges the conventional economic framing of labour as a commodity. Borrowing from Ozkazanc-Pan and Pullen’s framing of value, it evaluates the worth, status and utility of essential, women’s and academic labour, emphasising the unequal impacts of the global crisis on each. It also explores indigenous perspectives that advocate for a more holistic understanding, integrating the worth, utility and status of labour. The article concludes with a call for a fundamental reassessment of the value of labour through an indigenous lens that transcends traditional economic views; one that envisions a broader conceptualisation of the value of work and labour to encompass well-being and historical considerations.