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The injustice of unequal work

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Published
<mark>Journal publication date</mark>12/2009
<mark>Journal</mark>Soundings: A Journal of Politics and Culture
Volume43
Number of pages12
Pages (from-to)102-113
Publication StatusPublished
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

Economic justice is not just about what people get in terms of resources but what they are allowed or expected to contribute through their work, for this has a huge effect on opportunities for self-development, satisfaction and self-esteem. Capitalist societies have unequal divisions of labour, in which good quality work is concentrated into just a subset of jobs, thereby making meaningful work unattainable for large numbers. The article assesses the damage done by this major structural cause of class inequalities, and argues that the common justifications for the unequal division of labour (in terms of efficiency, cost, feasibility and differences in intelligence) are weak.