Marxsche Krisentheorie

In this Blog-Post on developmenteconomics.org, Christina C. Laskaridis, PhD candidate in Economics at SOAS, elaborates on the economic fallout of the corona pandemic and especially its impact on the Global South. The author focuses in particular on the issue of debt moratoria and debt restructuring and the measures by the G20 and the IMF.

New challenges require new approaches. Is economics part of the problem or part of the solution? Probably both.

Karl Marx was the greatest champion of the labor theory of value. The logical problems of this theory have, however, split scholars of Marx into two factions: those who regard it as an indivisible component of Marxism, and those who wish to continue the spirit of analysis begun by Marx without the labor theory of value.

Caring activities are one central element of feminist economists' analysis – also since in particular unremunerated work is a blind spot in mainstream economics and most other economic paradigms. Those focus on the market sphere: activities are considered as productive and as real labour if they are remunerated and market-intermediated. Goods and services are considered as labour if they create a value which can be traded on the market. Feminist Economics remarks that this perspective creates certain dichotomies and consequent devaluations: unproductive – productive; private – public; unpaid – remunerated OR paid less – well paid; female – male; soft work – hard work; caring – rationality.