Dignity

Loïc Pignolo

Chapter 6 in Elgar Encyclopedia of Economic Anthropology, 2025, pp 240-244 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: In this entry, I explore the concept of dignity in economic anthropology. To do so, I draw on the literature and on my own research on informal paid domestic work. I argue that dignity is best understood in tension and in motion, as something inherently relational and shaped by inequalities. Dignity is something that can be violated as well as something that individuals strive to regain. I examine these dynamics through the case of female irregular migrants working in the domestic service economy in Geneva, Switzerland. Specifically, I analyze how the constraints imposed by the lack of legal status and the potential for exploitation affect their sense of dignity, as well as their efforts to regain it. In doing so, I argue that exploring dignity provides a way of understanding how morality, values, ethical considerations and reflexivity about one's existence in relation to others shape economic practices and exchanges.

Keywords: Dignity; Domestic; Inequalities; Recognition; Respect; Self-worth (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
ISBN: 9781035312566
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