Overview
'Value' seems like an elusive and abstract concept. Nonetheless, notions of value underpin how we understand our lives, from discussions about the economic contribution of different kinds of work and productive activity, to the prices we pay for the things we consume. So what is value, and where does it come from? In this new book, Frederick Harry Pitts charts the past, present and future of value within and beyond capitalist society, critically engaging with key concepts from classical and neoclassical political economy. Interrogating the processes and practices that attribute value to objects and activities, he considers debates over whether value lies within commodities or in their exchange, the politics of different theories of value, and how we measure value in a knowledge-based economy. This accessible and intriguing introduction to the complexities of value in modern society will be essential reading for any student or scholar working in political economy, economics, economic sociology or management.
Full Product Details
Author: Frederick Harry Pitts
Publisher: John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Imprint: Polity Press
Dimensions:
Width: 14.20cm
, Height: 1.80cm
, Length: 21.80cm
Weight: 0.340kg
ISBN: 9781509535651
ISBN 10: 1509535659
Pages: 190
Publication Date: 18 December 2020
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Professional & Vocational
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Out of stock
The supplier is temporarily out of stock of this item. It will be ordered for you on backorder and shipped when it becomes available.
Reviews
Clear, comprehensive and critical, Value is a gem of a book for both students and scholars who grapple with the problem of value in economic thought. Harry Pitts's introduction offers well-argued and detailed engagement with central approaches and debates that should not be missed. Paul Mason, author of Postcapitalism Harry Pitts has written an essential primer on that 'thing' that is central to economics, political economy and the social system they purport to explain - capitalism. Debunking all notions that there is anything scientific or objective about value, Harry teaches why we should understand it as a category of struggle, as 'something' that both emerges out of struggles and operates to fragment and suppress struggles. David Harvie, author (with The Free Association) of Moments of Excess: Movements, Protest and Everyday Life (PM Press, 2011) and co-editor of Commoning with George Caffentzis and Silvia Federici (Pluto, 2019).
Clear, comprehensive, and critical, Value is a gem of a book for both students and scholars who grapple with the problem of value in economic thought. Harry Pitts' introduction offers well-argued and detailed engagement with central approaches and debates that should not be missed. Paul Mason, author of Postcapitalism
'Clear, comprehensive and critical, Value is a gem of a book for both students and scholars who grapple with the problem of value in economic thought. Harry Pitts's introduction offers well-argued and detailed engagement with central approaches and debates that should not be missed.' Paul Mason, author of Postcapitalism 'Harry Pitts has written an essential primer on that thing that is central to economics, political economy and the social system they purport to explain - capitalism. Debunking all notions that there is anything scientific or objective about value, Harry teaches why we should understand it as a category of struggle, as something that both emerges out of struggles and operates to fragment and suppress struggles.' David Harvie, co-author of Moments of Excess: Movements, Protest and Everyday Life
Author Information
Frederick Harry Pitts is a Lecturer in Work, Employment, Organization and Public Policy at University of Bristol School of Management.
