Comparing the Worth of the While in Fiji and Finland

Abstract

Comparing the Worth of the While in Fiji and Finland presents comparative case studies of clock time from Fiji and Finland in order to ask what other values is time capable of expressing besides monetary worth – what “else” can time be besides money? Time is a highly particular vehicle for different considerations of what is good or important, but it is also one which is deployed at different settings with surprisingly little consideration for the specificity of this particular a value form. This book looks into the different ways in which time is deployed in value projects in Fiji and Finland, not just to point out the various possible ways of allocating value to time, but to show that European clock-time, just like its Oceanic counterparts, requires a great deal of conceptual work to make it serve as vehicle of valuation. The cases analysed in the book range from considerations of rank and conspicuous leisure in Fiji to Finnish timebanking, taxation, and university auditing.