Abstract
As a result of bibliographic research for a doctoral dissertation, this paper addresses the contemporary debate about productive and unproductive labor, based on Marxian conceptions, with the aim of establishing considerations to understand the work of professors in Higher Education Institutions. The theme suggests greater reflection on the teaching work in the current context of new capital-labor relations and surplus value. It is divided into four parts: productive and unproductive labor, based on Marxian conceptions; the social form in which work is done, indicating what is fundamental in this analysis; contemporary work in higher education in productive/unproductive terms for the capital; and, finally, reflections on the relevance of collective actions of resistance as mechanisms that can envision new paths for public universities and their faculty.
Keywords:
Productive labor; Unproductive labor; Higher Education; Teaching