Unemployment and Social Transformations in the Light of Islamic Finance: A Sociological Approach to Activating the Values of Work and Solidarity for Achieving Justice and Development

Abstract

Contemporary social and economic thought is witnessing a qualitative shift in analysing the phenomenon of unemployment. It is no longer measured by purely economic criteria but is increasingly studied as a sociological and cultural phenomenon that affects the very structure of society, its values, and patterns of interaction. The rapid social transformations in Arab societies — including Algerian society — reveal the profound reciprocal influence between unemployment and the changing system of values related to work, self-reliance, solidarity, and social justice. From this reality, the present study seeks to offer a sociological and analytical reading of unemployment in light of the principles of Islamic finance, viewed as an integrated ethical and developmental system that aims to achieve justice and social balance through its instruments and mechanisms such as zakat, waqf, partnership-based financing, and ethical investment models. Islamic financial thought goes beyond the boundaries of mere financing; it aspires to build a productive and cohesive society in which the values of work and solidarity are activated as fundamental pillars for achieving sustainable development.