Foundations of Modern Slavery: Profiles of Unfree and Coerced Labor through the Ages (Routledge Studies in Labour Economics)

This is an academic inquiry into how labor power has been dehumanized and commodified around the world through the ages for capital accumulation and industrialization, and colonial and post-colonial economic transformation. The study explores all major episodes of slaveries beginning from the ancient civilizations to the end of Transatlantic Slave Trade in the eighteenth century; the worlds of serfdoms in the context of Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and Russia; the worlds of feudalisms in the context of Latin America, Japan, China, and India; the worlds of indentured servitudes in the context of the Europeans, the Indians, and the Chinese; the worlds of guestworkers in the contexts of the United States and Western Europe; the worlds of migrant labor programs in the context of the Gulf States; and the contemporary world of neoslavery focusing on human trafficking in both developing and developed countries, and forced labor in global value chains. The book is designed not only for students and academia in labor economics, labor history, and global socio-economic and political transformations, but also for the intelligent and inquiring policy makers, reformers, and general readers across the disciplinary pursuits of Economics, Political Science, History, Sociology, Anthropology, and Law. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents List of figures List of tables List of boxes Preface 1 Introduction: the world of coerced labor A Panoramas of coerced labor Serfdoms/feudalisms Indentured servitudes Bonded labor Convict labor Neoslavery B Academic discourses on coerced labor C Economics of coerced labor D Roadmap of the book PART I: The world of slaveries Conceptual contexts Evolution Nature and magnitude Modes and sources Validation and legitimization 2 Slaveries in the pre-Columbian world A Ancient period Greek civilization Roman Empire B Medieval period Ottoman Empire C Concluding remarks 3 Slaveries of Amerindians and Native Americans A Amerindian slavery Evolution and magnitude Treatment of the Amerindians Decline and consequences B Servitude of Native Americans Evolution and magnitude Decline and consequences C Concluding remarks 4 African slavery in the New World A Evolution and magnitude B African slavery in the United States Evolution Treatment of African slaves Slave rebellions C Abolition of slavery Economic indictments Political undercurrents D Consequences of the abolition The British economy The African Continent The United States E Concluding remarks PART II: The world of serfdoms Conceptual contexts 5 The West European serfdom A Evolution and development B Nature and characteristics C Decline and consequences D Concluding remarks 6 The East European serfdom A Evolution and development B Nature and characteristics C Decline and consequences D Concluding remarks 7 The Russian serfdom A Evolution and development Restrictions on peasant mobility Strengthening of nobility’s power B Nature and characteristics Serf and serf-masters Nobles and Monarchy C Abolition of serfdom Role of tsars Role of peasants Role of intelligentsia The emancipation decree D Consequences of abolition E Concluding remarks PART III: The world of Asian and Latin American feudalisms Conceptual contexts 8 The Chinese feudalism A The evolution and development B Nature and characteristics Landlord and peasants Landlord and state C Decline and consequences Development of commercial economy Spread of urbanization Development of patriarchal clan system D Concluding remarks 9 The Japanese feudalism A Evolution and development Kamakura Shogunate Ashikaga Shogunate Tokugawa Shogunate B Nature and characteristics C Decline and consequences Policy of seclusion Internal transformation Commercialization of agriculture Growth of merchant class Spread of urbanization Intellectual and cultural developments Economic growth D Concluding remarks 10 The Indian feudalism A Evolution and development Mughal period British period B Nature and characteristics Zamindari system Raiyatwari system Mahalwari system Landlords and peasants Peasant uprisings C Decline and consequences Land-tenure system reformed Agriculture stagnated Growth of moneylenders Ravage of poverty and famines Stunted industrialization Paltry urbanization D Concluding remarks 11 The Latin American feudalism A Evolution and development Spanish feudalistic reforms Linkage between the land regimes B Treatment of peasants and workers C Debate over feudalism Latin American Context D Consequences of feudalism Processes of colonization Independence from colonialism Proletarianization of the peasants and workers Post-Colonial land reforms Economic consequences Urbanization Post-World War II debate E Concluding remarks PART IV: The world of indentured servitudes Conceptual contexts 12 The European indentured servitude A Evolution and development B Decline and consequences C Concluding remarks 13 The Indian indentured servitude A Evolution and development B Treatment of indentured servants C Decline and consequences D Concluding remarks 14 The Chinese indentured servitude A Evolution and development B Treatment of indentured servants C Decline and consequences D Concluding remarks PART V: The world of guestworkers Conceptual contexts 15 The Bracero Program of the United States A Evolution and development B Treatment of Braceros C Decline and consequences Agricultural wage declined Mechanization of agriculture increased Growth of illegal immigration Overhaul of American immigration Strengthening of Mexican Diaspora D Concluding remarks 16 Guestworker programs of Western Europe A Conceptual Context B German Gastarbeiter program C French guestworker program D Treatment of guestworkers E Decline and consequences F Concluding remarks 17 Migrant labor programs of the Gulf States A Evolution and development B Treatment of migrant workers Segregation of employment Treatment of domestic workers Workers’ resistance Reforms in labor and immigration laws C Consequences of migrant labor programs D Concluding remarks PART VI: Neoslavery in the twenty-first century Conceptual contexts 18 Human trafficking around the world A Nature and magnitude B Drivers of human trafficking Labor vulnerabilities Nature of job and work Weak governance Exorbitant profits Nexus of corruption C Concluding remarks 19 Forced labor in global value chains A Nature and magnitude B Forced Labor in business sectors Construction and infrastructure sector Agricultural sector Fisheries and seafood Healthcare sector Manufacturing sector C Forced labor in country-specific sectors Vietnamese garments industry Indian apparel and textiles industry Bangladesh’s garments industry Thai fisheries industry Ivory Coast’s cocoa farms Turkmenistan’s cotton Indonesian and Malaysian palm oil D Concluding remarks 20 Anti-slavery policies and measures around the world A Costs of coerced labor B Anti-slavery policies and measures C Progresses made Child labor Prosecution of human traffickers Global value chains D Inadequacies and pitfalls The private sector The state sector Ineffective compliance Inconsistencies in laws and regulations E Concluding remarks Index "This is a rigorous academic inquiry into how labor power has been dehumanized and commodified around the world through the ages for creation of wealth, capital accumulation, and industrialization. Major forms of unfree and involuntary labor markets around the world-from slavery to serfdom, from feudalism to indentured servitude, from guestworker programs to human-trafficking-have been analyzed theoretically and empirically from multidisciplinary and comparative perspectives. The inquiry encompasses the slaveries of the Amerindians and the Africans in the New World in the context of the European colonization; the worlds of serfdom and feudalism in the contexts of Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Russia, Japan, China, and India; the episodes of indentured servitude of the Europeans in the New World prior to African slavery, and that of the Indians and the Chinese after the abolition of African slavery; the worlds of guestworker programs in the United States and Europe in the post-World War II era and the migrant labor programs of the Gulf Region since the 1970s; and the slavery-like practices in the contemporary world, including forced labor in global supply chains. The book is designed not only for students and academia in labor economics, labor history, and global socio-economic and political transformations, but also for the intelligent and inquiring general readers, policy makers, and reformers across the disciplinary pursuits of Economics, Political Science, History, Sociology, Anthropology, and Law"-- Provided by publisher This is an academic inquiry into how labor power has been dehumanized and commodified around the world through the ages for creation of wealth, capital accumulation, and industrialization. It analyses major forms of unfree and involuntary labor markets theoretically and empirically from multidisciplinary and comparative perspectives.