Unfree Labour, Migration and Racism
Towards an Analytical Framework
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21829465 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Lisa Carstensen (Osnabrück University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 12 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Publication date | 2021-01-31 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Global Labour Journal (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1918-6711 • E-ISSN: 1918-6711 |
| Publisher | McMaster University Library (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.15173/glj.v12i1.4159 |
| OpenAlex | W3128873675 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 13 |
When it comes to analysing exploitative and unfree labour, most research refers to “othering” or “race”. Race is often treated as a given category rather than a social phenomenon that needs explanation. In this article, I draw attention to the question of how racism is preserved, reproduced and changed within and through unfree labour relations. I do this by discussing the conceptual interlinkages between unfree labour, migration and racism. While the role of migration policies should not be underestimated, this should be accompanied by an analytical account of their racist background and outcomes. Based on this I present a framework for the analysis of racism as it relates to unfree labour and migration. I draw attention to three different levels of analysis (historico-structural, discursive-symbolic and everyday practices) and the interrelations between them. For empirical illustrations, I draw on my research on modern slave labour in two production sectors in Brazil: charcoal and clothing. I discuss the empirical findings with regard to three analytical problems in the analysis of unfree labour and racism: the impact of generalising knowledge on (future) migrant workers; the role and responsibility of global production networks; and the need to critically reflect on initiatives and policies aimed at the eradication of unfree labour. KEYWORDS: labour migration; unfree labour; racism; Brazil; workers’ rights
Criminology · Political economy · Political science · Racism · Sociology · Gender Studies · Global trade, sustainability, and social impact · International Labor and Employment Law · Migration, Ethnicity, and Economy
Labour-process-related Racism in Transnational European Production
‘Labour Chains’
Vom Nordatlantik zum »Black Atlantic«
States and the Political Economy of Unfree Labour
Forms of Unfree Labour in Brazil
Pick-Your-Own Labor
Coloniality and the Contours of Global Production in the Dominican Republic and Haiti
Many Chains to Break
Global Production Networks, Chronic Poverty and ‘Slave Labour’ in Brazil
Das problemzentrierte Interview
Global production networks
"Troubling "Project Canada
A Global Alliance against Forced Labour? Unfree Labour, Neo-Liberal Globalization and the International Labour Organization
| Citations per year | 0.75 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2022 - 2023 (2) |
| Highly cited | No |