From Bondage to Precariousness? New Perspectives on Labor and Social History

Abstract

Abstract This article pursues two goals. First, it reviews recent literature calling for a revised and extended history of work. Based on that review, it then explores the possibility of a new, empirically based analytical and methodological framework for the study of labor relations and the reinterpretation of contemporary issues, including precariousness, “modern slavery,” social inequality, and dependence. We contend that viewing labor relations as standardly diverse, coexisting, entangled, and overlapping across history provides an alternative organizing principle for the research field and is central to the understanding of larger social processes. To this end, we propose a contextualized, interrelational and transepochal approach to labor relations and labor experiences and discuss the potential of three research strategies: the analysis of the historical semantics of labor relations, the detailed study of coercion, and the historical investigation of the relation between precariousness and flexibility.