Slavery is one of the most extreme forms of exploitation and domination, and it has existed throughout history in different parts of the world. The concept of slavery is ridden with the idea of power dynamics in the master-slave relationship, and this itself is one of the defining characteristics of slavery.
Slavery is largely distinct from other forms of extreme domination due to the existence of dialectic power in the master-slave relationship as it is sustained by total domination and coercion. The elements of coercion and domination also include a peculiar role of violence, which helps create and maintain domination over the slave by the master. The continuous use of violence was a necessary measure in order to ensure that new people were introduced to the institution of slavery. Violence was also inherently a tool of social control which the masters exercised upon their slaves. Another striking and important feature of this coercive element is the individualised condition of the slave. The slave is usually rendered powerless in comparison to another individual who is not a slave. In their powerlessness, the slaves themselves become an extension of the master’s power. The slave had no socially recognised existence outside of the master. The slave, therefore, is a social non-person; a socially dead person, who has no place in the existing social order, and whose ties to society are ceased. The slave was the ultimate human tool, as disposable as the master wished the slave to be.
Understanding what slavery is composed of is important in order to identify if the institution is a thing of the past or if it still continues to exist in covert forms, manifesting in ways that we may be unaware of. Even though slavery as a form and institution has long been abolished, some may argue that it still exists in our neo-liberal and modern society. Estimates put the number of currently enslaved people at almost 21 million, which is a staggering number, especially when most of our society fails to acknowledge that slavery still exists and there are millions of people who struggle to get out of this heinous institution.
Modern day slavery is often known as human trafficking. It occurs when individuals are exploited through coercion or deception, and typically involves restricted freedom of movement. It can take a number of forms which we often may not think of as slavery. The first form or instance of modern day slavery can be seen to arise in the form of forced labor. This includes all types of enslavement that involve coercion against one’s will and a threat of punishment. If the work is not voluntary and involves a threat of punishment or violence, it is considered to be forced labor.
Moving on to sex trafficking and child labor, two very common manifestations of modern day slavery in society. Sex trafficking occurs when women, children, and men are forced to engage in commercial sexual acts. Those living in extreme poverty are particularly vulnerable to this practice because of their economic marginalisation and lack of education. They can be lured overseas through false promises of employment. This phenomenon has only expanded in the past couple of years and has also been widely condemned by various human rights groups and activists.
On the other hand, any form of modern day slavery that involves children under the age of 18, is considered to be child labor. More than a quarter of slaves today are children, and many are involved in occupations that are harmful, both mentally and physically. The increasing demand for cheap labor in a neo-liberal capitalist economy has made children more susceptible to child labor, especially those who come from economically backward families. Children are also usually easier to control, and may not demand better working conditions or better wages. Furthermore, child-soldiering is a manifestation of human trafficking when it involves the unlawful recruitment or use of children (through force, fraud or coercion) by armed forces as combatants or other forms of labour. Perpetrators may be government armed forces, paramilitary forces, or extremist rebel groups. Both male and female child soldiers are subject to rape or other forms of sexual abuse by the armed groups.
Therefore, one can argue that slavery as an institution does not only have a vast history attached to it, but forms and elements of it are still present in today’s society. Slavery in itself is all-consuming and involuntary, which may make it difficult to define and identify in our present and ever-evolving contexts. But we must be aware enough about our surroundings. It will be more prudent to make people around us aware about the functionality and the ways that slavery itself operates in everyday life, in order to do away with it even after it has officially been ‘abolished’.