scholarly journals Using social reproduction theory to understand unfree labour

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 561-580
Author(s):  
Ellie Gore ◽  
Genevieve LeBaron
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chains ◽  
Social Reproduction ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Power Relations ◽  
Global Business ◽  
Social Reproduction Theory ◽  
Unpaid Care ◽  
Labour Relations ◽  
Economic Exploitation ◽  
Gendered Power

Most scholarship within social reproduction theory focuses on women’s paid and unpaid care and domestic work, typically within the global North. Rarely has social reproduction theory grappled with unfree labour in commodity supply chains, particularly in the global South. However, these labour relations also involve gendered power relations that cut across the productive and reproductive realms of the economy, which can be illuminated by social reproduction theory analysis. In this article, we reflect on how social reproduction theory can be used to make sense of unfree labour’s role in global supply chains, expanding its geographical scope and the forms of labour exploitation encompassed within it. Conceptually, we harness the insights of social reproduction theory, and Jeffrey Harrod and Robert W Cox’s work on ‘unprotected work’ in the global economy to examine how gendered power relations shape patterns of unfree labour. Empirically, we analyse interview and survey data collected among cocoa workers in Ghana through LeBaron’s Global Business of Forced Labour project. We argue that social reproduction theory can move global supply chain scholarship beyond its presently economistic emphasis on the productive sphere and can shed light into the overlaps between social oppression, economic exploitation, and social reproduction.

scholarly journals From Depletion to Regeneration: Addressing Structural and Physical Violence in Post-Conflict Economies

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 561-585 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shirin M Rai ◽  
Jacqui True ◽  
Maria Tanyag
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
Violence Against Women ◽  
Social Reproduction ◽  
State Policy ◽  
Power Relations ◽  
Physical Violence ◽  
Post Conflict ◽  
Women's Lives ◽  
Gendered Power

Abstract Drawing on depletion through social reproduction and political economy of violence against women (PEVAW) approaches, we show how the context of violence intensifies the depletion of women’s lives as they labor to meet their household needs; and how this depletion heightens their vulnerability to violence in conflict-affected contexts and inhibits their roles in peacebuilding. We propose the concept of the “regenerative state,” as a post-conflict moment of openness when state policy underpinned by attention to issues of depletion, social reproduction, and violence against women can help reshape gendered power relations in post-conflict transitions.

Mutual dependency: Offshored labour and family organisation in post-socialist Romania

Organization ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 641-659 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milosz Miszczynski
Keyword(s):  
Social Reproduction ◽  
Consumer Electronics ◽  
Host Community ◽  
Employment Relations ◽  
Capitalist System ◽  
Social Reproduction Theory ◽  
Labour Relations ◽  
Familial Support ◽  
The Social ◽  
Familial Relations

By applying the social reproduction theory, this study proposes a critical conceptualization of the relations between the worker family and offshoring labour in transiting economies. The theoretical foundation of this article underscores that a thorough study of offshoring requires an examination not only of the workplace, worker and employment relations but also of the familial relations within the workers’ households. Based on interviews with workers and their family members, which I conducted in the host community of a consumer electronics facility in Romanian Transylvania, in this article I show how familial support helps to manage limitations that result from the precarious nature of offshoring labour and the transitional realities of the destination countries and how it ultimately serves as a means of achieving greater inter-generational emancipation. The study of familial relations in offshoring’s destination countries provides a better understanding of global labour relations and the way offshoring labour is reproduced in transiting countries. It also shows how the global capitalist system causes tensions with the processes of social reproduction in low-welfare economies, which usually host offshoring investments.

Barking Up the Wrong Trees

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Goodhart
Keyword(s):  
Global Economy ◽  
Power Relations ◽  
Normative Theory ◽  
Global Order ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Scope Of Justice ◽  
Principles Of Justice ◽  
Ideological Context

This chapter shows that three of the central debates within global normative theory are afflicted by the three pathologies associated with the dominant approach. Constructivist methods for identifying principles of justice are both blatantly undemocratic and severely distortional; debates about the scope of justice are depoliticizing, question begging, and philosophically irresolvable; claims about how the global order affects the poor depoliticize and distort power relations in the global economy and ignore the ideological context in which the claims themselves operate. The argument is not that IMT gives problematic answers to these questions but rather that the questions themselves are unhelpful and unnecessary, artifacts of the approach. In making these arguments, the chapter continues the work of defamiliarization begun in the previous chapter.

Global Impacts from the White House to a Kenyan House

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahesh K. Joshi ◽  
J.R. Klein
Keyword(s):  
Global Economy ◽  
Internet Technology ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
Global Trade ◽  
World Population ◽  
Global Business ◽  
White House ◽  
Border Trade ◽  
Global Impacts ◽  
Evolution Of Technology

In recent decades global business has created unprecedented growth in the global economy. The increase in world population and the number of nations since the middle of the twentieth century has fueled consumption and created new channels for trade. The rising trend in global trade is not just in products and services but also in knowledge, investment, and people. The evolution of technology, at a pace never seen before, has connected the whole world seamlessly to further enhance global trade with easy access to customers and suppliers. Despite the growth generated by global business, globalization remains a hot topic with some segments of society trying to promote protectionism and create rhetoric in favor of anti-globalization. The combination of trade channels already in place, cross-border trade by most countries, support from internet technology, and the connectedness of the whole world has continued to support global business to date.

scholarly journals Forced labour in supply chains: Rolling back the debate on gender, migration and sexual commerce

2021 ◽  
pp. 135050682110207
Author(s):  
Rutvica Andrijasevic
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Sex Work ◽  
Social Reproduction ◽  
The Other ◽  
Law And Policy ◽  
Labour Exploitation ◽  
Separate Treatment ◽  
Forced Labour ◽  
Sexual Commerce

This article makes a conceptual contribution to the broader literature on unfree labour by challenging the separate treatment of sexual and industrial labour exploitation both by researchers and in law and policy. This article argues that the prevailing focus of the supply chain literature on industrial labour has inadvertently posited sexual labour as the ‘other’ of industrial labour thus obfuscating how the legal blurring of boundaries between industrial and service labour is engendering new modalities of the erosion of workers’ rights that are increasingly resembling those typical of sex work. This article advances the debate on unfree labour both conceptually and empirically. Conceptually, it highlights the relevance of social reproduction in understanding forms of labour unfreedom. Empirically, it demonstrates the similarities in forms of control and exploitation between sex work and industrial work by illustrating how debt and housing operate in both settings.

scholarly journals Seaports during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Terminal Operators’ Tactical Responses to Disruptions in Maritime Supply Chains

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (14) ◽  
pp. 4339
Author(s):  
Marta Mańkowska ◽  
Michał Pluciński ◽  
Izabela Kotowska ◽  
Ludmiła Filina-Dawidowicz
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chains ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Inductive Reasoning ◽  
Main Function ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Tactical Decisions

The world-wide crisis caused by the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had a significant impact on the global economy functioning and the sustainable development of supply chains. The changes also affected seaports being the key links of maritime supply chains. The purpose of the research study described in this article was to identify the sources and kinds of disruptions observed in various maritime supply chains as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and their impact on the operations of various types of seaport terminals, namely those serving bulk (universal, specialised) and general cargoes (universal, specialised). An additional purpose was to identify the dependencies between the type of terminal and its main function, and the tactical decisions adopted by the particular terminals. The research was carried out using the multiple-case study method. The study covered some selected port terminals functioning in Polish seaports (Gdańsk, Szczecin, Świnoujście), applying direct, semi-structured in-depth interviews. The analysis of the results was carried out using the inductive reasoning method. The research study has shown that as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic some maritime supply chains ceased to exist, some of them were operating with decreased cargo volumes, while in other cases the transshipment volumes actually rose during the pandemic. Among terminal operators’ tactical responses to disruptions in maritime supply chains, there were pro-active and adaptive measures. Pro-active (offensive) measures included actions taken by an enterprise in order to engage in new maritime supply chains, and even participating in establishing new maritime chains in response to limitations caused by the pandemic. Adaptive (defensive) measures covered actions taken by the port terminals as a consequence of changes in the existing maritime supply chains, caused by the pandemic in the port’s foreland or hinterland. The research study results revealed that the terminals extent of engagement and tactical decisions related to the pandemic were depended on the type of terminal (universal or specialised) and its main function played within a supply chain.

Doctoral capital and well-being amongst Australian PhD students: exploring capital and habitus of doctoral students

2021 ◽  
Vol 121 (3) ◽  
pp. 322-336
Author(s):  
Wayne Usher ◽  
Brittany A. McCormack
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Social Reproduction ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Reproduction Theory ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
The Right ◽  
Australian Universities

PurposeThe Higher Degree Research (HDR) journey is known for its difficulties, complexities and challenges (Lees-Deutsch, 2020), with many students experiencing multi-faceted issues and concerns (Skopek et al., 2020). Therefore, the purpose of this research is to investigate the relationships that exist between variables, vulnerability factors and doctorial capital of candidates (n = 532) studying at Australian universities (2019).Design/methodology/approachA quantitative cross-sectional correlational research design and Bronfenbrenner's socio – ecological framework (personal, home, university, community) was utilised to collect participants' (n = 532) descriptive statistics. Bourdieu's social reproduction theory was used as a lens to examine how experiences, across the PhD candidature, are influenced by several psychosocial factors and doctoral capital.FindingsFrom such a dual methodological approach, the findings from this study suggests that (1) age, (2) gender, (3) nationality, (4) financial/work status, (5) years of PhD and (6) attending postgraduate (PG) student events, go to significantly (p < 0.001) impact (positively and negatively) on students' experiences and correspondingly, impacts on their self-confidence, motivation and mental health and well-being status.Research limitations/implicationsResearch limitations are related to the recruitment of more doctoral students across more Australian universities. Further research is required from HDR supervisors, so as to “balance” the experiences of the PhD journey in higher education.Practical implicationsIn order to succeed in academia and HDR programs, students need to identify with and develop the “right kind of capital” to successfully navigate fields of social and scholarly play. Investigating how the participants perceive their social and scholarly habitus is seen as crucial in helping students to develop positive dispositions relevant to being a doctoral student.Social implicationsThe concept of doctoral capital and well-being, amongst Australian PhD students, is under researched and requires further investigation as a precursor to developing more specific policy designs aimed at providing heightened positive learning environments/HDR programs tailored to support doctoral students.Originality/valueWhilst reforms to improve PhD experiences are well established across the international literature (Geven et al., 2018; Skopek et al., 2020), evidence for Australia is largely missing. It is envisaged, that findings from this research will further assist in the development of quality policies that would go to provide effective services and support for doctoral students within Australian universities.

scholarly journals Insourcing as a New Trend in Global Business

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 7-24
Author(s):  
Jadwiga Chudzicka
Keyword(s):  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Global Business ◽  
Traditional Management ◽  
The World ◽  
Current Economic Situation ◽  
The Face ◽  
World Economic ◽  
Job Category ◽  
World Economic Crisis

AbstractIn the face of world economic crisis, it is worth considering ‘what changes in thinking are needed to revive the global economy?’ Traditional management methods have already lost much of their potential. Keeping the compliance of job category with human nature is an important factor supported by insourcing. The purpose of this study was to answer the question whether the current economic situation in the world is more profitable to firms sending domestic jobs overseas, or perhaps - in the end - it is better to use insourcing services, providing employment to workers in their home countries

Understanding the Global Business of Forced Labour: An Introduction

2018 ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Genevieve LeBaron
Keyword(s):  
Global Economy ◽  
The Political ◽  
Ethical Challenges ◽  
Global Business ◽  
Labour Exploitation ◽  
Modern Slavery ◽  
Forced Labour ◽  
Rights Issue

This introductory Chapter provides an overview of the political, methodological, and ethical challenges of researching forced labour in the global economy tackled in this Volume. It argues that in spite of these challenges, researchers are pioneering fresh approaches to understanding the business of forced labour that are anchored in strong empirical methods, rather than outdated theoretical propositions or sensationalist newspaper headlines. This burgeoning and interdisciplinary body of research challenges conventional narratives about the nature and role of modern slavery. It reveals that rather than an individualised, randomly occurring human rights issue caused by the moral shortcomings and greed of unscrupulous employers, severe labour exploitation is a coherent and predictable feature of many sectors and regions within the global political economy. The methodological reflections contained within this Volume offer a resource for academics and practitioners seeking to understand forced labour, the factors that shape vulnerability to this phenomenon, and the variegated mechanisms through which businesses systemically profit from labour exploitation.

Moving toward a Global Supply Chain Operations and the Impact on International Competition

2012 ◽  
pp. 1626-1636
Author(s):  
Seyed-Mahmoud Aghazadeh
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
The United States ◽  
Global Supply Chain ◽  
Global Supply Chains ◽  
Domestic Firms ◽  
Foreign Products ◽  
The Impact

As the domestic businesses expand, many are making the choice to use foreign products, labor, and services to aid in their production. Global supply chains are minimizing the costs of the production process but are also creating vulnerabilities to home countries. As the global economy changes, the competitiveness between countries grows. Competitiveness can affect everything from a country’s economy to how a firm conducts international business. Addressing the need to find a method to increase the United States competitiveness in the world economy by improving the use of global supply chains would help to make domestic firms more successful in the global economy. Studying how companies position themselves abroad is important to providing insight into how to become more competitive. Worldwide companies are diversifying by moving more of their supply chain to international locations. This is providing them with many benefits such as better markets for products, lower costs, and more advanced technologies. As a result, the competitive strategy of companies is to increase production and decrease costs through the most efficient global supply chain. Maximizing the potential of domestic firms’ global supply chains is one of the most effective ways to increase U.S. competitiveness. If more big businesses in the United States are willing to participate on the global level, then the US will be able to improve their competitiveness.

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