Explicating structural realism in the framework of the structuralist metatheory

A form of structural realism affirms that, when our theories change, what is always retained is their structural content and that there is structural continuity between our theories, even through radical theory change. I first introduce and discuss structural realism, with a focus on structural realism and change theory. Then, I will consider some critiques on structural realism. In order to address them, I introduce the framework of the so-called structuralist metatheory and allude to the notion of reduction, arguing that this notion provides the formal elucidation of the notion structural continuity. This aims to get a precise notion of continuity of structure, which is central to structural realism and to the understanding of theory change. In this sense, I propose a new way of formulating structural realism in an appropriate formal framework, namely, the framework of structuralist metatheory.

State Succession to State Contracts: A New Framework of Analysis for an Unexplored Question

This article examines the surprisingly unexplored question of State succession to State contracts. It argues that the successor State is not bound by such contracts. The article puts forward a new framework of analysis with regards to this question emphasizing on the importance of two elements. First, the solution depends on the type of succession involved. The analysis shows that, while the principle of succession is firmly established for certain types (cession of territory, unification, integration), it is not for others (secession and dissolution). Second, the solution depends on a number of different factors and circumstances, including the existence of a ‘territorial nexus’ between a contract and the successor State, whether the contract was signed by an organ of a territorial unit of the predecessor State which has a structural continuity with the successor State, and the need to avoid any situation of unjust enrichment.

Ghar Mein Kām Hai (There is Work in the House)

This article examines the utilization of female Muslim factory workers, in a North Indian woodworking industry, as domestic labour in the homes of their employers. The ethnography illustrates the importance of considering hidden forms of domestic-sector employment where workers are coopted into domestic tasks. The illumination of ‘coopted domestic labour’ has implications for understanding the breadth and scope of the sector and contributes to debates around its regulation, definition, growth and feminization. Female Muslim factory workers did not see ‘coopted domestic labour’ as a livelihood ‘choice’ but as exploitation enabled through employers’ tactics, such as the use of advance payments, forms of ‘neo-bondage’, and through structural continuity across domestic and industrial contexts which situated women at the bottom of the labour hierarchy. It also involved complex negotiations around reputation, character and practices of purdah (veiling) which, whilst already an issue for those working in factories, became intensified when entering the homes of others. The article develops its contribution by introducing the category of ‘coopted domestic labour’ and empirically illustrating its intersection with gender norms, Islam, forms of neo-bondage and structural considerations.