"Negating Humanity": Modern Slavery in its Historical Context and its Implications for Policy

这是我们这个时代的一个可怕的例证，买一个人的平均价格估计为100美元。在1860年的美国，一个奴隶的价格是1000美元--今天大约是2万美元。从几乎任何迹象来看，奴隶制如今似乎正在蓬勃发展，而不仅仅是在发展中国家。这个问题当然引起了更多的关注。在大英帝国禁止奴隶制近一个世纪后，以及国际联盟重申这一禁令近一个世纪以来，国际机构一直试图定义和取缔奴隶制。然而，这种情况依然存在。在过去的五年里，英国和美国都通过了立法，并引入了更加严格的治安措施。然而，一些人会辩称，它的持久性在某种程度上是一个定义问题。奴隶制从来都不是一个简单的定义，但可以肯定的是，“现代奴隶制”并不是古代世界或新世界所体现的老式的“动产”奴隶制。差得远呢。英国2015年的《现代奴隶法》包括禁止器官和胚胎采集、强迫婚姻和债务束缚。其他人认为这是一个执法问题，本质上将奴隶制与全球化和不够克制的资本主义联系在一起。他们会争辩说，在最极端的情况下，这些力量通过本质上使多种形式的奴隶制正常化，鼓励并原谅许多形式的奴隶制。这项研究旨在研究这两个问题。这位首席调查者的研究通过研究推动力量、影响和影响来解决定义问题。1910年的《白奴法案》可以说是美国第一部“现代奴隶制”立法。从表面上看，它将美国的奴隶制扩大到了通常被种族禁止的边界之外，并似乎将第十三修正案中的理想主义提升到了新的水平。尽管如此，它被认为在遏制对年轻女孩的奴役方面取得了臭名昭著的失败，它试图解放这些女孩，厌恶女性，而且--讽刺的是--内在的种族主义。然而，直到21世纪，它仍然是该领域立法的主要来源。联合调查员的工作着眼于英国2015年现代奴隶法的影响。这项立法将一系列不人道、有辱人格和残忍的做法定为刑事犯罪，这些做法属于它所称的“奴隶制”的范畴。正是这种概念化的广度被视为其弱点，也是本研究试图考察的。该项目将确定该法是如何执行的--它侧重于什么罪行，以及它的重点是将辩论带到哪里。虽然这两项研究相互补充，但该项目也有其他目标。本次招标中的项目合作伙伴显示了其更实际的压力。保罗·布罗德本特是Gangmaster许可机构的首席执行官。他的职位是在2004年莫克姆贝湾灾难后设立的，负责监管和调查食品行业工人的剥削行为。它的职权范围将扩大到一般的工业。因此，他主要参与这一项目的主题--政策定义、公众看法和现代奴隶制立法的效力。基金将资助两期讲习班和建立一个由记者、主要政策制定者、执法者和学者组成的长期网络，他们将通过这一项目进行合作，以及调查人员的研究。这些研讨会以定义和公众认知为主题，将讨论和解决当今伦敦对无家可归者的奴役问题，以及使用人工智能跟踪美国的劳动力供应链。为了在这个项目后保持活跃，成员们将使用其他网络来扩大他们的信息，改善其联系，并作为会议、网络展示和出版机会的平台。该项目旨在与CUP共同制作一本经过编辑的卷，两篇同行评议的文章，以及2017年10月举行的反对奴隶制历史学家第一次会议的小组讨论。

It is a frightening illustration of our times that it costs on average price an estimated $100 to buy a person. In the US in 1860, a slave cost $1,000 - some $20,000 today. By almost any indicator it would appear that slavery is thriving today, and not simply in developing nations. The issue is certainly exciting more attention. After nearly a century since the British Empire banned slavery, and for almost a century since the League of Nations re-iterated that ban, international bodies have attempted to define and outlaw slavery. Yet it persists. Over the last five years both Britain and the US have passed legislation and introduced far more stringent policing. However, some would argue that its persistence is in some measure a question of definition. Slavery has never been simple to define, but what is certain is that "Modern Slavery" is not the old -fashioned "chattel" slavery exemplified in the ancient world or the New World. Far from it. The UK's 2015 Modern Slavery Act includes within its remit prohibitions on organ and embryo harvesting; forced marriage and debt bondage. Others see it as a question of enforcement, intrinsically linking slavery with globalisation and insufficiently restrained capitalism. They would argue that at their most extreme these forces encourage and excuse many forms of slavery, by essentially normalising them.This study aims to examine both of these problems. The research of the Principle Investigator addresses issues of definition by examining the forces that drove, the effects of, and the implications of, what was arguably the first "Modern Slavery" legislation in the US: the 1910 White Slave, or Mann Act. On the surface it expanded US slavery beyond its usual racially proscribed boundaries, and seemed to take the idealism within the Thirteenth Amendment to new levels. Even so it has been considered notoriously unsuccessful in checking the enslavement of the young girls it sought to free, misogynistic and - ironically - inherently racist. Nevertheless, it remained the main source of legislation in the field until the 21st century.Co-Investigator's work looks at the implications of the UK's 2015 Modern Slavery Act. This legislation criminalises a range of dehumanising, degrading and cruel practices under the remit of what it terms "slavery". It is this breadth of conceptualisation that has been seen as its weakness and it is that which this study seeks to examine. The project will establish how the Act has been enforced - what crimes it has focused on, as well as where its emphasis is taking the debate.While these two studies compliment each other, the project has other objectives as well. The Project Partner in this bid shows its more practical stress. Paul Broadbent is the CEO of the Gangmasters Licensing Agency. His post was created in the wake of the 2004 Morecambe Bay disaster and he is charged with regulating and investigating the exploitation of workers in the food industry. Its remit is to be expanded to industry in general. As such he is centrally involved with the themes of this project - policy definition, public perception and efficacy of modern slavery legislation.Funding will pay for two workshops and the establishment of a long-term network of journalists, leading policy makers, law enforcers and scholars who will collaborate through this project, as well as the research of the investigators. Themed on definition and public perception, these workshops will discuss and address such elements as the enslavement of the homeless in present day London and the use of AI in tracking labour supply chains in the US. Aiming to remain active after this project, members will use other networks to amplify their message, improve its connections and as a platform for conferences, web presence and publishing opportunities. The project aims to produce an edited volume with CUP, two peer-reviewed articles and a panel for the Historians Against Slavery's first conference in October 2017.