How much do you know about slavery? Slavery is a system where individuals are allowed to own, buy and sell other individuals. Let’s dig in and find out more.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this topic, you are expected to;
Slavery refers to a system where principles of property law are applied to people, allowing individuals to own, buy and sell other individuals as a form of property. A slave cannot unilaterally withdraw from such an arrangement and works without remuneration. A big number of scholars now use the word chattel slavery to refer to this specific sense of legalized de jure slavery. In a broader sense, however, the word slavery may also refer to any situation in which an individual is de facto forced to work against their own will. More generic terms that are used by scholars to refer to slavery include forced labor and unfree labor.
Slavery is believed to have existed in many cultures which date back to early human civilizations. A person could become enslaved from the time of their birth, purchase or capture.
Slavery was legal in most societies at some time in the past but now outlawed in all recognized countries. The last country that officially abolished slavery was Mauritania in 1981. Nevertheless, there are an estimated 40.3 million people all over the world that are subject to some form of modern slavery. The most common form of the modern slave trade is commonly referred to as human trafficking. In other areas, slavery continues through practices like debt bondage, the form of slavery that is most widespread today, serfdom, domestic servants kept in captivity, certain adoptions in which children are forced to work as slaves, forced marriage and child soldiers.
FORMS OF SLAVERY
