The study of slavery and unfree labour includes a range of disciplines and subject fields. These include history, politics, law, archaeology, sociology, psychology, literature and the arts. The very act of defining slavery or slavery-like practices is itself a deeply political act. This is reflected in the incorporation of ‘unfree labour’ in this theme, widening the conversation to encompass those engaged with research around exploitation in the labour market.
The University is home to a wealth of research into different periods and examples of slavery and unfree labour. These range from the classical era through empire to contemporary instances of forced labour or human trafficking; from the study of slavery and slavery-like practices, to the investigation of the impacts and legacies of these practices.
The city of Liverpool itself has strong historical links with the subject, widely recognised as playing a prominent role in the transatlantic slave trade, the largest example of forced migration in human history.
To mark Anti-Slavery Day (18 October) 2020, the Slavery & Unfree Labour research theme published a review of the projects undertaken within, and colleagues contributing to, the theme: You can download the brochure here.
