BOOKS
Some additional extracts from Modern Slavery: A Beginner’s Guide (2011) by Kevin Bales, Zoe Trodd & Alex Kent Williamson
The first chapter of this book lays out the history of slavery, from ancient Sumeria, Greece and Rome, through American chattel slavery, right to twenty-first-century forms around the globe. It also discusses abolitionism. Chapter two provides a definition of modern slavery and explores forms of slavery today. It also discusses the relationship between slavery and human trafficking, the causes of trafficking, and attempts to legislate against it. In chapter three the role of poverty and government corruption in slavery’s growth, as well as, the predictors of slavery are explored. The next chapter focuses on the slave experience for women and chapter five explores the dynamics of race, ethnicity, and religion as factors in enslavement, including the practice of hereditary and ritual slavery. Chapter six examines regional pressures like war, natural disaster, and environmental destruction and chapter seven focuses on the health risks and consequences of modern slavery, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and HIV infection. The last chapter offers a blueprint for ending slavery, from government and industry responsibilities to community and individual action. Stories of individual slaves and ex-slaves are also included in this guide.