What Is a Slave Society?: The Practice Of Slavery In Global Perspective

Synopsis

The practice of slavery has been common across a variety of cultures around the globe and throughout history. Despite the multiplicity of slavery's manifestations, many scholars have used a simple binary to categorize slave-holding groups as either 'genuine slave societies' or 'societies with slaves'. This dichotomy, as originally proposed by ancient historian Moses Finley, assumes that there were just five 'genuine slave societies' in all of human history: ancient Greece and Rome, and the colonial Caribbean, Brazil, and the American South.

This book interrogates this bedrock of comparative slave studies and tests its worth. Assembling contributions from top specialists, it demonstrates that the catalogue of five must be expanded and that the model may need to be replaced with a more flexible system that emphasizes the notion of intensification. The issue is approached as a question, allowing for debate between the seventeen contributors about how best to conceptualize the comparative study of human bondage.

Assembles leading international scholars who specialize in the study of slavery.

Offers a cross-cultural and trans-historical perspective.

Proposes a reexamination of the traditional binary distinction used to examine slaveholding societies.

Covers extensive ground and speaks at a level of general interest, such that the volume can serve as a textbook.

Copyright:

2018

Book Details

Book Quality:

Publisher Quality

ISBN-13:

9781108607407

Related ISBNs:

9781107144897, 9781107144897

Publisher:

Cambridge University Press

Date of Addition:

06/16/18

Copyrighted By:

Cambridge University Press

Adult content:

No

Language:

English

Has Image Descriptions:

No

Categories:

History, Social Studies, Politics and Government

Submitted By:

Bookshare Staff

Usage Restrictions:

This is a copyrighted book.