Slavery and strong asymmetrical dependencies

Abstract

The paper looks for a general analytical perspective that allows to understand and compare slavery and its related institutions (serfdom, debt slavery, forced labour) in premodern and modern societies. The paper starts with a theory of asymmetrical control that identifies six cumulative dimensions of social control and thereby allows to understand the totalizing character of social relations based on a multiplicity of unilateral controls. In opposition to control arise balancing operations. Any specific institution of asymmetrical dependency can then be described by an equilibrium of control and balancing operations.<br /> In the next step, the paper explores the historical space that creates social role categories such as stranger, guest, slave, member, kin – and looks at all of them as special cases and combinations of inclusion and exclusion. This points to the relevance of the theory of inclusion and exclusion, which makes visible that all strong asymmetrical dependencies are based on combinations of constitutive exclusions (from fundamental societal forms of belongingness) with imposed inclusions that are characterized by their control intensity and totality. These are paradoxical structures and they mirror the other paradox that the ultradependents of premodern societies are as much dishonoured as they are valued because of their extensive contributions to societal functioning. Their totalizing inclusion takes place in households and organizational contexts and therefore they do not build a stratum of their own in society.<br /> Finally, the paper looks at global modernity and its non-hierarchical character. It tries to find out why strong asymmetrical dependencies persist in an egalitarian society. The reason seems to be that asymmetrical dependencies change from being normal institutions in hierarchical societies to being oppositional and deviant institutions in horizontal societies that because of their looseness and complexity are not able to suppress the multiple possibilities of opposition, deviance and alienation.