CLCV 356 - Comparative Slavery: From Antiquity to the Modern World

Credits: (3)
Domain (Anchored): CSI
Various forms of involuntary servitude, often lumped together under the term “slavery,” are so prevalent in history as to constitute a pernicious human institution. Yet they are rarely studied in a comparative fashion to understand how these various forms, which occur in nearly every society, time period, and geographic region, differ from one another, borrow or build on one another, and survive multi-pronged attempts at eradication. For example, in the United States slavery has become synonymous with the Atlantic Slave Trade, which itself collapses various kinds of involuntary servitudes into chattel slavery. To rectify these problems, this course approaches the institution of “slavery” through a comparative lens. Beginning with Greco-Roman slavery, we will then move forward in time and across the globe to examine involuntary servitude in the Middle East (Mamluks, Jannisaries, Arabic Slavery), in Medieval Europe (feudalism), in the early modern Americas (the Atlantic Slave trade), and finally into the modern era (textile manufacturing in South Asia and human trafficking). The study of slavery from antiquity to the modern era enables us to examine the many and different facets of how this human institution manifests itself in a multitude of societies throughout time.
Note: (When appropriate for College 300, course will carry a C300 attribute, listed at the schedule level.)