Bonded labor and serfdom: a paradox of voluntary choice

Among the oldest and most pervasive economic institutions are bonded labor and serfdom. While seemingly exploitative, both bonded labor and serfdom are often not imposed on the laborers but voluntarily chosen. It is generally the lack of suitable alternatives which makes workers opt for a life in se...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of development economics 2002-02, Vol.67 (1), p.101-127
Main Author: Genicot, Garance
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bonded labor
Coercion
Contracts
Credit
Development economics
Development studies
Economic theory
Exploitation
Forced labor
Governmental reform
Implicit contract
Interlinkage
Labour
Manual workers
Mathematical models
Serfdom
Studies
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Summary:Among the oldest and most pervasive economic institutions are bonded labor and serfdom. While seemingly exploitative, both bonded labor and serfdom are often not imposed on the laborers but voluntarily chosen. It is generally the lack of suitable alternatives which makes workers opt for a life in servitude. This paper shows that the existence of these voluntary forms of servitude itself may restrain the laborers' opportunities so that they are left with no better alternative than bondage. Under these circumstances, government interventions banning servile institutions, by promoting the development of alternative options for the laborers, have the potential to substantially improve the condition of a large class of laborers.
ISSN:0304-3878
1872-6089
DOI:10.1016/S0304-3878(01)00179-1