A full freedom: Contemporary survivors' definitions of slavery

Nicholson, Andrea; Dang, Minh; Trodd, Zoe

Abstract

© 2018 The Author(s). This article examines key debates on the legal definition of slavery from the perspective of survivors. This group has previously not been included in the debates on slavery definitions. By drawing upon new interviews we have conducted with survivors and an analysis of hundreds of historical and contemporary slave narratives, the article resolves this critical oversight. Our analysis maps survivors' ideas onto existing definitions, and we argue that a survivor-informed definition can expand our understanding of the nature of slavery and, therefore, shape antislavery policies and practice.

Citation

Nicholson, A., Dang, M., & Trodd, Z. (2018). A full freedom: Contemporary survivors' definitions of slavery. Human Rights Law Review, 18(4), 689-704. https://doi.org/10.1093/hrlr/ngy032

• Journal Article Type: Review
• Acceptance Date: Jul 2, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Nov 23, 2018
• Publication Date: Dec 14, 2018
• Deposit Date: Sep 5, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 24, 2020
• Journal: Human Rights Law Review
• Print ISSN: 1461-7781
• Electronic ISSN: 1744-1021
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 18
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 689-704
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/hrlr/ngy032
• Keywords: Contemporary slavery; Narratives; Testimonies; Interviews; Definitions; Law; Wellbeing; Human rights
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1060028
• Publisher URL: https://academic.oup.com/hrlr/advance-article/doi/10.1093/hrlr/ngy032/5195670