The Truth About Modern Slavery

by Emily Kenway

'A powerful treatise' - Amelia Gentleman,  Guardian In 2019, over 10,000 possible victims of slavery were found in the UK. From men working in Sports Direct warehouses for barely any pay, to teenaged Vietnamese girls trafficked into small town nail bars, we’re told that modern slavery is all around us, operating in plain sight. But is this really slavery, and is it even a new phenomenon? Why has the British Conservative Party called it 'one of the great human rights issues of our time', when they usually ignore the exploitation of those at the bottom of the economic pile?  The Truth About Modern Slavery  reveals how modern slavery has been created as a political tool by those in power. It shows how anti-slavery action acts as a moral cloak, hiding the harms of the ‘hostile environment’ towards migrants, legitimising big brands’ exploitation of the poorest workers and oppressing sex workers. Blaming the media's complicity, rich philanthropists' opportunism and our collective failure to realise the lies we’re being told,  The Truth About Modern Slavery  provides a vital challenge to conventional narratives on modern slavery.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Feminism, History, Social Science, Society

240 pages, Paperback

Published January 20, 2021

About the author

Emily Kenway is a writer, researcher and activist from the UK. Her first book, The Truth about Modern Slavery, delved into the world of human trafficking and exploitation - but not in the way you expect. Instead of taking us on a tour of miserable lives, Kenway showed how 'modern slavery' was a new framing of exploitation, one that served the interests of the economy and the powerful more than those it purports to save.

Her new book, 'Who Cares: The Hidden Crisis of Caregiving and How We Solve It' (April/May 2023) takes us into the invisible world of family caregivers. Weaving together her personal story caring for her mother with in-depth research and interviews with caregivers from around the world, Kenway shows us what care is like today and what needs to change.

Reviews

[Sadhbh O'Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is so good. Revolting Prostitutes level of good. So well researched and argued - compelling and damning read.

The only thing missing to my mind is that the parallels between the abolitionist movement of the 18th century and the modern movement is actually even stronger. Much of the abolitionist movement was also politically and economically motivated - by abolishing the slave trade it enabled British forces to take over trade in African nations and corner key markets in the name of moral good. It was also a part of the imperialist mission to spread ‘civility’ and therefore continue control even as they could hold the moral high ground.

Much like the modern slavery movement the motivations of some may have been noble but the overall British project was what was important to support, not the enslaved. In this view modern slavery is a natural continuation of how moral acts are used as a way to maintain exploitative power.

[lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliantly written, with mostly accessible language and thorough clarity of ideas.

This book was the subject of one of my book club meetings. In said meeting, the complaint of the author repeating herself was raised, but I very much disagree that this is something to complain about. In fact, I believe it to be an asset to Kenway's writing. Her point, in this way, becomes very clear and its reiteration makes it truly sink in as you go on acquiring more information. Not only that, but we see her opinions applied to different situations, which only works to reinforce her position. I loved that she made a very self-acknowledging comment (in the conclusion) about her politics, although I am sure it was necessary for nobody. She was (throughout the entire book) very clear about her political stance towards neoliberal capitalism. Although, perhaps for her pragmatic suggested solutions to the problems raised, she felt the need to emphasise her stance. (We love a radical queen. We spotted that Angela Davis indirect reference to the etymology of radical. Or are we imagining it?)

Speaking of capitalism, we all absolutely loved the roast of Kevin Bales. What a dick... it's essentially; "boys, what if..., hear me out, we free the 'slaves' so they can become CONSUMERS and better our GBP?". Ah, yes, truly a humanitarian priority. That also brings me to comment on the humour and ironic comments that gave this book a certain charm. Well... as much charm as one can have when discussing such a serious topic. Her cheeky comments made me laugh more than once.

To conclude, I wanted to add that I arrived at this book after reading Revolting Prostitutes, and the chapter of this book on sex work really did great justice to the topic. Overall, I think she tackled the wider picture of deconstructing the modern slavery story very effectively by focusing on the issues she did. That is, constructing fairy tales with a single baddie, diverging attention from the system onto said bad apple and 'awareness', immigration/borders, sex work, blaming the consumer, putting responsibility on the individual, and critiquing the lack of legislation, support and rights for workers.

[Freja · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 ⭐️ Velskrevet bog, som kommer ind på mange aspekter af udnyttelse af udokumenterede arbejdere - man får helt lyst til at engagere sig politisk🚩 #ViElskerFagforeninger

[Tedmarriott · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Buying something from a company that uses slave labour should not be any less socially unacceptable than using a disposable coffee cup.” - lol Theresa May’s dumbass.

Anyway, v good. Really insightful and useful analyses. Clear, methodical, empathetic, and v engaging. I specifically really enjoyed the linguistic analyses Emily Kenway brought to this book using George Lakoff’s work. It was such an accessible way to show how specifically modern slavery is constructed, leveraged, and how it purposefully misleads the public.

Great work, great book, would recommend 🤌

[Catarina C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este livro serviu de base para este vídeo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JONH2...

[Rachel H · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had heard so many good things about this book and wanted to see what all the hype was about. I was not disappointed.

From the title alone one might expect The Truth about Modern Slavery to be about how awful modern slavery is and what could be done to stop it. This is not the case. In this book, Kenway dismantles the concept of modern slavery and reveals that it is an umbrella term used to describe a range of types of exploitation, including human trafficking and forced labour among others.

Supported by thorough research, she shows how this term has been popularised by those who support the very systems that allow such exploitation to continue. The hostile immigration environment is one example, where immigrants are denied access to benefits, thus pushing them towards exploitative workplaces in order to survive. The government persists with this system of driving people into exploitation while also campaigning to stop it. On the other hand, Kenway notes that sex work often falls under the banner of modern slavery, when in fact sex workers may not view themselves as being exploited.

I found this book a real eye-opener as it has made me aware of the exploitation taking place in my neighbourhood, my local businesses, in the products I buy at the supermarket, and also how some companies claim to be anti-slavery while doing little if anything to stop it.

And so, what is the solution? It is clear from reading this book that it is important to break down modern slavery into its component parts and to recognise the role of the state in these types of exploitation. Kenway does not offer a call to action as such but she does consider possible solutions for the different types of exploitation. A rethink of borders, social safety nets to prevent homelessness and poverty, and the decriminalisation of sex work are some of the ideas discussed.

The Truth about Modern Slavery is a fascinating work that will make you think again about the world we live in, and how it could be made better for everyone.

[Rachel H · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had heard so many good things about this book and wanted to see what all the hype was about. I was not disappointed.

From the title alone one might expect The Truth about Modern Slavery to be about how awful modern slavery is and what could be done to stop it. This is not the case. In this book, Kenway dismantles the concept of modern slavery and reveals that it is an umbrella term used to describe a range of types of exploitation, including human trafficking and forced labour among others.

Supported by thorough research, she shows how this term has been popularised by those who support the very systems that allow such exploitation to continue. The hostile immigration environment is one example, where immigrants are denied access to benefits, thus pushing them towards exploitative workplaces in order to survive. The government persists with this system of driving people into exploitation while also campaigning to stop it. On the other hand, Kenway notes that sex work often falls under the banner of modern slavery, when in fact sex workers may not view themselves as being exploited.

I found this book a real eye-opener as it has made me aware of the exploitation taking place in my neighbourhood, my local businesses, in the products I buy at the supermarket, and also how some companies claim to be anti-slavery while doing little if anything to stop it.

And so, what is the solution? It is clear from reading this book that it is important to break down modern slavery into its component parts and to recognise the role of the state in these types of exploitation. Kenway does not offer a call to action as such but she does consider possible solutions for the different types of exploitation. A rethink of borders, social safety nets to prevent homelessness and poverty, and the decriminalisation of sex work are some of the ideas discussed.

The Truth about Modern Slavery is a fascinating work that will make you think again about the world we live in, and how it could be made better for everyone.

[George L · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well written incisive view of modern slavery. I appreciate the discourse line of argument, where she critisizes how modern slavery is framed by megaphone'd awareness campaigns (by pro-business parties and billionaire philanthropists) demonstrating how it perpetuates slavery, and is so obviously flawed because it serves the interests of global capitalism. The Conservative government's current treatment of the victims of modern slavery in their immigration centres should show us really how seriously this issue is being treated.

[Gali · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've learnt quite a bit through this book and it made me rethink so many issues that are presented as apolitical and yet that are very much shaped by politics. The writing was very good, very readable for such a tough topic but not simplifying things too much - only the conclusion was a bit too heavy with page-long paragraphs that read more like coming a paper that had to reach some kind of word limit.

[Esme Kemp · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE TORIES RUIN EVERYTHING. DONT LET THEM FOOL YOU INTO THINKING THEY CARE ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS. GOVERNMENT CARES ABOUT MAKING MONEY PERIOD.
THIS WAS EXCELLENT AND HAS MADE ME INCENSED HENCE ALL CAPS FROM HERE ON OUT.

[Rose Stanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought-provoking; challenging; highly recommend.

[Hag · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is at its strongest when it's dismantling and critiquing the modern slavery framework (which it does extremely well). but it's weakest when offering solutions that would work within the current global system of neoliberal capitalism (eg suggesting clients of sex workers could help identify victims of exploitative labour or trafficking).

[Leonie Nicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book incredibly clear, insightful and shrewd. It pulled together a wide range of structural and systemic factors that lie behind the range of ways that people are made 'vulnerable' to exploitation. I particularly liked that this book laid out exactly what those structural factors are instead of blandly and intangibly stating 'structural' without really pinpointing what that means. And that the idea of 'choice' in these situations can be an unhelpful filter for deciding whether someone is being exploited or not, and yet that is the legal binary that determines whether a situation is slavery or not. The term 'modern slavery' is also dissected carefully and shown to unhelpfully conjure 'extreme' versions of exploitation with the 'perfect victim', thus, casting out a wider range of just as problematic forms of exploitation from its purview. It shows how hostile immigration policies propagate modern slavery while claiming to work to eradicate it. I also found the discussion of how similar situations can be more or less likely to be perceived as 'slavery' depending on nationality and race a striking example of how xenophobia and racism permeate ideas of the 'perfect victim' (and therefore 'true' slavery), but also the fragility of the concept itself if when objective facts can be the same but perceptions different due to deeply societal inherited and learned othering (i.e. racism and xenophobia).

[Steve Angelkov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happenstance was in effect that whilst I was reading this book, the Home Secretary - Priti Patel - (second generation Uganda Indian immigrant) has advised of the UK governments scheme to send unauthorised asylum seekers on a one-way ticket to Rwanda, Africa?

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2...

Not quite Hotel Rwanda.

Due to condemnation that followed this announcement from members of the clergy and media, Patel has 'challenged' those to come up with better plan. I have one, asylum seekers only want to work and provide for their families, pay taxes etc. This is a good idea to share with the Conservative cabinet, who have / have had members with non dom tax status, allegedly.

This is an excellent book, detailing the pandemic of human trafficking or modern slavery, as it is now universally known as.

There is a diverse cross section of folk that are impacted my this phenomenon.

One of the perceived major concerns about Brexit, was that the government operating outside of the EU, can enforce policy, which is not regulated by the 'EU'.

Whilst it was thought that our government, would seek to implement some hair brained schemes, this one is abstract to say the least.

A thought provoking book, which details the actions required to address the issues, more than the 'move along now' mindset of this current sitting government.

[Christina Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly the title might have steered me away if it hadn’t been recommended by Molly Smith (co-author of Revolting Prostitutes) on Twitter. But this is a book that I have been looking for for a long time.
I’ve always been highly skeptical of the role that the Christian right and corporate forces have had in the anti-human trafficking/modern slavery debate. I have seen very little about why that might be. Usually, I hear something like, “Modern slavery is an apolitical issue.” But that’s not true—especially when sex work is added to the equation.
Emily Kenway shows the way in which the modern slavery question has been wielded by corporate and right wing influences creating a separate, egregious crime that evokes the idea of chattel slavery and divorcing this crime of modern slavery from the all-too-prevalent labor exploitation. The human trafficking conversation has become about a racialized other kidnapping white girls from malls rather than a broad spectrum of labor rights violations which are perpetrated along the supply chains of large corporations. Often, the right uses these mythical images of modern slavery to criminalize sex work and immigration and embolden law enforcement.
Anyone who is actually concerned about the victims of labor exploitation should read this book!

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

The UK Modern Slavery Act has been trumpeted as one of the first attempts in the world to stamp out the pervasive practices which fall under the umbrella term 'modern slavery'. Yet no large company has been seriously prosecuted under this 'transnational legislation', leading business researchers to focus on how firms are disclosing activities in their supply chains which relate to attempts to address modern slavery risk. Most companies, it turns out, are disclosing - and possibly doing - little, meaning that the law has had little impact on business. These researchers, myself included to an extent, have been looking in the wrong place.

Kenway posits - using a range of excellent interview data and a cast iron grip on the facts - that the UK's attempts to 'tackle modern slavery' are little more than a cover for a renewed (ineffective, appalling) offensive against immigrants, particularly those who have been trafficked to the UK (who, after the horrors they have experienced, are often then prosecuted). This is *the* must-read book on modern slavery in the UK and disclosure-driven attempts to legislate against modern slavery worldwide.

[Colette · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Exploitation at the sharp end is a design feature of our current system, not an anomalous exception." Page 132.

This book exposes how our government and businesses alike shape and benefit from the modern slavery framework. Kenway puts the current conversation about exploitation under the microscope - I had so many lightbulb moments reading this book and really recommend it. Exploitation isn't something that can be fixed by volunteer reporting initiatives, audits, individual champions in their industry, consumers or even local heroes who can 'spot the signs'. It's a bigger problem that Kenway makes clear - alongside the solutions.

[Leif · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit dogged and at times more workmanlike than elegant, this still got the job done. Understood: "modern slavery" messaging is right-wing apologetics for hostile policies that make people's lives worse and lead to - you guessed it - situations that then get enrolled into the "modern slavery" messaging, despite the lived experience and actual quandaries and desires expressed by those unfortunate persons. Voila.

[Lizard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read

[Chloey Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every single person should read this book absolutely amazing’

[GM]

important topic but couldn't get into the writing. read it in the Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art's library

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought-provoking and relevant to the times. Whilst predominantly UK-based, still very much resonates with global issues.

[Conor Smyth · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5, interesting

[Patrick Mayhew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not an easy read intellectually, I found it quite challenging. Nevertheless, very insightful. Are the solutions to exploitation really solutions, or are they there to maintain the current social order and political agenda?? Big questions, big answers.