Spaces of (Im)Mobility, Violence and Precarity

The project brings together otherwise separate fields of expertise, compares conceptual approaches and formulates new research ideas at the intersections of (forced) migration studies, peace and conflict studies, labour geography, as well as dependency and slavery studies.

The project aims to explore the spatial expressions and interrelations between mobility, violence and labour precarity, drawing on secondary literature, existing data and two pilot studies. A particular focus is on livelihoods and labour relations in conflict-affected settings in the Global South, and how these are shaped by human (im)mobility, systems of violence and coercion, and dependency relations. In line with the central analytical approach of the Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies’ (BCDSS), the research is based on the argument that strong asymmetrical dependencies are formative for societies and particularly shape labour relations in spaces of violence.

The project addresses three specific research questions:

• What forms of violence and coercion do workers experience under conditions of war?
• To what extent is labour precarity in spaces of violence shaped by mobility or immobility?
•  What asymmetrical relations co-constitute precarious work and conditions of violence?

Researchers from BCDSS and bicc, as well as international scholars, will be brought together through a series of workshops and events. The conceptual reflections and empirical findings will be documented in a BCDSS working paper and a peer-reviewed journal article.