Masculinity and Modern Slavery in Nepal

Matthew Maycock is a Learning and Development Researcher at the Scottish Prison Service, UK and Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Glasgow. ‎

"What does it mean to be ‘free’? Maycock’s work on bonded labour in South Asia is an important contribution to the discussions and debates around modern slavery. By paying attention to the emergent expressions, perceptions and experiences of freedom, this book links the ethnographic specificity of the Kamaiya system of Nepal with the larger, global debates on contemporary slavery. Maycock adds to our understanding of subaltern masculinities and the historical and political contexts of masculinity and servitude." -- Radhika Chopra, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Delhi, India"This is an extremely valuable addition to the growing body of work that addresses masculine identities in the South Asian context. The book's ethnographic focus on subaltern masculinities is still a largely under-explored topic for the region. Maycock's analysis of the lives and actions of men from the Kamaiya (bonded labour) community of Nepal not only provides important insights into the meaning of 'slavery' and 'freedom', but also allows for a sophisticated understanding of relationships between masculinity and the symbolism of property, consumption, education, marriage, fatherhood and family life. The book will be of great interest to both scholars and practitioners who seek a nuanced engagement with processes of 'development'." -- Sanjay Srivastava, Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi, India"This book is about the complexity in one of the oldest forms of slavery in the world, the Kamaiya slavery of Nepal. Kamaiya slavery is equally complicated - a cocktail of the caste system, religion, warped masculinity, violence, ethnic discrimination, and a tough physical environment. This book provides exactly the kind of insight we need to get to grips with the slavery of today. It pries us loose from simplistic know-it-all ideas that conceal the tangled and tortuous, but crucial, fac

• List of FiguresList of TablesUse of Tharu/Nepali Words and CalendarAcknowledgementsList of AbbreviationsChapter 1 – IntroductionChapter 2 Bonded labour in South Asia and the Kamaiya system in NepalChapter 3 The setting; far-west Nepal and the two field sitesChapter 4 Bodies, consumption and health after freedom Chapter 5 Work, Education and Mobility after freedom Chapter 6 Relationships and families after freedom Chapter 7 – Conclusion Index