Bondage involves owning someone else, usually called slaves, who have limited choice and are forced to perform tasks for no compensation. Slavery is illegal in many parts of the world, but some forms still exist, including debt bondage and sexual slavery. In ancient societies, slavery was based on captured soldiers used as forced laborers. Chattel slavery is the best-known form, where mobile slaves are treated as property and can be bought or sold. Sexual slavery involves women being kidnapped or tricked into prostitution.
There are many different types of bondage, but in basic terms, the practice involves owning someone else in some way. These owned individuals are called slaves and usually have limited choice in what kind of actions they can take and are normally forced to perform some task for another person for no reasonable compensation. In general, a slave becomes another person’s property and can be used by that person for financial or personal gain. Slavery is illegal in many parts of the world now, including the United States, but there are some forms of slavery that are still commonly practiced.
In ancient societies, much of slavery was based on the use of captured soldiers in warfare as forced labourers. In some cases, these captives were held as slaves for the rest of their lives, and in other situations, after a certain point, they were allowed to break free. Sometimes slaves were actually treated quite well in these sorts of arrangements, but it varied greatly from one society to another. Keeping soldiers as slaves is still practiced in some cultures, with prisoners of war being forced to perform different types of physical labor, but it was much more common in ancient times.
Chattel slavery is generally the best known form practiced historically. Mobile slaves are treated as property and can be sold or bought. In most cases, mobile slaves are usually chosen based on racial or geographic divisions. This is partly due to the need for the complete dehumanization of another population, generally easier to justify with individuals deemed physically or culturally different. This is the type of slavery that was formerly practiced in the United States before the Civil War.
Debt bondage is another form of bondage still practiced around the world. This happens when a person takes out a loan and gives up her freedom as a form of collateral. Sometimes parents even sell their children into this type of slavery. In theory, debt bondage ends when the loan is paid off, but in practice the deal is almost never that simple, and people often end up with debts that are impossible to pay.
Sexual slavery is yet another commonly practiced form. Often women are kidnapped or tricked into prostitution. In some parts of the world, women have so few rights that their husbands or parents can push them into this kind of life. Sexual slavery is illegal in most countries, but it happens under the radar on the criminal black market. Some people consider forced marriage to be a form of sexual slavery, and in some societies it was historically common for women to be treated like slaves by their husbands.
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