Despite the inherent brutality of slavery; some slaves could find small but important opportunities to act decisively. The Hierarchies of Slavery in Santos; Brazil; 1822–1888 explores such moments of opportunity and resistance in Santos; a Southeastern township in Imperial Brazil. It argues that slavery in Brazil was hierarchical: slaves' fleeting chances to form families; work jobs that would not kill or maim; avoid debilitating diseases; or find a (legal or illegal) pathway out of slavery were highly influenced by their demographic background and their owners' social position. By tracing the lives of slaves and owners through multiple records; the author is able to show that the cruelties that slaves faced were not equally shared. One important implication is that internal stratification likely helped perpetuate slavery because there was the belief; however illusionary; that escaping captivity was not necessary for social mobility.
#136474 in Books Stanford University Press 1988-08-01 1988-08-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x .69 x 6.00l; .83 #File Name: 0804714770276 pages
Review
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful. Resetting the parameters of Western Social ExperienceBy Herbert L CalhounThis author follows the logic of "pure contractarianism" to its theoretical conclusion: which is that the assumptions built into Rousseau's; Locke's and Hobbes' original "Social contract" is either a "reciprocal agreement about rights and obligations between equals;" or (turning it on its head) is "a political fiction about one group (males) right to dominate another (females)."First exposing this flaw and then following its implications to their philosophical and logical endpoints; Ms. Pateman shows that trying to ignore the flaws and contradictions implicit in existing "social contracts" used as the primary vehicle to frame Western concepts of freedom and equality (i.e.; the U.S. Constitution; etc.) by giving them an "after-the-fact" progressive twist; or worse by glossing over their deeper meanings and implications; is to render them meaningful only to members of the dominating group (men); and their socially adjusted willingly duped females.According to her; if we take at face value what demonstrably is recognizable as modern patriarchy and allow its implied exploitative meanings of dominance to act as a "stand-in" for reality; that is; as "the extant social contract;" we are engaging in a dangerous and unnecessary form of self-delusion; a form that denies the rights and genuine freedoms of more than half the human population.She shows how when women "go along-to-get-along;" allowing the poisonous implications of the flawed model of human freedom to get played out in everyday American society and social experience; we end up with the societal contradictions that we see everyday; in which marriage arrangements; sexist employment contracts; etc. amount to little more than the "contracts" that exist between pimps and their street whores.The upshot of the book is that by exposing the flaws; delusions and self-contradictory sexist implications built into the flawed versions of the "social contract" (as her compatriot Dr. Charles Mill's did with respect to race; in his "The Racial Contract"); Ms. Pateman is able to reset the parameters for the fundamental theoretical vehicle that frames Western social and political experience.This treatise is cleanly if not always clearly written and is without a doubt the work of a seasoned Philosopher going about her daily business. I should have read it first before having read Charles Mill's the "Racial Contract" for it is clear that much of his work leans heavily on her work. But since I only learned about it through Mill's book; I had no choice but to read them in the order I received them. 1000 stars4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. For feminists and anti-feminists and apathetic peopleBy theuserbAlthough I don't subscribe to most feminist theories myself; I found Pateman's work to be incredibly well reasoned; and very interesting to read. One of her most intriguing arguments is that the marriage contract implicitly binds the woman to the man; creating a relationship between a master and his servant. I like that she is careful enough to add disclaimers to many of her arguments; explaining that no; not all men are like this; no; not all men desire to be masters in their marriages. She doesn't use these disclaimers as outs though - they only add to the strength and realism to her reasoning. She demonstrates that although we cannot generalize the natures of men; we can analyze and criticize the obligations that our society's contractual language creates for women.She builds on the work of other philosophers; so it would be worth reading this book in conjunction with other essays on feminism and/or on contracts. She writes very clearly; and although you have to pace yourself as you move through the book; you probably won't find yourself too confused or lost at any point. It's quite easy to follow her train of thought.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A must-read classicBy Hope RoseAn absolute classic. You cannot understand the political order without first understanding the sexual order. Pateman's book is both deep and broad. You won't be the same after reading it.
