Showing papers by "Kendra Strauss published in 2012"

Coerced, Forced and Unfree Labour: Geographies of Exploitation in Contemporary Labour Markets

Abstract: This paper examines approaches, both within geography and more broadly, to the issue of forced labour in contemporary labour markets. Far from a vestige of pre-capitalist social relations, unfree labour is part of the continuum of exploitation that is intrinsically related the contradictory nature of commodification and to capital as a social relation. The paper focuses on the UK, but draws attention to the ways in which relations of unfreedom in the new global division of labour dissolve clear-cut distinctions between ‘developed’ and ‘developing’ nations. The first section focuses on definitions and approaches, including those related to migration and trafficking, from supra-national organisations such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO). The second section looks at geographical approaches to forced labour and examines what a spatially grounded framework can bring to analyses of unfreedom. The conclusion suggests future directions for geographical research on unfree labour, especially relating to the undertheorised relations between unfreedom, domestic labour and social reproduction.

Saving for Retirement: Intention, Context, and Behavior

Abstract: 1. Introduction 2. Environment and Behaviour 3. Risk Propensities 4. Sophistication, Salience, and Scale 5. Being in the Market 6. Housing, Retirement Saving, and Risk Aversion 7. The Demand for Annuities 8. The 'New' Paternalism 9. Pension Adequacy and Sustainability

The Home, Pension Savings and Risk Aversion: Intentions of the Defined Contribution Pension Plan Participants of a London-based Investment Bank at the Peak of the Bubble

Abstract: In the lead-up to the peak of the financial bubble (and before the onset of the global financial crisis), property was regularly promoted as a ready-made alternative to private pensions. This paper explores the importance of owner-occupied housing for the retirement savings strategies of defined contribution (DC) pension plan members. Based upon a unique survey of over 2300 participants in the DC pension scheme of a London-based international bank, an assessment is made of the statistical significance of respondents’ socioeconomic status and risk preference in predicting the significance or otherwise of their home for retirement saving. Relatively few respondents indicated that they were likely to rely on their home. Those that indicated reliance were relatively older, higher-paid and married employees. The paper concludes with implications for understanding the connection between savings behaviour and housing before and after the global financial crisis.