Eleventh Global Studies Conference

Abstract

The twenty-first century is characterized by the convergence of several global crises in the world system, which are manifested within the crisis of forced displacement and South-North migration. Among the deep structures responsible for these crises are legacies of colonialism, coloniality as well as contemporary forms of neo-imperialism, targeting the global periphery where the colonizers’ violence continues to produce unjust and unstable social, political, and economic relations. These processes are interconnected with the hegemonic patriarchal capitalist world system, which constantly expands through neoliberalism and developmentalism. Thus, we witness the formation of what William Robinson calls the reserve army of immigrant labor. This labor force is established through processes of bio-power, bare life, and statelessness, which are coupled with the emergence of neo-fascism, xenophobia, and chauvinism in the Global North. These violent dynamics and discourses, allowing for the establishment of the reserve army of migrant labor, will be examined through a comparative analysis of the USA and Germany as major receiving countries.