Global Labour History

Research mission

The Global Labour History research program of the IISH focuses on work and labour relations worldwide over the last five hundred years. Key questions in this research involve the connection between work, labour relations and social inequality. How do work and labour relations impact access to opportunities and resources? And what is the effect of inequality on work and labour relations? How do people act, individually or collectively, to change their situation?

 

Starting from an Open Science agenda we share our insights through international scholarly publishing channels, through our own Open Access journals and book series, through lectures, workshops and conferences, as well as by making our research data available for reuse. We engage with a broader audience through popular books, lectures, and participation in societal debates to share knowledge and insights that can help create a more open, inclusive and equal society.

Agenda

Our researchers have embraced a long-term globally comparative approach, stressing the diversity of forms of labour in the last five centuries and emphasizing the global interconnectedness of world regions in the era of globalization since 1500.

Agenda
Strike in Berlin | Otto Haeckel

Research Clusters

Our research projects are subdivided into four programme clusters, each focusing on different aspects of global labor history:  

  • Global labour relations
  • Commodities, environment and labour
  • Social and economic inequality
  • Individual and collective action 
Research projects
Labour Union demonstration in 1900 - Photo: IISH Collections

Researchers

The IISH research group consists of around 10 senior researchers, added by a varying number of postdoc researchers and PhD students. In addition, the IISH receives Fellows, Honorary Fellows and Guest Researchers. All in all, the research group consists of 30-40 researchers.

Researchers
Research Department Meeting

Research output

Browse through the list of research output by IISH research staff: articles, chapters, books, peer reviews and more.  

Research output