Geopolitics and Labor In Asia

Growing nationalism, geopolitical competition, and supply chain reorganization over the past decade have posed new challenges to workers and labor movements around the world. While features of zombie neoliberalism persist—notably, official antipathy toward worker organization—the push for market-based integration of national economies has been disrupted. The breakdown of US-anchored hegemony has been marked by increased protectionism, state involvement in the economy, and the prioritization of nationalist interests. Few places have been as deeply impacted by these structural shifts as trade-dependent Asia, situated as it is at the frontlines of imperial contestation between the US and China. Keeping in mind the checkered history of nationalism and working-class politics, this panel aims to investigate some of the following questions: How have growing nationalism and shifting trade regimes impacted workers and labor movements? For example, how have they responded to debates around tariffs, state subsidies, or labor migration? How have migrant workers specifically been affected by nationalism and rising geopolitical tensions? Does the labor movement see militarization as antagonistic to the interests of workers, or have unions embraced the possibilities for job creation? How has increased national security scrutiny and trade restrictions on advanced technology impacted workers in related industries? What are the prospects for worker-led international solidarity amid ratcheting jingoism? In responding to the ISA’s call for “global sociology in turbulent times,” this panel welcomes contemporary and historically-informed studies to situate Asian labor movements within this increasingly unsettled and dangerous global landscape.