Book Review: Economically-dependent workers as part of a decent economy: International, European and comparative perspective by Claudia Schubert (ed.)
| Author | Marco Biasi |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/13882627221125809 |
| Published date | 01 December 2022 |
| Date | 01 December 2022 |
| Subject Matter | Book Reviews |
strangers, and how the positive outcome of such meetings can reduce discrimination. Manevska
et al. investigates ethnic diversity in the workplace, Lenard focuses on the relationships between
diversity and trusting relationships, while Hootegem et al. provide insight into the relationships
between redistributive solidarity and ethnic diversity.
Part V, which makes the volume most innovative, presents the perspective of the sending coun-
tries (Global South). The four studies address interesting topics one by one, such as the relationship
between remittances and the development of the Global South (Makhlouf-Atta), issues of food
security in Bangladesh (Moniruzzaman-Roberts), the role of diasporas (Mavroudi) and the difficul-
ties of building a global migration system (Wise).
Overall, the volume provides an excellent summary of the challenges of migration today and
tries to show the dilemmas of both receiving and sending countries. However, the focus on the
north-south division seems incomplete. The issues of migration are also present among the coun-
tries of the northern hemisphere, even they relate to labour migration for the most part. It would
have been worthwhile to examine migration of citizens of Eastern European countries to the
West more widely, especially through studies by authors from the region. However, space limita-
tions obviously did not allow for this, so I recommend continuing the series based on the above.
I recommend the volume to all those who wish to conduct research in the field of migration and
or who would like to gain more insight into the subject. It will be useful mostly for researchers and
students, and it may be more difficult to follow for lay readers due to the technical terms and the
complexity of the topic. Although the studies are high-quality, in many cases the findings are
not new. Several studies highlight that ambiguous findings emerged in respect of certain questions,
which means that we need to study the relevant area more thoroughly.
ORCID iD
Szandra Kramarics https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6225-1372
Claudia Schubert (ed.), Economically-dependent workers as part of a decent economy: International, European and
comparative perspective;A handbook, Beck: Munich, 2022; 305 pages: ISBN 9783406769641.
Reviewed by: Marco Biasi ,University of Milan, Italy
DOI: 10.1177/13882627221125809
This stimulating book edited by Claudia Schubert reflects the progressive obsolescence of the rigid
dichotomy between employment and self-empl oyed work which characterised the early stages of t he
development of labour law as an autonomous field of law and scholarship. Indeed, this wide-ranging
study deserves to be seen as a short treatise rather than as a simple ‘handbook’(as reported in the
title) and is undoubtedly destined to be highly influential in current and future discussions on labour law.
The research essentially supports an extension of existing labour laws to grant adequate working
conditions and decent social security standards to economically-dependent workers, such as plat-
form workers in the context of the digital economy. These workers are personally independent
390 European Journal of Social Security 24(4)
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