exploitation

Exploitation refers to the act of using or taking advantage of someone or something for personal or organizational gain, often in a way that is perceived as unfair or coercive. It can operate through unequal power relations, social norms, or legal frameworks, and can also apply to non-human resources such as labor, land, or natural resources.

In human contexts, exploitation commonly refers to labor exploitation, where an employer benefits from a worker's output beyond what is considered fair compensation or under conditions that compromise safety, dignity, or freedom. Mechanisms include coerced work, pay below legal minimum, excessive hours, suppression of union rights, and deceptive recruiting. Global supply chains can obscure exploitation across borders.

Other forms include resource exploitation, where one party draws on land or ecosystems in ways that deplete or degrade them with disproportionate benefit to others. Social exploitation involves manipulating social advantages, such as gender, ethnicity, or caste, to extract value or control.

The concept features in political economy, ethics, and law. Some schools, notably Marxist theory, frame capitalism as producing surplus value through exploitation of labor. Others define exploitation as improper use of power or violations of rights, requiring remedies within human rights, labor law, and corporate accountability.

Legal and policy responses include minimum wage laws, occupational safety standards, anti-trafficking and forced-labor conventions, supply-chain due diligence, and sanctions. Effectiveness depends on enforcement, transparency, and the protection of workers' autonomy.

Indicators of exploitation include wage gaps, unsafe conditions, lack of consent, coercion, debt bondage, and restricted freedom. Understanding exploitation requires attention to context, power dynamics, and norms of fairness and rights.