Dr. Joel Suarez

Biography

Joel Suarez is an Assistant Professor in the Department of History at Harvard University. He specializes in labor history, political economy, and social history ideas, particularly concerning the late nineteenth and twentieth-century United States. He is currently completing a book titled 'Labor Liberty: Work and the Problem of Freedom in American History,' which examines how the concept of freedom became associated with work and its changing meanings throughout significant social transformations, including abolition, industrialization, and deindustrialization. Additionally, he explores the impact of the rise of the informal low-wage service sector on working-class families in various geographical contexts, including Latin America, Europe, and Africa, particularly following the economic turmoil known as the Volcker Shock. His teaching includes courses on labor history, intellectual history, and social theory, reflecting his interdisciplinary approach to the study of history.

Research Interests

Experience