The corporeal rift: from 19 th -Century guano diggers to the present

Using archival data from Peru, Britain, and France, along with primary and secondary sources, this study expands the corporeal rift theory, concerned with the undermining of human bodies, by exploring the conditions faced by 19th-century Peruvian guano (bird dung) diggers. It identifies four interconnected moments of the corporeal rift: abduction, transportation, super-exploitation, and social murder, and argues that the corporeal rift also encompasses cultural dimensions. This analysis enhances our understanding of the systemic impacts of worker exploitation globally, showing its persistence and its ties to the ongoing ecological crisis.