Corporate Crime in the Mirror of Labor Literature: A Discourse Analysis of the Novel A Woman in Men's Shoes

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor of Criminal Law and Criminology, Department of Law and Political Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran(Corresponding Author)

2 M.A. Student in Criminal Law and Criminology, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

Abstract

Labor literature describes, explores, and reflects the difficult problems and conditions of workers' lives. Labor narratives voice the demand for justice and resistance against exploitation by workers, those who become victims of the capitalist system. Labor literature and critical criminology are closely related to the criticism of the capitalist system and focus on workers as vulnerable groups in society. The Woman in Men's Shoes is considered one of the significant works of labor literature in Iran, highlighting the challenges faced by workers in the workplace. This study, using Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse analysis method, aims to provide a deeper reading of labor narratives and, by focusing on corporate crimes against workers, depicts social inequalities. Furthermore, by examining the discourses of "workers/lower class" and "managers/upper class," it analyzes the hegemony of managerial discourse and evaluates the key factors involved in the disregard of workers’ human rights. The findings of this research indicate that commercial companies may resort to any means to gain profit. In such an environment, workers are exploited and subjected to corporate violence, and their human rights are violated. The novel The Woman in Men's Shoes shows how corporate crimes and the harmful behavior of capitalists are ignored, and workers become victims of structural inequalities.

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Interdisciplinary Studies of Literature, Arts and Humanities
Volume 5, Issue 2 - Serial Number 10
August 2025
Pages 141-174

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History

  • Receive Date: 23 December 2024
  • Revise Date: 28 January 2025
  • Accept Date: 27 April 2025

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