Sex Trafficking in History

Catalog description

Explores the historical roots of sex trafficking and the evolution of contemporary debates on the globalized migration of sex workers. Sex trafficking has its origins in the nineteenth century, when social reformers, feminists, and the League of Nations formed a crusade against “white slavery.” The course begins in the 1880s with the international movement to abolish prostitution and trafficking, and continues through to contemporary discussions of abolition and “modern-day slavery.” We consider whether the imagined distinction between voluntary and forced migrations has changed over time; how coercion and choice structure trafficking discourse; and whether prostitution should be distinguished from other forms of labor. Prerequisite: sophomore standing. Offered every other year.