Sex Trafficking

3 units

Both in the United States and on a global level, interrelated inequities in gender, sex, power, class, opportunity, education, culture, politics, race, and sexual objectification are among the social phenomena that contribute to the larger number of women and girls who enter into systems of prostitution and sex trafficking. We will examine the dynamics of sex trafficking on a local and global level from various perspectives, with particular attention given to the sexed and gendered social conditions that impact sex trafficking. In studying the extent and nature of the problem we will look at demand, prevalence, experiences of victims, methods of traffickers, child trafficking, cultural dynamics, and global power dynamics. We also examine international, federal, and state legislation along with organizational and grassroots efforts to prevent and respond to sex trafficking.