Constructing Human Trafficking: Evangelicals, Feminists, and an Unexpected Alliance

Transnational advocacy networks have successfully raised human trafficking as a political issue, but the definition of human trafficking remains contested. This project argues that the dominant US framing of trafficking as prostitution and sex slavery is not as hegemonic as commonly believed, and that Evangelical attempts to widen the frame have made constructions of human trafficking more reconfigurable. It provides an empirically novel and theoretically rich account of an urgent transnational issue.

Format: Hardback
Length: 210 pages
Publication date: 16 August 2018
Publisher: Springer International Publishing AG

Human trafficking has emerged as a significant and growing threat, prompting transnational advocacy networks to raise it as a pressing political issue. While the term "human trafficking" has gained widespread recognition, its definition remains subject to intense debate. This project employs feminist and poststructuralist international relations theories to trace the genealogy of U.S. neo-abolitionism. The analysis examines activist campaigns, legislative and policy debates, and legislation surrounding human trafficking and the Trafficking Victims Protection Act to challenge the prevailing notion that trafficking is solely characterized as prostitution and sex slavery. Surprisingly, Evangelical efforts to expand the frame have paradoxically facilitated the reconfiguration of constructions of human trafficking. This empirically novel and theoretically rich account offers valuable insights into an urgent transnational issue that concerns activists, voters, and policymakers worldwide.

Weight: 394g
Dimension: 155 x 218 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783319917368
Edition number: 1st ed. 2019