SW 545B ST: Sex Work & Human Trafficking:?A Cross-Cultural Perspective From?India and Beyond
Several topics including structural factors contributing to sex work and human trafficking, differences between sex work and human trafficking, the impact of varied policy positions (legalization, partial criminalization, [Nordic/Swedish Model], decriminalization of voluntary sex between adults) on the health and safety of sex workers, and the multiplicity of risks (trafficking, violence, HIV/AIDS) and health issues faced by sex workers will be critically examined using films, ethnographic studies, lectures, and short colloquiums. Before engaging with the topics mentioned above, students will critically reflect on the following questions: what is your current understanding of sex work and what has informed your understanding, how have you been socialized by your friends/relatives/media on topics like sex, sex workers, and human trafficking; and in what ways do you think this acquired knowledge from friends/family has been helpful or harmful to people. Doing so will enable students to unlearn and unpack some of their biases and stereotypes about sex work, become aware of the multiple, intersectional identities of trafficking victims and sex workers, and pay attention to the diversity within the experiences of sex workers.