Researching Trafficked Women

2011 ◽  
Vol 17 (9) ◽  
pp. 769-779 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Bosworth ◽  
Carolyn Hoyle ◽  
Michelle Madden Dempsey

This article exposes methodological barriers we encountered in a small research project on women trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation and our attempts, drawing on feminist and emergent methods, to resolve them. It critically assesses the role of institutional gatekeepers and the practical challenges faced in obtaining data directly from trafficking victims. Such difficulties, it suggests, spring at least in part from lingering disagreements within the feminist academic, legal, and advocacy communities regarding the nature, extent, and definition of trafficking. They also reveal concerns from policy makers and practitioners over the relevance and utility of academic research. Although feminist researchers have focused on building trust with vulnerable research participants, there has been far less discussion about how to persuade institutional elites to cooperate. Our experiences in this project, we suggest, reveal limitations in the emphasis on reflexivity in feminist methods, and point to the need for more strategic engagement with policy makers about the utility of academic research in general.

AJIL Unbound ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 108 ◽  
pp. 264-267
Author(s):  
Clifford Bob

Janie Chuang discusses important shifts in the way that American policy makers and activists have defined and fought human trafficking. As she shows, key aspects of the 2000 UN Protocol’s definition of trafficking have been whiplashed by changing political winds emanating from the Bush and Obama administrations. In the Bush years, a strange bedfellows network of feminists, evangelicals, and neo-conservatives directed American trafficking policy primarily toward sexual exploitation, pushing for prohibitions not only on forced but also on voluntary prostitution. Other types of trafficking were neglected. The Obama administration and its own set of civil society associates gusted other ways. Among other moves, it reduced the focus on sex, dropped the view that voluntary prostitution constituted trafficking, enlarged the trafficking concept to include all forced labor (whether or not involving movement), and rebranded the expansive new notion as slavery.


1980 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 357-405 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ernst B. Haas

Why do nations create institutionalized modes of multilateral collaboration? How can common interests develop in the face of inequalities in power and asymmetries in interdependence? The author explores the role of knowledge in the definition of political objectives and interests. The systematic interplay of changing knowledge and changing objectives results in the redefinition of “issues” and the practice of “issue linkage.” The dynamics of issue-linkage, in turn, tell us something about international regimes for the management of progressively more complex issue areas. An ideal-typical “regime” is described, theoretically applicable to all types of issues. Since the cognitive attributes of the actors who set up such a regime cannot be expected to remain stable, this concept of a “regime” can illuminate cliscussion and analysis, but cannot be expected to provide a clear model for desirable policy. However, it can illustrate the options open to policy makers wishing to choose a mode of collaboration. Regimes dealing with money, the oceans, and technology transfer are used for illustrative purposes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 43-62
Author(s):  
Anđelija Đukić

In recent decades, there has been notably increased engagement of the international community in combating human trafficking, which has also been contributed by the media. The role of the media is reflected in building certain public attitudes and influencing political decision-making. Based on the selected literature, the paper considers the media framing of human trafficking from the 1990s to the present. The media decides on how to approach trafficking, content and causes, information sources, generating and presenting alternative solutions process, as well as motivational procedures for initiating actions of the public and politicians, thus creating diagnostic, prognostic and motivational frames. Based on the research, it is concluded that media frames of human trafficking are not holistic but segmental, and instead of a comprehensive approach, stereotypes are presented in which trafficking is identified with sexual exploitation or considered as the consequence of migration or organized crime actions. This harms the victims, makes the identification of all perpetrators difficult, and narrows the focus of the suppression efforts. It is noted that in the relations between the media, the public and the authorities, in the process of creating a policy and implementing solutions for combating, there are significant influences of policy-makers on media framing, and thus on public attitudes, which provides support and legitimacy of current or future political decisions. In order to illustrate the diversity of media representation of human trafficking, as a COM-plex phenomenon and the possibility of different analyses of media framing, the main findings of several studies in the USA, EU, and Serbia are presented.


2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (53) ◽  
pp. 316-336
Author(s):  
Marco Antonio Costa Soares Junior ◽  
Leonardo Freire De Mello

As favelas, cortiços, assentamentos precários ainda figuram como um dos grandes problemas urbanos, especialmente nas metrópoles brasileiras. Esse processo de precarização da moradia, que se iniciou concomitantemente à intensificação do processo de urbanização, perdurou durante todo século XX. Nesse sentido, este artigo busca analisar qual o papel das instituições na produção habitacional de baixa renda entre a República Velha e o governo de Fernando Henrique Cardoso. A definição do conceito de instituições e dos seus vários tipos é realizada de modo a identificar quais eram os arranjos institucionais responsáveis pela produção habitacional de baixa renda. Ademais, analisa-se também o contexto desses arranjos e seus resultados. Deste modo, pretende-se esclarecer qual modelo foi o mais efetivo e quais são as suas características de modo a contribuir com a pesquisa acadêmica e sugerir caminhos ao problema habitacional que insiste em persistir nas grandes cidades em pleno século XXI.Palavras–chave: economia institucional, instituições, assentamentos precários, produção habitacional de baixa renda, favelas, cortiços, BNH.Abstract Favelas, slums, precarious settlements still figure as one of the major urban problems, especially in Brazilian cities. This process of precarious housing, which began simultaneously with the intensification of the urbanization process, lasted throughout the twentieth century. In this sense, this article seeks to analyze the role of institutions in low-income housing production between República Velha and Cardoso’s government. The definition of the concept of institutions and their various types is carried out in order to identify the institutional arrangements responsible for low-income housing production in each period. In addition, the context of these arrangements and their results are also analyzed. In this way, it is tried to clarify which model was the most effective and what are its characteristics in order to contribute with the academic research and to suggest policies to the housing problem that insists on persisting in the big cities in the XXI century.Keywords: institutional economics, institutions, precarious settlement, housing production, slums


2020 ◽  
pp. 123-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magdalena Szulc-Brzozowska

The purpose of the paper is to present theoretical and methodological aspects of the research project EUROJOS, which is anchored and developed in Lublin ethnolinguistics. It aims to create the cognitive definition of the selected concepts, regarded as values in the European culture. The cognitive definition is based on 3 types of data: lexicographical sources, surveys and text corpora, with the latest playing a crucial role at profiling the concepts. The methodological criteria are indicated as validated by the description of chosen results from other research papers regarding the concept WORK in some languages and the concept DEMOCRACY in Polish and German. Whereas the study of the concept WORK objects to demonstrate the all-embracing definition of the concept, its universal meaning aspects, the example of DEMOCRACY shows the relevancy of profiling, thus also of the role of public discourse and the media.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (17) ◽  
pp. 7217
Author(s):  
Tamara Teplova ◽  
Tatiana Sokolova ◽  
Mariya Gubareva ◽  
Kristina Galenskaya ◽  
Andrey Teplov

Financial market imperfections constrain firms’ ability to obtain funds. This is especially true for the former communist bloc countries. However, the restrictions on access to financing and the attitudes of management in these geographies remain overlooked by academic research and represent an important obstacle on the roadmap to sustainable development. The objective of this paper is to fill this gap by analyzing the impact of ownership structure, institutional environment development, and debt market profile on the perception of financial constraints by the representatives of corporate top management from 28 countries of the former communist bloc. Our analysis spans over the period 2002–2013. We apply the probit and Heckman models to investigate nonlinear and multicast effects of the considered factors. We evidence that during the crisis and post-crisis periods, foreign ownership alleviates the restrictions on access to financial resources. We also discuss the role of state ownership. We find that the volume of local currency bond market has a nonlinear U-shape relationship. Our results are useful for policy makers focused on sustainable development of the former communist economies by means of improving access of businesses to financing.


Affilia ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 088610992110600
Author(s):  
Menny Malka ◽  
Michal Komem ◽  
Roni Eyal-Lubling ◽  
Ella Lerner-Ganor

This paper examines the perspective of marginalized young women, training to become mentors for marginalized girls, with respect to the role of the mentor. Taking a critical feminist perspective, this article gives expression to the research participants’ unique knowledge, based on life experience as marginalized girls and their lived experiences. Based on a photovoice research project with 13 participants, all marginalized young women, the findings of this paper identify three main narratives regarding the mentoring role: (1) Mentoring as a relationship; (2) Mentoring as an action for the future; and (3) Organizational belongness—the organization hosting the participants serving as an ideological, value-based, and professional home, enabling the growth of the mentor in her role. The conclusions of the article argue that marginalized young women experience mentoring as a practice that expands beyond its rational aspects, embodying within it a corrective experience of relationships and an opportunity for social change.


2021 ◽  
pp. 37-56
Author(s):  
Danilo Boffa ◽  
Antonio Prencipe

Abstract The technology and knowledge transfer from university to industry has raised the attention of policy makers and practitioners as fundamental process in promoting the development of regional innovation and entrepreneurship. University Spin-Offs (USOs), firms established to commercialize the knowledge and technology outcomes of academic research, may constitutes an effective mechanism to improve the innovative dynamics in the regional area. The paper explores the assumption that USOs may partially determine the innovation of regions they are located. From a panel sample of 944 USOs placed in 20 Italian administrative regions, the findings remark that USOs (analysed as [1] number of USOs from each University and [2] patents activity of USOs) has a positive impact on the regional innovation in term of regional patent applications, while a weak role of USOs seems to emerge in term of regional expenditure in R&D. JEL classification numbers: O30, O32. Keywords: University Spin-Offs, Regional innovation, Entrepreneurial University, Italy.


Ethnography ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 240-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamara West

This article explores the temporalities, presences, and absences of bodies and narratives within and beyond research, the connections and disconnections which these can create, and the different types of proximity involved in their construction. Here the gaps within ethnographic research, storytelling, and memory practices and the often fleeting shared spaces that might result from them (or exist perhaps despite them) are investigated. Through an exploration of a personal family narrative alongside an academic research project the article draws upon selected images, archives, interactions, and the often unanswered or unpursued questions which accompany these to explore further the role of gaps and shared spaces within research and within narratives, and also in relation to the potential for a more multifaceted understanding – and representation – of different levels, or proximities, of knowledge, narrative and experience.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marisa Booty ◽  
Jayne O’Dwyer ◽  
Daniel Webster ◽  
Alex McCourt ◽  
Cassandra Crifasi

Abstract Background The mass shooting phenomenon has gained much attention lately as this form of gun violence appears to increase in frequency. Although many organizations collect information on mass shootings (fatal and nonfatal injuries), no federal definition of this phrase exists. The purpose of this study was to highlight the different statistics that result among databases that define and track “mass shootings.” Establishing definitive guidelines for a mass shooting definition could improve research credibility when presenting evidence to policy makers. Methods We obtained data for mass shootings that occurred in 2017 from four sources: Gun Violence Archive, Mother Jones Investigation, Everytown for Gun Safety, and FBI’s Supplemental Homicide Report. We also examined FBI’s Active Shooter Report to compare the mass shootings datasets with active shooter situations, which have been federally defined. First, we examined the overlap among databases. Then, we applied the strictest fatal mass shooting definition to the mass shooting datasets to determine whether the differences in databases could be contributing to differences in fatalities and injuries recorded. Results Gun Violence Archive recorded the most mass shooting incidents at 346 incidents in 2017, while Mother Jones only recorded 11 cases. Only 2 events were found in all four mass shooting datasets. When the strictest definition – four or more individuals fatally shot – was applied to all datasets, the number of mass shootings in 2017 ranged from 24 (Gun Violence Archive) to 5 (Mother Jones), but incidents collected still varied. Conclusions There is much variety in statistics obtained from the different sources that have collected mass shooting information, with little overlap among databases. Researchers should advocate for a standard definition that considers both fatalities and nonfatalities to most appropriately convey the burden of mass shootings on gun violence.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document