Course Details

This course has 3 aims: 1) To introduce students to contemporary human trafficking as one of the darkest sides of globalization, and also in relation to historical forms of slavery, issues of human rights, international migration and trade/labor flows, and socioeconomic conditions that give rise to the commodification of some people by other people; 2) To build students’ understanding of the scope, scale, and complex dynamics of human trafficking; 3) To equip students to assess the current state of anti-human trafficking efforts with appreciation for the difficulty of such efforts, and to strategize better ways to combat human trafficking.

These aims will be accomplished through a) reading, written analyses, and in-class discussions of relevant texts produced by concerned government bodies and nongovernmental organizations as well as scholars; b) visits by local experts representing local and/or national law enforcement, providers of services to trafficking victims, and community organizers; c) written analyses of case studies and a research paper on a particular aspect of the problem of human trafficking and/or efforts to combat it; d) completion of an experiential learning/service learning assignment which will require a total of about 20 hours of volunteer work with Seattle Against Slavery during the last five weeks of the course. Most of this experiential/service learning will take place in the U District; no travel will be necessary. There will be a few quizzes on key terms and concepts, but no midterm nor final exam.