This dissertation looks at the concept of “trafficking in persons” and how it has been created, interpreted and utilized in the international sphere and in Canada. Using the approach of Critical Legal Pluralism (CLP), it examines the legal regulation of trafficking as being created through a bi-directional constitutive process, with paradigmatic conceptions of trafficking having a hand in creating regulation as well as being influenced by it. Through a review of data retrieved using a variety of qualitative methods as well as classic legal analysis, this dissertation explores the operation of various social actors and their effect on the determination of what trafficking is, and who is worthy of protection from it. In Part One the international framework is outlined through a discussion of the creation of the dominant paradigm of trafficking and implementations of it. Chapter One traces the history of the anti-trafficking movement by looking at the development of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, and by examining the creation of dominant discourses around trafficking. Chapter 2 uses CLP to examine the influences of a variety of actors on the creation of these discourses and the repercussions the discourses have had on the implementation of anti-trafficking policies. Part Two then turns to the Canadian context. In Chapter Three, classical legal methodologies are employed to discuss Canada’s obligations under international law with respect to trafficking, as well as the creation of definitions of trafficking in the Canadian legal regulatory context. Chapter Four then reviews data from Canada to discuss the ways in which various actors have been involved in the creation and operation of the dominant paradigm and how it in turn affects the operation of trafficking-related legal constructs. Ultimately, it is found that due to the influence of the dominant paradigm and the motivations that aid in its operation, programs and policies framed under the rubric of “trafficking” necessarily fail to achieve meaningful redress for the groups they purport to benefit. On this basis, an alternative approach is suggested to address phenomena currently being dealt with through anti-trafficking frameworks. A move is suggested away from a focus on “trafficking” to a sectoral approach, accounting for the complexities and histories of individuals subject to exploitative circumstances.

This thesis examines perceptions of lower-class female prostitutes and prostitution in eighteenth-century London. It reveals that throughout the Hanoverian period perceptions of prostitution were shaped by sensibilities about morality, the social order, and sin. To explore attitudes towards prostitution in eighteenth-century London, this dissertation evaluates how governing elites, ecclesiastical authorities, contributors to the newspaper press, and popular commentators discussed prostitution. This dissertation engages with two main assumptions about prostitution in eighteenth-century London. First, it demonstrates that there is more continuity in perceptions of prostitution than historians have recognized; attitudes towards prostitutes did not shift from hostility to sympathy in a straight-forward manner. Second, this dissertation reveals that prostitution was regarded by Augustan and Hanoverian Londoners as a significant social problem because it embodied and encapsulated the seven deadly sins – lust, avarice, pride, envy, gluttony, sloth, and wrath. This thesis suggests that prostitutes’ excessive lust and avarice were not seen as disparate issues, but were often discussed together. Paradoxically, discussants recognized that financial considerations drove some women into prostitution, but these women were regarded as abnormally greedy and corrupt because they resorted to deceptive tactics. Pride and envy were associated with prostitution because Hanoverians believed some prostitutes bought extravagant clothes and cosmetics to conceal their lowly status and enhance their appearance to emulate elites. Hanoverians regarded these prostitutes with trepidation because they threatened to undermine their hierarchically ordered society. Prostitutes’ proclivities towards drunkenness and idleness were associated with gluttony and sloth. Commentators feared that drunken and idle prostitutes would encourage men to engage in these dissolute activities, leading to greater disorder. Wrath was closely associated with prostitution because of its association with violence. Although prostitutes were both the victims and perpetrators of assault, incidents in which prostitutes were assailants were reported more frequently, suggesting that Britons regarded prostitutes as disorderly, sinful criminals. Each chapter also brings attention to concerns regarding prostitutes’ lack of self-control and their apparent ability to cause men to lose self-control; how double standards of morality influenced discussions of prostitution; the consequences of prostitutes’ criminality and ability to deceive Londoners; and the various institutions, organizations, and suggestions proposed and established to reform prostitutes and eradicate sin from society.

In 2007, one current and two former sex workers, Amy Lebovitch, Terri-Jean Bedford and Valerie Scott launched a charter challenge, Bedford v Canada, arguing that the prostitution provisions criminalizing bawdy houses (section 210), living on the avails (section 212 (1)(j)) and communicating for the purposes of prostitution (section 213.1 (c)) violated their section 7 rights under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Six years later, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled unanimously to strike down all three challenged laws, leaving a one-year period to construct a new regime on prostitution. On December 6, 2014, the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act (PCEPA) came into effect, criminalizing, for the first time, prostitution in Canada and introducing a law that replicates many of the provisions of the previous regime. This thesis uses semi-structured interviews and qualitative analysis to examine the experiences of nine street-based sex workers in Ottawa, paying particular attention to experiences after the introduction of the new law. Drawing on the work of Mead & Blumer’s symbolic interactionism theory and Goffman’s concept of stigma the thesis examines how embedded stereotypes in legislation ‘play out’ in the lives of sex workers. I argue that the interactions of sex workers in Ottawa are conditioned by stereotypical assumptions which in turn lead to their broader discrimination and marginalization. This study concludes by finding that the first objective of PCEPA, to protect those who sell their own sexual services, has not been met; instead, PCEPA has resulted in street-based sex workers in Ottawa assuming more risk, and in turn, facing more danger while on the job.

This study explores perceptions of women’s freedom of movement since the 27 May 2015 Constitutional Court ruling CCZ 15/15, outlawing arbitrary arrests of women after dusk on grounds of loitering with intent to solicit for prostitution, focusing on Zimbabwe’s Avenues community. It traces issues surrounding women’s mobility under patriarchy since colonialism which through the 1960 Vagrancy Act marked the inception of its legal regulation premising stereotypic arrests by state agents. Guided by Pragmatic and Feminist philosophy the researcher adopts a Mixed Method Strategy to gather new knowledge on the complex issue. Employing Radical Feminist Theory under Feminism it critiques government efforts and their efficacy towards ensuring gender equality in mobility. The study argues that while useful legal mechanisms and laws have been adopted to enable women’s right to mobility, ideological and physical challenges continue to hamper this realisation. Empowering the Gender Commission with binding powers, ensuring sufficient security in public areas and educating women about their rights are some recommendations proffered to address challenges faced by women in the exercise of their right to movement. / Development Studies / M.A. (Development Studies)

abstract: Anti-trafficking research recognizes several populations affected by Commercial Sexual Exploitation (CSE) in the United States (U.S.), yet it has not yet recognized long-term survivors, whose experiences of CSE occurred from the 1960s through the 2000s. Rendering long-term survivors invisible erases the history of CSE in the U.S. and prevents an accurate assessment of the true scope of CSE that it extends from infancy through adulthood. The most grievous CSE cultures target both boys and girls beginning at infancy and extending through early childhood. This project provides a foundation for understanding who long-term survivors are, the types of CSE they experienced, and their experiences of survivency in the decades after exiting. This study utilized interviews and surveys to collect data from 35 long-term survivors, regarding their experiences in the years past exiting. In addition, it also included a systematic analysis of 43 survivor-authors who have documented their experiences in 76 published writings. Findings show that long-term survivors display tenacity and resourcefulness in dealing with complex, intersecting issues. Their experiences of creating new, meaning-filled identities, reconnecting with humanity, and building a positive view of the world can help pave the way for a smoother road of restoration for younger survivors. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Justice Studies 2019

MA (English Literature) / Department of English / See the attached abstract below

This thesis focuses on the findings of sex workers provided services in the Czech Republic and especially in the capital city Prague. It describes the different types of service, defines prostitution, its legislative basis, the historical development of approaches to the problems, and also theoretical approaches in social work focusing on the matching needs and service contracts. The practical part is then implemented survey among sex workers and district social workers. It aims to identify problem areas of sex workers, whether services adequately respond to them, or what service is in the list of missing. Finally, respondents' answers are evaluated from both groups and to create hypotheses about the "state service" and to draw the possible outcomes for practice. Keywords Prostitution, sex workers, social and health services, social work, matching.

The rise of social media platforms have not only allowed new opportunities for more citizen-driven initiatives, but also social change promotion in a potentially more participatory-oriented way that offers engagement with the general public and the people the change is aimed at. This has led to an increased scholarly interest in the role of these technologies in strategically promoted social change activist initiatives. However, while the focus has been lying on their use by local groups and social movements for mobilisation, there has been little focus on their use for awareness raising and through participatory communication. Therefore, through a case study of an on-going, digitally-based When He Pays/Me campaign that raises awareness about the Israeli prostitution industry as part of a human rights context by an activist, this thesis investigates the potential role of social media platforms to enable participation, specifically Facebook, in Israeli human rights awareness campaigns. The data used to investigate this included one semi-structured, in-depth interview with the activist and 22 online media texts about the campaign. The analysis revealed that there has been an innovative use of tactics in the campaign through the extensive use of PC’s principles that are based on two-way (dialogic) communication in the form of free, open, transparent, inclusive dialogues with various groups of people, creativity, flexibility, learning, reflexivity, and critical thinking. Dialogues take place on Facebook’s various spaces, and additional communication mediums and channels are used. Moreover, a new kind of story-telling that reveals the complexities and nuances of the industry was used. It was then concluded that the potential of social media platforms, namely Facebook, as a tool to enable participation in Israeli awareness-raising human rights campaigns is the combination of the platform’s popularity and its unique combination of affordances in the form of cause-Pages provided to social campaigns that include a space for dialogue, complex messaging, and anonymity. However, to fulfil this potential, the use of PC’s principles must be applied.

Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST) is a severe form of child sexual exploitation. Thus far, DMST studies have been qualitative or relied on secondary data. There has been no quantitative attempt to directly identify victims in a methodical way in order to determine the prevalence of DMST at a local level or the nature and strengths of its correlates. The present study used a three-tiered screening process to identify victims of DMST in a juvenile detention center. All youth taken into custody over a three and a half month period (N = 738) received a short assessment to identify those most at risk and in need of additional screening. During the study, six youth were identified as DMST victims and statistically significant differences were found between youth referred for additional screening (N = 47) and youth who were not. The results suggest that detention and probation staff identified the presence of DMST risk factors in youth screen interviews and were making referral decisions based on the presence of those risk factors. Practical implications of the findings are discussed along with suggestions for future research.

The present thesis describes the connection between political corruption and vice crime in Portland as it was portrayed by media and public institutions and agencies in the 1940s and 1950s. The main body of the thesis discusses attempts to rid Portland of its vice problem through the City Club's crusade against crime and crooked politicians in the late 1940s and early 1950s and Mayor Dorothy McCullough Lee's subsequent reform movements against gambling and prostitution. The thesis will analyze The Oregonian's expose' on bootlegging, gambling, prostitution and links drawn by the newspaper to the Teamster's Union and Oregon politicians. From there, the study focuses on Washington D. C. and the McClellan Committee's 1950s hearings on the mismanagement and corruption of Teamster leaders in local and national chapters. Finally, the thesis analyzes the role of Portland's two daily newspapers and their contributions to the controversies and mixed messages over vice and crime in the city between World War II and 1957.