Inequality and Stratification Commons^™

Understanding The Determinants Of Police Identification Of Human Trafficking Cases, Amy Farrell

Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Trafficking: 1st (2009)

The passage of new laws criminalizing the trafficking of persons for labor and sexual services has raised public awareness about the problem of trafficking. In response, we expect local law enforcement to learn about the problem, identify trafficking victims and make arrests. The numbers of victims identified by the police, however, has paled in comparison to official estimates, leading some to question the existence of a trafficking problem. Missing from this debate is information about how frequently police encounter situations involving human trafficking and how well prepared officers are to deal with these cases. Analyzing survey responses from a national …

Torch (December 2009), Brandon Baldwin, Civil Rights Team Project

Torch: The Civil Rights Team Project Newsletter

No abstract provided.

The Relationshiop Between Gender Inequality And Hiv/Aids In Africa, Nayree L. Sheldon

Social Sciences

This paper discusses the developmental and health issues of Eastern Africa in regards to the relationship between gender inequality and HIV/AIDS.

Educational Inequity, Erica Jade Lyons

Social Sciences

Our society’s public school education system is reproducing, if not enhancing, social stratification and inequality. The United States spends less on the schools that have the largest population of low-income and minority children than on schools with children from the more affluent families, typically White children. We are only further widening the gap between rich and poor when we give the children who come from the bottom end of class structure and give them even less when they leave their homes to come to class. In the United States, we spend approximately $900 less per year on each student from …

Halting The Race To The Bottom: Urgent Interventions For The Improvement Of The Education Of English Language Learners In Massachusetts And Selected Districts, English Language Learners Sub-Committee, Massachusetts Board Of Elementary And Secondary Education

Gastón Institute Publications

Massachusetts students of limited English proficiency do better academically than students of limited English proficiency in other states. But relative to other students in the state, students of limited English proficiency in Massachusetts face a disadvantage greater than that faced by their peers in most states. This suggests that while the overall higher levels of education in the state benefit LEPs in Massachusetts relative to LEPs who attend schools in states where the quality of education is lower, current policy and practice leads to significantly greater inequality in this state. As the state takes steps to improve performance for all …

Torch (November 2009), Brandon Baldwin, Civil Rights Team Project

Torch: The Civil Rights Team Project Newsletter

No abstract provided.

When Personal Dreams Derail, Rural Cameroonian Women Aspire For Their Children, Akuri John, Susan Weinger, Barbara Barton

Social Work Faculty Publications

Data gathered from a convenience sample of 36 women who reside in rural villages lying on the outskirts of Buea, Cameroon is not consistent with the "culture of poverty" proposition which states that personal characteristics of the poor tie them to a life of poverty. These findings run counter to an assumed "culture of poverty" in which persons do not hold career aspirations and socialize their children with attitudes that assure the generational transmission of poverty. Respondents, as a case vignette illustrates, conveyed that besides marriage they had wanted a career in order to achieve a living wage. After their …

Class And Categories: What Role Does Socioeconomic Status Play In Children's Lexical And Conceptual Development?, Jennifer Bloomquist

Africana Studies Faculty Publications

At one time, academic inquiries into the relationship between socioeconomic class and language acquisition were commonplace, but the past 20 years have seen a decrease in work that focuses on the intersection between class and early language learning. Recently, however, against the backdrop of the No Child Left Behind legislation in the United States (which has been criticized as a culturally biased education policy that, through highstakes testing and broad-based, uniform curricula, discounts the value of non-standard home language varieties largely spoken by working-class children), there has been renewed interest in the relationship between class, language use, and the assessment …

Where Are The Victims? Perspectives On U.S. Anti-Trafficking Policy: Funding & Practice, Johnny Mcgaha

Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Trafficking: 1st (2009)

There is a major problem in the domestic sex trafficking of minors and sufficient funds should be reallocated to address this issue.

Barriers between funding for foreign victims and domestic victims need to be removed. A victim is a victim.

The current BJA/OVC/DHH grants should allowed to end until a sound TIP policy developed along with a sound implementation strategy based on real documented assessments with built in external accountability. We should not be leaving this to GAO/IG otherwise the whole movement will lose credibility along with funding.

Will the baby will be thrown out with the bath water unless …

Latino Middle Class Income-Earners In New York City In 2006, Miriam Jiménez

Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies

Introduction: This study examines demographic and socioeconomic factors of racial/ethnic groups in New York City in 2006 – particularly the income rates of the Latino population.

Methods: Data on Latinos and other racial/ethnic groups were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, reorganized for public use by the Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota, IPUMSusa. Cases in the dataset were weighted and analyzed to produce population estimates.

Results: For this study, the middle class refers to those population sectors that fall between $35,000—$59,999 and $ 60,000—$100,000 in annual personal income. Middle-class income earners account for approximately 25.7% of …

A Profile Of Latina Women In New York City, 2007, Laura Limonic

Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies

Introduction: This report provides an in-depth profile of Latinas of various national origins in 2007 New York City.

Methods: Data on Latinas and other racial/ethnic groups were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, reorganized for public use by the Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota, IPUMSusa. Cases in the dataset were weighted and analyzed to produce population estimates.

Results: There was little difference in the sex breakdown between Latinos and non-Latinos in New York City (48% of all Latinos were women while 47.6% of non-Latinos were women). 37% of Latinas in 2007 were Puerto Rican while Dominican …

Divided At The Margins: A Study Of Young Southern Sudanese Refugee Men In Cairo, Egypt, Natalie I. Forcier

Faculty Journal Articles

This report details a selection of findings on the situation of Southern Sudanese refugee youth at-risk for engaging in violence. Acknowledging that youth violence is not the problem but rather the symptom of underlying social and economic problems, the primary aim of this work was to explore the root causes for young Sudanese men to engage in violence.

Ethnographic data was collected through participant observation from 4 June 2008 to 17 December 2008. Using a series of community entry points, participant observation took place in public or semi-public settings with young men, adult men, young women, and the sisters, mothers …

Stories Of Sex Trafficking: Rescue, Victimization, And Silence, Donna M. Bickford

Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Trafficking: 1st (2009)

Human trafficking is a crime and human rights violation that has received increasing attention over the past 10-15 years. Of the hundreds of thousands of individuals trafficked across the globe each year, the vast majority are women and children forced or coerced into commercial sexual exploitation (CSE). In my home state of North Carolina, anti-trafficking activists continue to face disbelief in our broad attempts to educate and raise awareness, as well as resistance from law enforcement in our efforts to encourage increased identification and referral of potential survivors.

My presentation will discuss examples of news coverage, survivor narratives, and filmic …

A Social Ecological Framework For Addressing Social Issues, Alexis Jaclyn Hickman, Lyndsey Christoffersen, Mo Sami, Chitvan Trivedi

Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Trafficking: 1st (2009)

The School of Social Ecology at University of California, Irvine (UCI), teaches students to conduct research that is socially valid. This implies a problem-posing approach to global issues such as human trafficking. Applying a social ecological lens to such a multi-dimensional issue, allows us to systematically address the effective context of the problem. This framework assists in better targeting policies and programs that are not only aimed at the victims of trafficking, but also address the enabling environment (political, social, built) and demand side of trafficking. A social ecological framework for addressing social issues such as human trafficking was developed …

Unintended Consequences: Understanding Human Trafficking In The United States, Lyndsey Christoffersen

Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Trafficking: 1st (2009)

Human trafficking became a major issue in the United States in 2000 with passage of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. In 2001, border security was tightened in response to terrorism. While some efforts have been made to eradicate trafficking, the U.S. federal government has largely ignored the immigration aspect of trafficking. This paper aims to examine the intersection of U.S. human trafficking and immigration policy. The study of international illegal flows is still in the early stages. Thus, this paper is exploratory in nature. Information was obtained from government documents, nongovernmental organizations, and academic articles. What is trafficking? Is it …

Torch (October 2009), Brandon Baldwin, Civil Rights Team Project

Torch: The Civil Rights Team Project Newsletter

No abstract provided.

First Annual Interdisciplinary Conference On Human Trafficking: Final Program Schedule

Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Trafficking: 1st (2009)

No abstract provided.

Sex Trafficking: Social Constructions And Stereotypes Of Recovery In Viet Nam, Linh Huynh

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The research attempts to reveal how labels of victimization of trafficked returnees can actually harm socialization efforts of reintegration. Although men are trafficked for sexual purposes as well, the study will focus only on the acclimization of women in An Giang province, on the border of Cambodia. The paper discusses the stories of three returnees and analyzes their social reintegration through social events such as cooking and through informal conversations. This is turn, is compared to other populations that may be susceptible to trafficking, but have not yet been. All work and research is based on the participant observation form …

Chab Dai Usa Mapping Project: U.S. Based Agencies Working Against Trafficking & Exploitation, Tania Docarmo

Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Trafficking: 1st (2009)

Trafficking in persons (TIP) and commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) are a growing global phenomenon, co-conspiring in the further development of modern day slavery. Though trafficking has traditionally been viewed as a problem “overseas”, the United States government acknowledges that the U.S. is no stranger to TIP, with tens of thousands believed to be trafficked into and within U.S. borders.

Though national efforts to fight TIP and CSE have increased in recent years, there remain several gaps and challenges if modern day slavery is to be brought to an end in the U.S. and across the globe. One such challenge is …

Human Trafficking Legislation Across The States: The Determinants Of Comprehensiveness, Vanessa Bouche, Dana Wittmer

Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Trafficking: 1st (2009)

To date, 40 U.S. states have passed human trafficking legislation; however, the comprehensiveness and stringency of the legislation significantly varies from state to state, and there remains significant ambiguity as to why this is the case. This study examines a number of factors that may impact the comprehensiveness of human trafficking legislation at the state level, focusing on the gender makeup of the legislature, the partisan makeup of the legislature, and policy diffusion based on geographic proximity. To test these hypotheses, we develop a comprehensive data set, including a uniquely designed dependent variable measuring legislative comprehensiveness for each state. We …

Development In The Debate Over Diplomatic Immunity For Diplomats Who Enslave Domestic Workers, Usama Kahf

Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Trafficking: 1st (2009)

On December 23, 2008, President George W. Bush signed into law the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008. This Act was hailed by human rights advocates as a great stride ―towards preventing the abuse, exploitation and trafficking of domestic workers employed by foreign diplomats in the United States. Acknowledging the particular vulnerability of these workers, the law contains specific provisions to enhance their protection and sanction their employers for exploiting the situation. These provisions seek to ensure that domestic workers are made aware of their rights in this country directly by consular officers who will be trained …

On The Road To Victory In America‘S War On Human Trafficking: Landmarks, Landmines, And The Need For Centralized Strategy, Valerie Payne

Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Trafficking: 1st (2009)

America is at war. Declared by the Clinton Administration in the late 1990s, then prioritized by the Bush Administration, the ―war‖ on human trafficking represents America‘s struggle to eradicate the phenomenon of modern-day slavery within its borders. An army of legislators, law enforcement agents, and everyday abolitionists fight on legal, social, and political battlefields to liberate the hidden victims who suffer in bondage. The recent enactment of the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 20082 ("2008 TVPRA"), heralds significant victories in the battles to achieve better victim protection and increase prosecution of traffickers. But even as legislative battles …

Commercial Sexual Exploitation Of American Indian Women And Girls, Suzanne Koepplin, Alexandra (Sandi) Pierce

Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Trafficking: 1st (2009)

This paper describes the findings of a preliminary study of the involvement of American Indian women and girls in commercial sexual exploitation in the state of Minnesota. The study was conducted by the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center in Minneapolis, and funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Though several studies have been conducted in Canada, there has been no published research on the domestic sex trafficking of American Indian women in the U.S. Anecdotal data from providers of direct services to high-risk American Indian women and girls strongly suggest that this is a significant and rapidly growing problem. Several data …

Understanding Human Trafficking: Development Of Typologies Of Traffickers Phase Ii, Noël Busch-Armendariz, Maura Nsonwu, Laurie Cook Heffron

Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Trafficking: 1st (2009)

Perpetrator typologies have been useful in understanding other crimes, such as do-mestic violence, and serve a similar purpose in enhancing our knowledge base about human trafficking. Typologies of human traffickers can be useful in improving our understanding about elements needed for successful investigations and prosecu-tions; developing appropriate services for victims and survivors; preventing human trafficking; and increasing community awareness.

The goal of this project is to explore the types of traffickers based on key characteris-tics found in the literature and in prosecuted cases. The initial two phases of this re-search, reported here, involve a review of literature, government reports, and …

Rehabilitation And Reintegration Of Trafficked Girls: The Laura Vicuna Foundation Experience, Maria Victoria Palomo Sta. Ana

Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Trafficking: 1st (2009)

This paper presents the Laura Vicuna Foundation, Inc. (LVFI) of the Daughters of Mary of Help of Christians’ Integrated Development Program for the disadvantaged children like those on the streets, the sexually abused, exploited, trafficked and working minors. It is a multi-staged comprehensive program known as the Journey of Hope approved by the academe in 1994. The Journey of Hope utilizes community-based and center-based programs as drop-in centers, technical-vocational centers, residential center for healing and recovery of abused, exploited and trafficked girls, group homes and LINK Center. The Preventive System of Education of St. John Bosco is the moving force …

Sex Trafficking Needs Assessment For The State Of Minnesota, Mary C. Ellison

Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Trafficking: 1st (2009)

Sex trafficking is a form of slavery and involuntary servitude resulting in grave human rights violations. Minnesota was a place of origin, transit, and destination for sex trafficking operations even before federal or state law defined the crime of “sex trafficking.” In September 2008, The Advocates for Human Rights published the Sex Trafficking Needs Assessment Report at the request of the State of Minnesota Human Trafficking Task Force. The Report focuses on trafficking of persons for commercial sexual exploitation or prostitution as defined in federal law and Minnesota law. The qualitative research conducted by The Advocates compliments data by the …

Which Comes First, The Smuggling Or The Trafficking?, Linda Brandmiller, Elizabeth Crooks

Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Trafficking: 1st (2009)

The Immigration Services Department of Catholic Charities Archdiocese of San Antonio, Inc., is seeing more and more women which we believe are by definition statutorily eligible to be considered “trafficking” victims but who are nevertheless being denied certification and are therefore falling through the cracks of the immigration system.

One of our clients, discovered in the trunk of a car by immigration officials after enduring three months of being beaten, raped, starved and sold for sex, cannot get certified for trafficking- because the perpetrators were only charged with “smuggling”. Another who was purchased by a couple to be their sex …

Estimating The Extent Of Out-Migration Human Trafficking In Ukraine, Ron Hampton, Dwayne Ball, Julie Pennington, Anh Nguyen

Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Trafficking: 1st (2009)

The problem of estimating the true extent of human trafficking has yet to be well-solved. The study we will report used three estimation methods to estimate the number of persons trafficked out of the Ukraine. One was a small (N~1300) survey of randomly-selected families, another was a large (N~13,000) survey of households, and a third was a survey of key neighborhood informants. The three methods, while varying in questionnaire wording, sampling frame, and other methodological considerations, converged roughly on an estimate of the number of persons trafficked out of the Ukraine. The estimated number was much higher than statistics from …

Integrating Modern-Day Slavery Into Interdisciplinary First-Year Seminars, Keisha L. Hoerrner, Ruth Goldfine

Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Trafficking: 1st (2009)

One of the contributing causes of trafficking is its seeming invisibility, especially in the United States. Traditional-age college students arrive on campus having been taught a pervasive cultural myth throughout their years of education. That myth is that slavery was abolished in the United States in the 1800s. It is no longer a social issue demanding concern or attention. It can't happen here -- for a myriad of issues. Yet, conservative estimates point to at least 200,000 individuals being enslaved in the United States at any moment in time. Part of the role of the academy is to make these …

Religious Conviction And Human Trafficking: Motive Matters, Nathan Adams, Julia Bingman, Jared Littleton, Jeremy Scott

Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Trafficking: 1st (2009)

Individuals and groups acting primarily out of a sense of religious conviction form the backbone of a great deal of anti-human trafficking work being done today. Religious groups of many differing faiths have undertaken various projects both to free victims and to provide services to survivors. Funding and resources for these projects typically come from appeals to congregations, temples, and individuals using imagery and illusions to shared religious practice. This paper aims to analyze how these convictions affect the stated and practiced goals of religiously based groups, focusing on how such convictions and foci manifest in: gender issues, religious diversity, …