Course Syllabus
| Semester & Location: |
Spring 2025 - DIS Stockholm |
| Type & Credits: |
Elective Course - 3 credits |
| Major Discipline: |
Legal Studies, Justice and Human Rights, Gender Studies |
| Faculty Members: |
Ninna Mörner please use ninna.morner@gmail.com |
| Time & Place: |
Tuesdays & Fridays, 8:30-9:50 Classroom: 1D-509 |
Course Description
Human Trafficking is one of the most profitable criminal activities in the world which targets vulnerable populations of different age and gender for the purpose of exploitation. The practices of exploitation range from different forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour, forced military service, forced criminal activities, forced begging and other forms of exploitation of the human body, such as human trafficking for the purpose of organ removal. Human trafficking is a violation of fundamental human rights and a very complex global phenomenon. This course aims to provide you with an understanding of the extent of human trafficking in a global context focusing on the various dimensions of the crime. Most classes will be in the form of seminars or lectures. The seminars will be interactive, which involves group work, discussions, simulation games, debates and student presentations. Apart from lecture and seminar classes, throughout the course, we will also learn about human trafficking through documentary films, case studies, field studies and guest lectures.
Modules
The semester is divided into 10 modules. Each module comprises a number of classes and/or field studies:
|
Module 1: What is Human Trafficking? |
Classes 1 - 2 |
|
Module 2: The Complexity of Human Trafficking |
Classes 3 - 5 |
|
Module 3: Human Rights. Legal and policy frameworks |
Classes 6 - 9 |
|
Module 4: Victim Referral and Assistance |
Classes 10 - 11 |
|
Module 5: Critical View on Human Trafficking |
Classes 12-13 |
|
Module 6: Media and Anti-Trafficking work |
Classes 14-15 |
| Module 7. Sex Trafficking and Prostitution | Classes 16-17 |
|
Module 8: Child Trafficking and Forced Criminality |
Classes 18-19 |
|
Module 9: Illicit Organ Trade, Forced Labor and other Forms of Exploitation |
Classes 20-21 |
|
Module 10: Presentations and Wrap up |
Classes 22-23 |
Learning Objectives
- Be familiar with internationally agreed-upon definitions of trafficking in human beings and know how to distinguish the latter from related phenomena, such as smuggling;
- Understand the principal causes of trafficking;
- Be able to discuss victimhood and trauma-sensitive approaches in the context of human trafficking;
- Understand in what sense trafficking in human beings constitutes a violation of fundamental human rights, and be aware of human-rights based critiques of anti-trafficking activities;
- Develop a good understanding of the legal and policy framework and national responses surrounding trafficking, including international and regional instruments (e.g. Palermo Protocol, Council of Europe Convention);
- Be familiar with the various perspectives on and approaches to trafficking as an issue of migration, crime, human rights, labour, etc.; and
- Be able to critically analyze several of the key points of contrast among various approaches and views of the issue and be able to substantiate positions with references to reliable sources of information.
Faculty Member
Ninna Mörner
Master in Economic History and graduated Journalist (Stockholm University). Editor-in-chief for the scholarly journal Baltic Worlds at the Centre for Baltic and East European Studies at Södertörn University (since 2009) and the annual State of the Region Report (2020). A recognized expert in the anti-trafficking field nationally as well as internationally, involved for over a decade in numerous studies, projects, and reports on human trafficking. Formed the Swedish Platform Civil society Against Human Trafficking in 2013, which she chaired until 2018. Tailored and coordinated Sweden’s National support Programme 2015-2021.
Field Studies
Two field study trips are planned for this semester. The exact times and locations is announced on Calendar and will be given in class.
Readings
Main legal Instruments (other legal instruments will be referred to during classes)
The United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (referred to as the Palermo Protocol).
The Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Persons, which was adopted in 2005 (referred to as the Council of Europe Trafficking Convention).
The EU Directive 2011/36/EU (referred to as the EU Directive).
Academic readings (this list is not all for reading, in many cases only familiarising with or even just as resources. See syllabus for preparing what ro read/watch/do for each classes)
Andrijasevic, R. (2007). ‘Beautiful Dead Bodies: Gender, Migration and Representation in Anti-trafficking Campaigns’, Feminist Review, 86: 24–44.
Boukli A., Papanicolaou G., Dimou E., (2024) Constructing ‘indigenous people’ reproducing coloniality’s epistemic violence: a content analysis of the U.S. Trafficking in Persons Report, draft chapter in forthcoming ed. Faulkner E.A., Modern Slavery in Global Context. (handed out in paper)
Brunovskis, A., & Surtees, R. (2008). Agency or illness—The conceptualization of trafficking: Victims’ choices and behaviors in the assistance system. Gender, Technology and Development, 12(1), 53-76.
Christie, N. (1986). The ideal victim. In E.A. Fattah (Ed.), From Crime Policy to Victim Policy (pp. 17-30). London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Amy Farrell A. & de Vries I, (2019) Measuring the Nature and Prevalence of Human Trafficking in The Palgrave Handbook of Human Trafficking, 147–162
Fehrenbacher A.E., Musto J., Hoefinger H., Mai N., Macioti P.G., Giametta C. & Calum B. (2020) Transgender People and Human Trafficking: Intersectional Exclusion of Transgender Migrants and People of Color from Antitrafficking Protection in the United States, Journal of Human Trafficking, 6:2, 182-194,
Fohring, S. (2018a). Introduction to the special issue: Victim identities and hierarchies. International Review of Victimology, 24(2), 147-149.
Gallagher, A. T. (2015). Two cheers for the trafficking protocol. Anti-Trafficking Review, (4), 14-32.
Gallagher, A., & Skrivankova, K. (2015, November). Human rights and trafficking in persons. In the 15th Informal ASEM Seminar on Human Rights. Background Paper. ASEM.
Heber, A. (2018). The hunt for an elusive crime–an analysis of Swedish measures to combat sex trafficking. Journal of Scandinavian Studies in criminology and crime Prevention, 19(1), 3-21.
Hill L. & Heffner M.K. (2024), Successes and Challenges in Implementing a Human Trafficking Screening Tool in a Local Detention Center, Journal of Applied Social Science, 18(1) 241–258
Idemudia U., Okoli, N. Goitom M. & Bawa S. (2021), Life after trafficking: reintegration experiences of human trafficking survivors in Nigeria, Journal Of Migration, Health And Social Care, 17(4): 449-463.
Johansson, M. C. (2022). ‘Love is in the Air’ Exploring recruitment into prostitution by abuse of a position of vulnerability as human trafficking. Bergen Journal of Criminal Law & Criminal Justice, 9(2), 41
Judge, A., Murphy, J., Hidalgo, J., & Macias-Konstantopoulos, W. (2018). Engaging Survivors of Human Trafficking: Complex Health Care Needs and Scarce Resources. Annals of Internal Medicine, 168(9), 658–663.
McAdam M. & Gerasimov B (2022), Editorial: Traffickers, Anti-Trafficking Review, issue 18: 1-11,
McCabe, H, Stickle, W and Baumeister, H (2022) Forced Marriage and Modern Slavery: Analysing Marriage as a “Choiceless Choice”. Journal of Modern Slavery, 7 (2): 33-57.
Miller, J. (2011). Beach boys or sexually exploited children? Competing narratives of sex tourism and their impact on young men in Sri Lanka’s informal tourist economy. Crime, law and social change, 56(5), 485-508.
Nazaria V., Ciubotaru E., Lozan O. & Terzioglo S. (2023), The Health Impacts on Victims of Human Trafficking in the Republic of Moldova, Journal of Human Trafficking, 9(4): 461-473,
O’Brien, E. (2013). Ideal victims in trafficking awareness campaigns. In K. Carrington, M. Ball, E. O’Brien & J.M. Tauri (Ed.), Crime, Justice and Social Democracy (pp. 315-326). Palgrave Macmillan, London.
O'Connell Davidson, J. (2011). Moving children? Child trafficking, child migration, and child rights. Critical social policy, 31(3), 454-477.
Ollus, N. (2016). Forced flexibility and exploitation: experiences of migrant workers in the cleaning industry. Nordic journal of working life studies, 6(1), 25-45.
Oram, S., Abas, M., Bick, D., Boyle, A., French, R., Jakobowitz, S., ... & Zimmerman, C. (2016). Human trafficking and health: a survey of male and female survivors in
England. American journal of public health, 106(6), 1073-1078.
Panda P. (2023) Human trafficking in the urgent care setting: recognizing and referring vulnerable patients. Journal Urgent Care Medicine, 17(6):13-22.
Piper, N., Segrave, M., & Napier-Moore, R. (2015). Editorial: What's in a name? Distinguishing forced labour, trafficking and slavery. Anti-trafficking Review, 5, 1-9.
Rafferty Y. (2021) The Identification, Recovery, and Reintegration of Victims of Child Trafficking within ASEAN: An Exploratory Study of Knowledge Gaps and Emerging Challenges, Journal of Human Trafficking, 7:2, 145-167
Ramaj K. (2023) The Aftermath of Human Trafficking: Exploring the Albanian Victims’ Return, Rehabilitation, and Reintegration Challenges, Journal of Human Trafficking, 9:3, 408-429,
Surtees, R. (2013). Trapped at Sea. Using the Legal and Regulatory Framework to Prevent and Combat the Trafficking of Seafarers and Fishers. Groningen Journal of International Law, 1(2).
Veljko Turanjanin and Jelena Stanisavljevic ì, (2024), Human trafficking and forced prostitution under article 4 of the European convention on human rights, German Law Journal, (25) 262–288
Vijeyarasa, R. (2010). The Impossible Victim: Judicial Treatment of Trafficked Migrants and Their Unmet Expectations. Alternative Law Journal, 35(4), 217–222.
Wilson, M., & O’Brien, E. (2016). Constructing the ideal victim in the United States of America’s annual trafficking in persons reports. Crime, Law and Social Change, 65(1-2), 29– 45.
Readings of non-academic reports from International Organizations will be presented during the course as well as online resources such as databases.
Approach to teaching
The course is taught as a combination of lectures and interactive methods such as group work, discussion, various exercises, films and a guest lecture.
Evaluation
Evaluation of students' work during the course will be based on the following components, with the following relative weight:
|
Assignment |
Percentage of final grade |
Deadline/date |
|
Class participation: Attendance, preparation & ACTIVE participation in class. Includes homework discussions and participation in the Class debate. |
35 % |
On-going |
|
Media Assignment Idea, outline and presentation in class. |
20% |
|
|
Conference: Trafficking in the US. Group Work, research plan, presentation in class, and the final written essay. |
30% |
|
|
Discussion Reintegration |
5 % |
|
| Discussion Review Report | 5 % |
|
| Discussion Forced Labor | 5 % |
|
Class Participation The evaluation of this component will take into consideration the following aspects:
Attendance: attendance in all classes and field studies is mandatory. See academic handbook for further information. You are urged to be punctual, particularly where guest lecturers and/or films are concerned. If you miss multiple classes the Academic Director will be notified and they will follow-up with you to make sure that all is well. Absences will jeopardize your grade and your standing at DIS. Allowances will be made in cases of illness, but in the case of multiple absences you will need to provide a doctor’s note.
Preparation: preparation for each lecture is a course requirement. See reading list in syllabus, but check when and what to read in the calendar preparing for classes. Please be aware that there may be slight changes in the reading assignments during the course and various handouts will also be distributed, but you will be provided with ample time to properly prepare.
Participation: Active participation in all class sessions is required, and forms an important part of the student's grade for this component. Participation should preferably reflect the student's critical capacities and knowledge of the course material (see ”preparation” here above).
The aim of the student should be to contribute constructively to forwarding meaningful, relevant dialogue and discussion among the group; in practice, this means that expression of one's personal views should be backed up by references to pertinent readings, materials, etc.
The course heavily emphasizes your own engagement and active participation. Much of the learning in this course is dependent on how much effort you put into your own explorations and research, not least in connection with the different types of assignments.
Films Several films and documentaries will be shown during the course (or you will be asked to watch at home).
Posted homework. In Discussion you will find instructions and tasks for 3 independent homework exercises, to be posted during the semester in connection to the topic covered in class.
Student debates: The topic of the class debate will be announced in class. The class will be divided into 2 teams and each team will defend an argument related to a specific human trafficking theme. You will be given time to prepare in class and will be allowed to use class materials as well as online sources.
More details will be provided in class and/or on Canvas.
Media assignment: Anti-trafficking campaign
For this assignment, you will apply your knowledge about human trafficking by developing your own anti-trafficking campaigns and presenting your ideas in class. The campaigns will be presented in the end of the term.
CHECKLIST:
- It should be clear who your audience is. Is your campaign directed at the actual victims, the vulnerable populations, the general public, the government, the law enforcement?
- Think about what one can do after seeing your campaign. Can they act on their own, can they call someone to report a potential trafficking incident, can they contact somebody to ask for help? What is the purpose of your campaign?
- Think about the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ media campaigns. Can your campaign be harmful?
- Prepare this task keeping in mind the multifaceted, sensitive and clandestine character of human trafficking.
More details will be provided in class and/or on Canvas.
Final paper (US Trafficking assignment)
You will be required to write an essay on human trafficking in a US state of your choice. Word limit: 2500 words (excluding references and bibliography). Font size 12, Times New Roman, 1,5 line and paragraph spacing. At least 3 sources need to be used in your essay from the course literature and 3 external sources (6 sources minimum in total). You should provide a critical analysis of the trafficking situation in your state: your argument needs to be supported by statistical data and facts from the literature that you will use for your essay, the facts must be referenced.
You will be required to complete a research plan .
You will need to do a 5-10 minute presentation of your project towards the end of the semester.
More details will be provided in class and/or on Canvas.
Academic Regulations
Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on:
DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|