Showcase of Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors (SOURCE)

The Western Impact on Human Trafficking

This research paper will address the global issue of human trafficking and the factors that have contributed to its continuation across time and space. Human trafficking is an important global issue, because, despite its illegality in every nation, it is estimated that about 40.3 million people are victims of modern-day slavery around the world. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has also stated that human trafficking is the third largest criminal activity globally. This infringement upon human rights has severely and negatively impacted millions of vulnerable people who suffer from various forms of inequality. This paper will focus on the question: How have Westernized perceptions toward inequality spurred the continuation of human trafficking across the globe? The disciplines that will be utilized to frame this issue are history and geography. Historians analyze events from the past and attempt to demonstrate the ways in which the past can be relevant and useful in today’s world. Geographers, however, focus on global patterns and the implications that those patterns have on both humans and their environment. These disciplines allow insight into the issue of human trafficking by analyzing how it has continued across time and space. More specifically, these disciplines help scholars to understand how Western perceptions of inequality and victimhood have impacted policy and rescue efforts across the globe. The thesis of this paper states: Human trafficking is a global phenomenon that has persisted across space and time due to Westernized perceptions toward inequality that have influenced policies and response efforts.