Human Trafficking

A Critical Discourse Analysis of Governmental and Non-Governmental Organizations in Alberta.

Abstract

Canada, like many other countries, has to deal with the issue of human trafficking which is both a product and response to globalization. In addition, Canada also has to deal with human trafficking being conflated with various other social issues, such as prostitution and migration. This presentation will discuss the results from a Sociology Honours research project which used critical discourse analysis to look at the discourses of human trafficking among governmental and non-governmental organizations. This presentation will demonstrate how through the use of critical discourse analysis three main levels of power relations were found, each having significant impacts on the knowledge production around human trafficking. By addressing the commonalities as well as the differences between the governmental and non-governmental organizations, this presentation will also discuss how power relates to the discourses of human trafficking that are most commonly disseminated to the general public, and how this may be problematic in continuing to silence certain groups in society.

Faculty Mentor: Kalyani Thurairajah

Department: Sociology (Honours)