ABSTRACT
The purpose of this multidisciplinary research was to explore the various narratives of human trafficking by three gatekeeper actors including Amnesty International (Amnesty), Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the European Parliament (EP). The research questions addressed were the following: (1) What narratives are found regarding human trafficking? and (2) How do the actors frame human trafficking in their narratives? To answer these questions, a systematic content analysis was completed of documents that included official statements and research reports of NGOs as well as resolutions and recommendations of the EP. Altogether 298 documents were analyzed in detail. The findings indicate that Amnesty, HRW and EP create multiple narratives when addressing human trafficking. Each actor has a different method of correlating human trafficking with other social issues, thereby emphasizing different causes and effects in their narratives, while at the core sharing the same narratives relating to the causes and effects of human trafficking. The findings suggest that the formation of various human rights policies in the international arenas are deeply affected by selective narratives that include the dynamic interrelatedness between various human rights violations and other political and social issues, actors and events.
Learning ObjectivesAt the end of the chapter, readers will be able to:
Understand how narratives create understanding on complex social issues;
Understand the causes and effects of human trafficking;
Understand how narrative studies can be utilized to create better policy solutions; and
Understand why there are no one-size-fits-all policy solutions in relation to human trafficking.
