women's & gender studies

MIT Workshop on Sex Trafficking + Technology

Friday - April 26, 2013
1-5PM
[E25 - 111]

It is our pleasure to invite you to a workshop at MIT this spring on Sex Trafficking and Technology, organized by PhD student Mitali Thakor (History, Anthropology, & STS) and faculty affiliated with the Women's and Gender Studies Program in conjunction with the Anthropology Department. The workshop will be held on Friday, April 26, 2013 from 1pm-5pm.

This multidisciplinary workshop convenes activists and scholars working on issues relating to human trafficking, sexual exploitation of domestic minors, labor, and migration in the United States. Bringing together anti-trafficking advocates -- at NGOs, state social services, shelters, and health and legal clinics -- and scholars from the humanities, law, and social sciences -- especially those with expertise in feminist theory, critical race studies, queer studies, and youth and new media studies -- we aim to understand the phenomenon of trafficking in historical perspective, embracing dialogue and friction between different points of view.

Questions we are keen to address include: Is the language of "trafficking" useful? What does this terminology include and exclude? How does trafficking discourse intersect with legal discourse? What role does technology play in facilitating and disrupting problematic practices? What are the social and political challenges to constructive dialogue about trafficking? How can questions of identity politics and feminist activism intervene in policy discussions about technological determinism and complicate notions of "empowerment?" By hosting this event at MIT we hope to highlight the role of technology in influencing sex trafficking discourse.

Please see our website for the full agenda and more information about our panelists.

Closing reception from 5 - 6PM.

This workshop is FREE with registration.