Full Description
Why is the international community so concerned with the fate of prostitutes abroad? And why does the story of trafficking sound so familiar? In this pioneering new book, Jo Doezema argues that the current concern with trafficking in women is a modern manifestation of the myth of white slavery.
Combining historical analysis with contemporary investigation, this book sheds light on the current preoccupations with trafficking in women. It examines in detail sex worker reactions to the myth of trafficking, questions the current feminist preoccupation with the 'suffering female body' and argues that feminism needs to move towards the creation of new myths.
The analysis in this book is controversial but crucial, an alternative to the current panic discourses around trafficking in women. An essential read for anyone who is concerned with the increased movement of women internationally and the attempts of international and national governments to regulate this flow.
Contents
Acknowledgements
Acronyms
Introduction
1. White slavery and trafficking as political myth
2. The construction of innocence and the spectre of chaos
3. Metaphorical innocence: white slavery in America
4. 'Prevent, protect, and punish'
5. Now you see her, now you don't: consent, sex workers and the Human Rights Caucus
6. Towards a reinscription of myth
Primary sources
