Canadian Journal of Sociology Online May-June 2007

Kamala Kempadoo, ed. Trafcking and Prostitution Reconsidered: New Perspectives on Migration, Sex Work, and Human Rights.
Paradigm Publishers, 2005, 256 pp. $US 21.95 paper (1-59451-097-0), $US 68.00 hardcover (1-59451-096-2) Trafcking and Prostitution Reconsidered provides a unique perspective on issues regarding migration, sex work, and human rights with particular consideration given to a number of countries in Asia. The books objective is to offer ideas and insights on trafcking that differ from both contemporary global political views and the mainstream media. It presents ways in which trafcking is currently conceptualized, characterized, dened, and dealt with by those who actively work within the eld of human trafcking and prostitution. Moreover, this book critically assesses and examines the existing international policies on trafcking, while proposing alternatives for future research and possible intervention strategies. The book is divided into three sections. The rst section addresses contemporary denitions and conceptualizations of international anti-trafcking policies, and suggests several alternatives and possibilities of advancement. The second section addresses key issues regarding the problem of trafcking and prostitution. The authors here argue that while prostitution and trafcking are often thought of as synonymous, in many instances that is simply not the case. The third section presents reports and analyses of anti-trafcking research, policy, and action projects in various Asian countries, such as India and Bangladesh. The contributors of this section provoke us to think carefully about the situations of young men and women in Asia in order to precisely dene policies, intervention strategies, laws, and concepts that empower and liberate poor communities in the global South from the devastations of twenty-rst century globalization (xxvii). Thus, one of the goals of this book is to draw out some of these common misconceptions by illustrating differences in both the types of exploitation and the potential reasons for trafcking. The book does an excellent job of showing that trafcking is not merely conned to prostitution or sex work. The authors emphasize that there are several sites of exploitation, including inadequate housing, shelter, security, and freedom of movement, particularly for women. They argue that under the ruse of anti-trafcking interventions, prostitutes rights to work, migrate, receive health care, social benets, and respect are being violated (xxii). While it is assumed that tighter border controls would act as a means to protect the public from unsafe migratory practices, the authors argue that tighter border controls do not halt migratory ow instead irregular migration channels become the only alternative, pushing prostitution and human trafcking further underground (54-55). The real issues are not that prostitution causes trafcking and vice versa. Instead, the book guides us into four key issues: First, womens and childrens safety and security are clearly at stake and yet often not considered in the contemporary prostitution-trafcking debate. Second, there is a strong urge for better opportunities and higher standards of living for men, women and children in Third World countries. Kempadoo and her associates argue that this will help create more jobs for marginalized groups without being forced or coerced into prostitution. As one author states, trafcking raises questions in terms of global political and economic structures. The attribution of trafcking to poverty fails to explain why some places, such as Thailand are both points of destination and points of origin for trafcking. Rather, it seems clear that relative poverty (inequality) is more relevant to trafcking (48). Third, proper development policies must be implemented and put into place in order to ensure economic and nancial stability within each

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country. This will assist in decreasing the migratory inux from neighbouring countries. Finally, women, like men, are entitled to freedom of movement and should be allowed to immigrate freely without being confused with those that are smuggled or forced into prostitution. The book expresses the views of all men, women and children who are subject to trafcking or prostitution in Asia. Given that economic conditions in many Asian countries are unfavourable, and governments in Third World countries tend to unequal distribution of rights and power, a large number of people do in fact fall victim to prostitution in hopes to achieve a better standard of living and greater quality of life. All the authors acknowledge a serious problem with the trafcking and prostitution paradigm. As Aftab Ahmed asserts, the problem with the human trafcking paradigm in Bangladesh is that many of the elements and denitions for this social phenomenon are often limited in their scope and do not adequately reect the totality of the problem (199). For those working within the human trafcking sector, it is apparent that there is a lack of standardizing conceptual clarity with regards to the human trafcking paradigm (200). This in turn makes it difcult to work towards reducing the problem. The point of the book is well taken. Its biggest shortcoming is that each chapter emphasizes the same ideas. There are however a few chapters that stand out. Jyoti Sangheras Unpacking the Trafcking Discourse does an excellent job on assumptions that are present in the current trafcking debate, and is a good introduction to the rest of the book. Melissa Ditmores Trafcking in Lives is a terric article on how both current and past ideologies shape trafcking policies. Although short, Kamala Kempadoos Sex Workers Rights Organizations and Anti-Trafcking Campaigns reveals dimensions of violence that sex workers are subjected to under the false pretence of anti-trafcking. Finally, Aftab Ahmeds Using a Dynamic, Interactive, and Participatory Process to Develop and Redene the Human Trafcking Paradigm in Bangladesh insightfully illustrates how those who work within the anti-trafcking sector have developed a comprehensive human trafcking paradigm, in order to help conceptualize the real problems that need to be addressed. Drawing upon a rich database of experiences and facts, Kempadoo and her colleagues identify a number of problematic discourses regarding economic conditions, migration, prostitution, trafcking, and current trafcking laws. They call on readers to move from rst generation thinking to a better, more modern second generation thinking. According to Ahmed, rst generation thinking includes such ideas as: trafcking and migration are unrelated; women and children should be treated the same when addressing trafcking outcomes; trafcking should be treated separate from other developing issues; trafcking is predominately related to prostitution; the movement of people within a trafcking event is the major issue; trafcking is a specic event; etc. (207). Thus, second generation thinking begins by focussing on the various steps involved in the trafcking process from when a person is recruited, to the movement of that person to the trafcking harm/outcome and through the recovery and integration process (208). Ahmed asserts that the main idea of this type of thinking is to avoid presenting trafcking as a single event but to present it instead as a series of interrelated event along an extended continuum that spans a given period of time (208). Overall, Kempadoo and her colleagues do a comprehensive job of exposing a variety of myths and problems within the context of sexual exploitation and capitalism. However, the book is stronger in explaining the issues than it is in advancing solutions. The chapters that do comment on intervention strategies and potential solutions to these global problems do not discuss their implementation. Undeniably, the problem of trafcking and prostitution is complex and cannot be solved in a simplistic manner. It is refreshing to know that Kempadoo and her colleagues have put so much

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effort into research regarding trafcking and prostitution; and while the conditions they describe are neither positive nor agreeable, they still nd room to offer us hope for the future. Taline Kassabian University of New Brunswick Tmk_05@hotmail.com
http://www.cjsonline.ca/reviews/trafficking.html June 2007 Canadian Journal of Sociology Online