What's in a name?: Conflations and contradictions in contemporary U.S. discourses of human trafficking

SynopsisHuman trafficking, broadly defined as the forced movement of individuals within and between nation–state boundaries, is a local, national, and transnational phenomenon that has captured the public and scholarly imaginary in the past decade. This article takes to task situating the disparate definitions, meanings, and debates within contemporary literatures on trafficking. Focusing on the United States, this article traces key trafficking terminologies like “smuggling,” “modern day slavery,” and “sexual slavery.” Herein I aim to make theoretic sense of scholarly interventions made on behalf of trafficked persons and to examine the scholarly and political efficacy of trafficking discourses.