Real and unreal masculinities: the celebrity image in anti-trafficking campaigns

Anti-Human Trafficking Campaigns

“…Fourteen studies indicated a specific geographical focus for the analyzed campaigns, while two focused on campaigns conducted online (Steele & Shores, 2014, 2015). The identified studies included campaigns targeting both the destination and origin countries.…”

“…However, the majority of criticisms related to gender roles (Andrijasevic, 2007; Gould, 2010; Steele & Shores, 2014, 2015), in particular womanhood being presented as “passivity” or women as passive objects of violence (Andrijasevic, 2007; Steele & Shores, 2015; Stile, 2012) or elsewhere women as “commodities” (Arthurs, 2009). This is consistent with the prevalent view in human trafficking literature of the predominantly gendered nature of anti-human trafficking responses, and as such confirmed in the analyzed campaigns being criticized for tapping into the dominant discourses of passivity and hopelessness of human trafficking victims, which was viewed as perpetuating human trafficking “myths” (Schloenhardt et al, 2012; Yea, 2013).…”

Representations of Transnational Human Trafficking: A Critical Review

“…The increasing 'celebritisation' of the problem, with the rise of celebrity activists as rescuers, 'ambassadors', and (often ill-informed) 'experts', also signals pop culture's powerful role in anti-trafficking movements (Haynes, 2014, cited in Kinney, 2015; see also Steele, 2015). Wylie (2016) traces the rise of a particular version of the story of human trafficking, and its adoption into 'common knowledge', drawing on the concept of the norm lifecycle in International Relations (Finnemore & Sikkink, 1998, in Wylie, 2016.…”

“…In media reporting and legislation, structural causes that leave people vulnerable to being trafficked as well as smuggled are systematically ignored (Coghlan & Wylie, 2011;Johnston et al, 2015;O'Brien, 2016;Piper et al, 2015;Sanford et al, 2016;Sharma, 2005;Steele, 2015;Szörényi & Eate, 2014;Weitzer, 2007;Wilson & O'Brien, 2016). Wilson and O'Brien (2016, pp.…”

“…They benefit both monetarily and socially. They are, for instance, rewarded for their adoption of the 'saviour' role (Cojocaru, 2016;Hoefinger, 2016;Steele, 2015). This role allows them to advance their careers and social status, and, in the case of NGOs, continue to receive funding from, among others, the US government (Cojocaru, 2016).…”