Throughout my undergraduate career, I have concentrated on injustices and crises that predominantly impact women and children. Following my interests, I chose to research the spatial factors enabling human trafficking from and within the Philippines. In this research, I explore the spatial factors contributing to the ‘invisibility’ of trafficking that allows the industry to go unnoticed and unchecked in our global society. Through this research, I have been able to explore the social and geographical factors that shape societies, which contributes to a greater understanding of how human interactions are impacted throughout time and space.
I used secondary qualitative data from sources, including peer-reviewed academic journals, official government documents, and newspaper articles in this research. Throughout the research process, I evaluated resources through a critical discourse lens and determined that content analysis was the most effective research method for this study. Observing data analyses, reports, and other research, I aimed to answer my central research question; “What spatial factors contribute to the invisibility of the trafficking industry in the Philippines?”. This research elucidates the human trafficking process for victims, how government and society respond, and what changes need to be made internationally. Contextualizing global trends and exploring the Philippines’ cultural, legal, and socioeconomic center can help combat this global human rights crisis.
Conducting this research has allowed me to bring awareness to the invisibility of human trafficking, explore my interests, and promote social and environmental justice; all of which I hope to continue working on into the future.
Author: Claire Rinck
Faculty Advisor: Professor Marcia England, Department of Geography
View the presentation video for this project [hosted in Google Drive]
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