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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "PL 325-1H"
COURSE NAME: "Human Trafficking and Contemporary Slavery (This is an honors course and carries 4 semester hours of credit; NB: Minimum 3.5 CUM GPA required)"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring Semester 2012
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Scarpa Silvia
EMAIL: [email protected]
 HOURS: MW 11:30-12:45
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: Junior Standing
OFFICE HOURS: By appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Students taking the course for an extra Honors Credit will enjoy additional mentoring time with the instructor and will undertake a specific assignment.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
See the general syllabus of Course PL 325.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
See the general Syllabus of Course PL 325.
TEXTBOOK:
NONE
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberComments
Ending Slavery: How We Free Today's SlavesKevin BalesUniversity of California Press9780520257962  

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
   
Essay  

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:

Assessment Guidelines for assigning main letter grades: A, B, C,D, and F.

A:  Work of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensiveknowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.

B:  This is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.

There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.

C:  This is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.

D:  This level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.

Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.

F: This work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Attendance is compulsory!
ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
SCHEDULE

WEEK

TOPICS TO BE DISCUSSED

READING ASSIGNMENTS

Week 1 (January 16 and 18)

What is contemporary slavery? What is human trafficking?

Quirk, Ch. 1 – p. 17-33; Scarpa, Ch. 1 – p. 3-8.

Week 2 (January 23 and 25)

Is slavery of the past different from the one of today?

Bales, Ch. 1; Quirk, Ch. 2 - 3.

Week 3 (January 30; February 1 and 3 –make-up)

Vestiges of past slavery: chattel slavery and religious slavery.

Bales, Ch. 3; Black, p. 1-26.

Week 4 (February 6 and 8)

Forced labor and child labor.

ILO Handbook, p. 8-16; Lieten; Hindman.

Week 5 (February 13 and 15)

Debt bondage.

Bales, Ch. 4, 5 and 6.

Week 6 (February 20 and 22)

Mid-term week.

Week 7 (February 27 and 29)

The commercial sexual exploitation of children and child sex tourism.

Bales, Ch. 2 and Ecpat Report.

Week 8 (March 5, 7 and 9 – make-up)

Trafficking in persons: lack of data, estimates, causes & consequences and distribution in the world.

DEADLINE FOR THE SUBMISSION OF PAPERS.

Scarpa, Ch. 1 – p. 8-21.

Week 9 (March 12 and 14)

The forms of exploitation related to human trafficking.

US Dept. of States’ TIP Report 2010, p. 7-12; Scarpa, Ch. 1 – p. 22-40.

Week 10 (March 19 and 21)

Spring Vacation

- Week 11 (March 26 and 28)

Trafficking in human organs.

Pearson, Scheper-Hughes.

- Week 12 (April 2 and 4)

Smuggling in migrants: definition. Trafficking in persons v. the smuggling of migrants.

Deadline for the submission of the Extra-Credit Essay.

Bhabha and Zard; Gallagher.

- Week 13 (April 11)

April 9: holiday, make-up day February 3.

Trafficking in persons in the wider context of international migrations.

Anti-Slavery International Report on Migration-Trafficking Nexus, p. 1-15; Dauvergne, Ch. 2.

Week 14 (April 16 and 18)

What can be done to fight against contemporary slavery and human trafficking?

Bales, Ch. 7; US Dept. of State's TIP Report 2011, p. 15-45.

- Week 15 (April 23)

April 25: holiday, make-up day March 9.

Con’t and Final summary.

Week 16 (April 28 – May 4)

Final examinations