This Course at MIT

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Course Overview

This page focuses on the course 21A.445J Slavery and Human Trafficking in the 21st Century as it was taught by Mitali Thakor in Spring 2015.

This course explored the issue of human trafficking for forced labor and sexual slavery, focusing on its representation in recent scholarly accounts and advocacy as well as in other media. Students examined the wide range of factors and agents that enable human trafficking practices, such as technology, cultural practices, social and economic conditions, and the role of governments and international organizations.

Ethnographic and fictional readings along with media analysis helped to develop a contextualized and comparative understanding of the phenomena in both past and present contexts. Students discussed the analytical, moral and methodological questions of researching, writing, and representing trafficking and slavery.

Course Outcomes

Course Goals for Students

  • Critically analyze the relationships between gender, sexuality, race, and class
  • Read, listen to, and discuss literary and visual texts that highlight how slavery and human trafficking illuminate the interconnectedness of multiple systems of inequality and injustice
  • Understand that slavery and human trafficking are live, and not purely academic, issues
 

Instructor Insights

My dissertation research is on trafficking, so it’s a topic I know very well, but I wasn’t used to teaching it or explaining it to others in such detail. Teaching the class allowed me to explore many elements of the topic that I don’t study myself. It took a lot of emotional energy to teach the class, but I loved the experience.

— Mitali Thakor

In the following pages, Mitali Thakor describes various aspects of how she taught 21A.445J Slavery and Human Trafficking in the 21st Century.

 

Curriculum Information

Prerequisites

None

Requirements Satisfied

 

The Classroom

  • A classroom with four rows of chairs facing a small desk and chair positioned in front of a blackboard.

    Room 1 of 1

    Seminar

    This course was taught in a medium-sized classroom equipped with chalkboards and a LCD video projector.

 

Assessment

The students' grades were based on the following activities:

The color used on the preceding chart which represents the percentage of the total grade contributed by term paper. 40% Term paper (outline, bibliography, revised draft)
The color used on the preceding chart which represents the percentage of the total grade contributed by attendance, preparation, and participation. 20% Attendance, preparation, and participation
The color used on the preceding chart which represents the percentage of the total grade contributed by weekly response memos. 20% Weekly response memos
The color used on the preceding chart which represents the percentage of the total grade contributed by small group meetings. 10% Small group meetings

The color used on the preceding chart which represents the percentage of the total grade contributed by small group final presentation. 10% Small group final presentation

Student Information

18 students took this course when it was offered in Spring 2015.

Breakdown by Year

Mostly juniors and seniors

Breakdown by Major

Variety of majors

Typical Student Background

Many students had taken courses in women’s and gender studies or anthropology prior to enrolling in the class. Several Wellesley students participated and many of them were majoring in women’s and gender studies.

 

 

How Student Time Was Spent

During an average week, students were expected to spend 12 hours on the course, roughly divided as follows:

Seminar

3 hours per week
  • Met twice a week for 1.5 hours per session; 24 sessions total; mandatory attendance.
  • All students were expected to complete the readings, and participate in class discussions and activities. Activities included “fishbowl” exercises and a debate on the legalization of sex work in the US.
 

Out of Class

9 hours per week
  • Readings and screenings in preparation for class sessions
  • 12 weekly response memos
  • Small group meetings
  • Small group final presentations
  • Term paper
 

Semester Breakdown

WEEK M T W Th F
1 No classes throughout MIT. Seminar was scheduled for this session. No session scheduled. Seminar was scheduled for this session. No session scheduled.
2 No session scheduled. No session scheduled. No session scheduled, but an assignment was due on this date. Seminar was scheduled for this session. No session scheduled.
3 No classes throughout MIT. No session scheduled. No session scheduled, but an assignment was due on this date. Seminar was scheduled for this session. No session scheduled.
4 No session scheduled. Seminar was scheduled for this session. No session scheduled, but an assignment was due on this date. Seminar was scheduled for this session. No session scheduled.
5 No session scheduled. Seminar was scheduled for this session. No session scheduled, but an assignment was due on this date. Seminar was scheduled for this session. No session scheduled.
6 No session scheduled, but an assignment was due on this date. Seminar was scheduled for this session. No session scheduled. No session scheduled. No session scheduled.
7 No session scheduled. Seminar was scheduled for this session. No session scheduled, but an assignment was due on this date. Seminar was scheduled for this session. No session scheduled.
8 No classes throughout MIT. No classes throughout MIT. No classes throughout MIT. No classes throughout MIT. No classes throughout MIT.
9 No session scheduled. Seminar was scheduled for this session. No session scheduled, but an assignment was due on this date. Seminar was scheduled for this session. No session scheduled.
10 No session scheduled. Seminar was scheduled for this session. No session scheduled. Debate was scheduled for this session. No session scheduled.
11 No session scheduled. Seminar was scheduled for this session. No session scheduled, but an assignment was due on this date. Seminar and an assignment due were scheduled for this session. No session scheduled.
12 No classes throughout MIT. No classes throughout MIT. No session scheduled, but an assignment was due on this date. Guest discussion was scheduled for this session. No session scheduled.
13 No session scheduled. Seminar was scheduled for this session. No session scheduled, but an assignment was due on this date. Seminar was scheduled for this session. No session scheduled.
14 No session scheduled. Screening was scheduled for this session. No session scheduled, but an assignment was due on this date. Screening and an assignment due were scheduled for this session. No session scheduled.
15 No session scheduled. Small group Presentations were scheduled for this session. No session scheduled. Small group Presentations were scheduled for this session. No classes throughout MIT.
16 No classes throughout MIT. No classes throughout MIT. No classes throughout MIT. No classes throughout MIT. No classes throughout MIT.
Displays the color and pattern used on the preceding table to indicate dates when classes are not held at MIT. No classes throughout MIT
Displays the color used on the preceding table to indicate dates when seminars are held. Seminar
Displays the color used on the preceding table to indicate dates when small group presentations are held. Small group presentations
Displays the color used on the preceding table to indicate date when guest discussion is held. Guest discussion
Displays the color used on the preceding table to indicate dates when no class session is scheduled. No class session scheduled
Displays the color used on the preceding table to indicate dates when screening is held. Screening
Displays the color used on the preceding table to indicate dates when debate is held. Debate
Displays the symbol used on the preceding table to indicate due dates. Due dates