Cultural Studies Question (Essay Sample)

Cultural Studies
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Cultural Studies
Response to question 1
Human trafficking is an underreported crime because of the extremely clandestine and hidden nature of the crime. It is also an underreported crime because of several misconceptions with regard to its definitions, in addition to a lack of awareness as regards its indicators on the local level. Most people and communities do not know about and how to recognize the crime of human trafficking, and how they can contribute in the anti-human trafficking movement. Additionally, both the victims of human trafficking and the perpetrators make every effort they can in order to stay clear of official scrutiny. In essence, the victims might be suspicious of the authorities and fearful of retaliations from the perpetrators. There is a high threshold for seeking assistance given that the victims are usually unaware of their rights. Moreover, in some instances, the victims of this crime have themselves participated in socially unacceptable or criminal activities and they are afraid of deportation and/or punishment. The threat of violence that perpetrators have committed against the victims and the victims’ families also prevents the victims of human trafficking from contacting the authorities.
Response to question 2
The fact that African Americans were slaves in the United States has created great social and psychological problems for both whites and blacks for generations to come. This is true for both races. Slavery in the United States ended over 150 years ago. Although the physical manifestations of slavery are not there any more, the psychological and social damage have been transmitted from generations to generations and still exists in contemporary America. The Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome takes into consideration multigenerational distress. Historical trauma relates to the current problems in that it influences the non-productive behavior of some Blacks. Black slaves experienced a significant amount of trauma to merit a diagnosis of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). There are quite a lot of conditions that may bring about emotional and/or mental trauma that justify the diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder and which are consistent with the experience of slavery: (i) harm or threat to one’s spouse, children or close relative, and a serious harm or threat to one’s physical integrity or life. (ii) Experiencing helplessness, terror, or intense fear; (iii) seeing another person being murdered or injured because of physical violence or an accident; (iv) sudden destruction of one’s community or home; (v) learning about a significant threat to a close friend or relative tortured, kidnapped or murdered. Such effects of trauma are passed down from generation to generation though the society, the community, and the family.
Some whites still maintain the mentality held by the white slave owners and believe that black is an inferior race, hence they continue to exhibit – both overtly and covertly – racial discrimination and racism against blacks. They label African Americans as sub-humans and treat them as chattels, and never respect them as normal people just like themselves. This way of thinking has transmitted down for generations since the slavery times and...