Kelly Prince | Keele University (original) (raw)
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Papers by Kelly Prince
Voluntary sector staff who works with marginalised groups and people in crisis, must routinely ca... more Voluntary sector staff who works with marginalised groups and people in crisis, must routinely call upon their emotional resources in carrying out their work. However, very little research has been conducted on this; how do workers respond to sustained exposure to trauma, hardship and injustice? What is the impact of working alongside people who often have uncertain futures? How do these emotional responses affect their work and private lives? What are the long term effects? And how are voluntary sector organisations supporting their staff? These are all questions that remain largely unanswered in current research, and are likely to resonate with workers in many fields of provision, including homelessness, drug and alcohol support, work with ex-offenders, and so on. In this paper, I will highlight the emotional experiences of those working in the anti- human trafficking field which emerged through an ethnographic study conducted for my PhD. I will suggest that while this study is small, the potential consequences of emotion in the voluntary sector workplace are extensive, thus further research is both vital and urgent.
This symposium paper critically examines state constructions of the ideal trafficking victim, and... more This symposium paper critically examines state constructions of the ideal trafficking victim, and the impact this has on front-line service provision in the voluntary sector. It draws on ethnographic research.
Conference Presentations by Kelly Prince
The central point I wish to explore in this paper is that vulnerability discourse within the anti... more The central point I wish to explore in this paper is that vulnerability discourse within the anti-trafficking field, especially discursive constructions by the state, can be seen to evoke notions of the ideal victim. This, in turn, creates space for a dichotomy of powerless, deserving victim in need of rescue and restoration, versus, false undeserving threat to the public in need of control and punishment. Through this dichotomy, the state is able to pursue two priority political agendas of immigration AND crime control, but, at a considerable expense to trafficked people. The concept of vulnerability is used to justify intervention by the state which facilitates the monitoring and assessment of risky people and ultimately, those who fall outside ideal victim stereotypes may be prosecuted, deported, or both. As well as having long-term life and well-being consequences for trafficked people, it has implications for both the voluntary sector and those who work in front-line service provision. I explore vulnerability in the context of human trafficking in order to illuminate inherent power dynamics within, and draw on the work of Martha Albertson Fineman to suggest a reconceptualization of vulnerability which challenges those power dynamics within.
Voluntary sector staff who works with marginalised groups and people in crisis, must routinely ca... more Voluntary sector staff who works with marginalised groups and people in crisis, must routinely call upon their emotional resources in carrying out their work. However, very little research has been conducted on this; how do workers respond to sustained exposure to trauma, hardship and injustice? What is the impact of working alongside people who often have uncertain futures? How do these emotional responses affect their work and private lives? What are the long term effects? And how are voluntary sector organisations supporting their staff? These are all questions that remain largely unanswered in current research, and are likely to resonate with workers in many fields of provision, including homelessness, drug and alcohol support, work with ex-offenders, and so on. In this paper, I will highlight the emotional experiences of those working in the anti- human trafficking field which emerged through an ethnographic study conducted for my PhD. I will suggest that while this study is small, the potential consequences of emotion in the voluntary sector workplace are extensive, thus further research is both vital and urgent.
This symposium paper critically examines state constructions of the ideal trafficking victim, and... more This symposium paper critically examines state constructions of the ideal trafficking victim, and the impact this has on front-line service provision in the voluntary sector. It draws on ethnographic research.
The central point I wish to explore in this paper is that vulnerability discourse within the anti... more The central point I wish to explore in this paper is that vulnerability discourse within the anti-trafficking field, especially discursive constructions by the state, can be seen to evoke notions of the ideal victim. This, in turn, creates space for a dichotomy of powerless, deserving victim in need of rescue and restoration, versus, false undeserving threat to the public in need of control and punishment. Through this dichotomy, the state is able to pursue two priority political agendas of immigration AND crime control, but, at a considerable expense to trafficked people. The concept of vulnerability is used to justify intervention by the state which facilitates the monitoring and assessment of risky people and ultimately, those who fall outside ideal victim stereotypes may be prosecuted, deported, or both. As well as having long-term life and well-being consequences for trafficked people, it has implications for both the voluntary sector and those who work in front-line service provision. I explore vulnerability in the context of human trafficking in order to illuminate inherent power dynamics within, and draw on the work of Martha Albertson Fineman to suggest a reconceptualization of vulnerability which challenges those power dynamics within.