New Books in Sociology

Lieba Faier, "The Banality of Good: The UN's Global Fight Against Human Trafficking" (Duke UP, 2024)

Jun 22, 2025
Lieba Faier, a Professor at UCLA specializing in geography and gender studies, explores the complexities of the UN’s fight against human trafficking. She critiques the ineffectiveness of these well-funded campaigns, particularly in Japan's approach to assisting Filipina migrants. Faier introduces the concept of the 'banality of good,' revealing how bureaucratic protocols often neglect the voices of the very individuals they aim to help. The discussion includes disparities in global narratives and highlights the need for grassroots solutions over top-down strategies in combating trafficking.
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ANECDOTE

Research Origins in Japan

  • Lieba Faier started researching human trafficking through her ethnographic work with Filipina migrants in Japan's hostess bars.
  • She observed contradictions between NGO hopes and feminist critiques about anti-trafficking efforts labeling sex workers only as victims.
INSIGHT

Transformation of Anti-Trafficking Movement

  • The global US-led anti-trafficking movement transformed critical grassroots Asian feminist efforts into a broader fight against global patriarchy.
  • This shift obscured regional anti-capitalist and anti-racist concerns in favor of a universal human rights framing.
INSIGHT

UN's Criminal Justice Focus

  • The UN approach to human trafficking is shaped by a criminal justice frame tied to transnational organized crime conventions.
  • Feminists welcomed attention to trafficking but criticized deprioritizing human rights in favor of criminalization.
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