Description
Please write a 6-8 page double spaced APA format synthesis essay. The introduction needs to be a page to a page and a half. I have attached a A+ student example as well as a synthesis matrix with my sources. I also included the assignment prompt. Please do not include a conclusion instead include a further research section for the ending.My research question is : Why are Port Cities in California frequently targeted for human trafficking, and what factors contribute to the specific targeting of young, low-income women in these areas?the body paragraphs should be the key concepts from my synthesis matrix: Port Cities in California, Human Trafficking Factors, Targeting of Young, Low-Income WomenIf you want to change the research question feel free to refine it and make it betterPlease make sure you only use one quote for each body paragraph. There should not be more than 3 quotes in the essay . Thank You So Much
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Title: User centered design’s impact on wearable technology for endurance sport athletes
Introduction
In recent years technology has had a vast impact on just about every aspect of our everyday
lives. Technology has influenced many different industries within our society, one tends to be
overlooked, that is sport. Although not apparent at first glance technology has changed the way sport is
exercised and it completely turned upside down the way in which the industry is able to design sports
equipment and apparel. From running shoes, to swimsuits, tech suits and uniforms to helmets and sticks
and even wearable technology like sport watches and heart monitors, sports equipment is more hightech than ever before. The increase in technology has conveniently allowed athletes as well as coaches
to better their skill, such as technique, and helped improve training to be tailored to the athletes
specifically in order to better understand the effects training has on them whilst using those
technologies. Which in turn increase the competitiveness in sport, by making athletes better, faster, and
stronger year to year.
Over the last 30 years, the improvement in the world record is just over five minutes for men
and seven minutes for women or ~4–5%. By contrast, the world record for the 1,500-m run has improved
by ~1–2% for both sexes during that time (Joyner et al., 2020). Which is due to an improvement of the
design of equipment but also improvement of tools like wearable technology that help training athletes
more effectively to improve performance.
Based on the research there has been a great quantity of research done on the impact that
these wearables have on athletes, their training and performance as well as the design of them.
However there is a gap on the interaction between these athletes and the wearables, for instance the
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way it is put on or the user interfaces within the wearables that allow a more user friendly experience
and intuitive use of the wearables. The aim of this paper is to put into conversation the various aspects
of the design of wearables and their interaction with athletes that tend to not be talked about much.
And how it is important to keep that conversation going to further improve the design and process of the
wearables, as well as the interaction.
Design and Design Process of Wearable Technology in Sports
Looking at the design process broadly and some of the different types of materials,
sensors and monitors included in wearables which are specifically mentioned by
Johnson (2022). These systems help with the collection of data across all aspects of the athlete’s
sport, it can be the athlete’s body movement such as power or speed, or their body metrics
such as heart rate. All that data can help maximize an athlete’s performance in their respective
sports. Johnson (2022) argues that using a wearable like a heart rate monitor can assess an
athlete’s internal load and aid in detecting the body’s response to training stressors, which can
help determine if the athlete’s training is improving or deteriorating their physical performance.
Heart rate monitors can be worn with the use of a strap placed on the athlete’s chest or a
wristband or watch that has the monitor embedded. Mencarini et al. (2019) further adds to
Johnson (2022), by mentioning that these sensors progressively getting smaller, consequently,
improves their wearability. These two sources show how the wearables enable athletes to
continuously monitor a variety of parameters in diverse sports, which helps athletes improve
their performance and fitness.
Caporaso et al. (2019) brings into the conversation the argument that understanding the
human motor control could allow the development of wearables for athletes to be more
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ergonomic and therefore maximize an athlete’s performance. This changes the perspective of
Mencarini et al. (2019) and Johnson’s (2022) arguments because the focus is pulled away from
the physical sensors and materials used and instead emphasizes the importance of
understanding the human body and how it moves. This is especially important for athletes as
they move around a lot in their bodies, in different directions, positions and pushing their
bodies to the limit. For example, Caporaso et al. (2019) studies inertial assistance for race
walking and running, this wearable placed on the athlete’s lower back detects the inertia of the
athlete which gives feedback information such as gait, toe off and heel strike time and distance.
These parameters can help athletes look at their technique from a scientific perspective and
allow to make changes to improve their speed through correct human motor control. Although
Caporaso et al.’s (2019) ideas are important, what Mencarini et al. (2019) and Johnson (2022)
argue are still equally as important because both types of feedback from wearables are crucial
to an athlete’s training to perform at an elite level.
Van Rooijen et al. (2010) on the other hand, looks more at the design cycle in the sports
industry and how it puts the user first to make it a user centered design perspective in products
designed for athletes. Wilson et al. (2015) points out that “sports design process is highly usercentered due to the performance requirements of athletes” (Wilson et al., 2015) further
emphasizing van Rooijen et al.’s (2010) point and adding the fact that in the design process, the
prototyping phase of the design cycle comes at an earlier stage in the process because
designers need to know what works and what does not work quickly. Van Rooijen et al. (2010)
explores the ways designers can fill athlete’s needs by pushing the user centered approach
rather a product based on technology. Van Rooijen et al. (2010) looks specifically in the case of
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elite swimmers, by conducting interviews with all the possible stakeholders, swimmers,
coaches, and pool managers as well as observatory research, the designers are able to get a
better understanding of their specific needs and environment they train in. This research then
turned into a list of specific requirements that the product needs to comply in order to fulfill the
swimmers’ needs. The requirements included: the measuring of vital signs without interference
with the swimmer’s feel for the water of training routine, direct feedback of data to both coach
and swimmer, data storage for later analysis. These are all important aspects of a wearable
specifically for swimmers at an elite level. Van Rooijen et al.’s (2010) research asserts Wilson et
al.’s (2015) saying that putting the user at the heart of the design process is key to product
success.
Design of user interface and interaction with athletes
Many sources agree that the user is an important part of the design process of
wearables. Wilson et al. (2015) illustrates how the athletes are very often involved throughout
the design process and emphasizes how the product and the athlete are viewed as a system
that work together. Caporaso et al. (2019) adds a new perspective that part of the design
process is the athlete’s feedback. And continues to explain that emotions tie in with the
outcome of the interface or product to satisfy the functional but also the emotional needs.
Although Wilson et al. (2015) doesn’t mention much in terms of athlete’s emotions with the
product rather just their satisfaction with the way they interact with the wearables, it is
interesting how Caporaso et al. (2019) builds on Wilson et al.’s (2015) ideas about an athlete’s
satisfaction with the physical interaction of a wearable and connects it with the athletes’
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emotions. Caporaso et al. (2019) advocates for the user’s emotions as he illustrates that it is of
great importance when developing human-centered devices. He goes on to explain a wellknown approach, for obtaining information on the user’s emotional needs, by the Kansei
methodology. This approach allows them to capture the end users’ internal sensations, and in
turn be able to identify the quality of the product and if it meets the user’s needs on an
emotional level as well as a functional one. Wilson et al. (2015) argues that design decisions
within all companies are mainly subjective, with designers often relying on their own experience
and intuition but when a designer is tasked with designing for athletes where they might not
have their own experiences to tap into, that is when it is important to go to the athletes
themselves and ask about their feelings and emotions and tap into their intuitions in order to
design wearables interfaces that are more human centered. Which is why Caporaso et al.’s
(2019) arguments and methods positively reinforce what Wilson et al. (2015) is trying to argue.
Mohammed (2021) reports that the user interface is importance because receiving
information easily helps the athletes be more efficient and can richen the interactions the user
has with their sport. Receiving that information or feedback rapidly, specifically biofeedback
that Mohammed (2021) mentions, can correct form and habits early on before they become
ingrained in the athlete’s technique and can improve performance with correct technique. This
is a point that Caporaso et al. (2019) touches on, yet from a different perspective. The
perspective of the design of the wearable, proposing that by having an understanding of the
human control can help wearables guide athletes have correct posture. Mohammed’s (2021)
and Caporaso et al.’s (2019) go hand in hand as they both argue the same point from two
different perspectives, one from the aspect of the design of the wearable, also how the design
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retrieves the information, and Mohammed (2021) from the point of view of how it is delivered
to the athlete through an effective user interface.
Effects on training and recovery and in turn performance
A lot of research agrees on the positive effects that wearables have on athletes and
training as well as performance. Mopas & Huybregts (2020) however dispute that idea by
explaining that not using wearables can be more natural and helps develop self-awareness for
the athlete, although it is a difficult skill to learn. This method of training is called “training by
feel”, which helps develop an internal sense of performance that can be invaluable for
endurance athletes where it is for races or just training in general. However, Mopas & Huybregts
(2020) explain the overuse of wearables can create a dependancy on wearables and an
obsession with numbers which can lead to negative impacts on the athlete’s performance and
especially well-being. Their research found that although most athletes agreed that training by
feel is an important skill, yet extremely difficult skill to master, almost all the athletes agreed
that leading up to a race they would be reluctant to train without a wearable like a watch. These
fitness-tracking watch, from brands like Garmin, participants of their research have said that
these watches have become part of their identity and everyday routine as endurance athletes.
Some of the positive effects of using fitness tracking wearables like watches and heart rate
monitors mentioned by Bardus et al. (2021) as well as Johnson (2022) include, injury
prevention, adjusting training load, being able to structure training and make sure the athlete is
hitting the exact targeted zone, zones can be tailored specifically for athletes and make them
stronger and more motivated. Van Rooijen et al. (2010) agrees with Bardus et al. (2021) and
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Johnson (2022) and considers that idea that “in order to optimize the training load of an
individual athlete; coaches need to monitor physiological indicators that are linked to
performance” (van Rooijen et al., 2010) and one of the main measuring markers that wearables
can measure is heart rate. Which is used because coaches can get an insight of the athlete’s
capacities without an invasive method like VO2 max testing that can be expensive as well,
because heart rate monitors can usually be found in watches and straps to be worn around the
athlete’s chest.
Further Research
The research can go deeper into the user centered design and interaction design
between the athletes and wearable technologies like fitness tracking watches or heart rate
monitors. There are many wearables out there from Garmin and Whoop that come with their
own apps, with a generic user interface on both the wearable and the app. More in-depth
research on the user interface can drastically improve the interaction between athlete and
wearable. The design must be specific for the environment and needs of athletes. They need a
specialized user interface that meets their needs when running at high speeds or having a
couple seconds to gather as much data as possible. This is important for athletes, professional
and amateur athletes alike, this makes it easier for them to use the products and make them
more intuitive and user-friendly. A group of people that can be overlooked yet have just as
much of an importance in this subject are coaches. They also need to get the most important
information at first glance and find the metrics specifically when needed in order to better
understand the athlete and work load they are under. Understanding what coaches look for
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when looking at an athlete’s metrics can better inform the design of the products and their
interfaces. This is especially important for coaches because they have a lot of more experience
that athletes and can better understand how the athlete is doing, better than the athlete
knowing it themselves. It would allow coaches to work better at their job of keeping the
athletes improving and healthy in the process as they know better if they should increase or
decrease their training load to improve performance and prevent injury and athlete burnout.
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References
Bardus, M., Borgi, C., El-Harakeh, M., Gherbal, T., Kharroubi, S., & Fares, E.-J. (2021). Exploring
the Use of Mobile and Wearable Technology among University Student Athletes in Lebanon: A
Cross-Sectional Study. Sensors, 21(13), Article 13. https://doi.org/10.3390/s21134472
Caporaso, T., Grazioso, S., Panariello, D., Di Gironimo, G., & Lanzotti, A. (2019). Understanding the
Human Motor Control for User-Centered Design of Custom Wearable Systems: Case Studies in
Sports, Industry, Rehabilitation. 753–764. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-31154-4_64
Johnson, E. (2022, February 8). The Fate of Professional Sports with Wearable Technology.
MYTECHMAG. https://www.mytechmag.com/the-fate-of-professional-sports-with-wearabletechnology/
Joyner, M. J., Hunter, S. K., Lucia, A., & Jones, A. M. (2020). Physiology and fast marathons. Journal
of Applied Physiology, 128(4), 1065–1068. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00793.2019
Mohammed M., L. L. U. E. D. (2021, February 28). Integration of User Design into Sports to Benefit
Interaction & Experience. Medium. https://luxlaurier.medium.com/integration-of-user-designinto-sports-to-benefit-interaction-experience-b26311c5dd64
Mencarini, E., Rapp, A., Tirabeni, L., & Zancanaro, M. (2019). Designing Wearable Systems for
Sports: A Review of Trends and Opportunities in Human–Computer Interaction. IEEE
Transactions on Human-Machine Systems, PP, 1–12.
https://doi.org/10.1109/THMS.2019.2919702
Mopas, M. S., & Huybregts, E. (2020). Training by feel: Wearable fitness-trackers, endurance
athletes, and the sensing of data. The Senses & Society, 15(1), 25–40.
https://doi.org/10.1080/17458927.2020.1722421
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van Rooijen, V., de Voogd-Claessen, L., Lauche, K., Jeanne, V., & van der Vliet, R. (2010).
Development of a new product for unrestrained heart rate measurement in swimming: A user
centered design approach. Procedia Engineering, 2(2), 2693–2699.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2010.04.053
Wilson, N., Thomson, A., & Riches, P. (2015). CAN THE SPORTS DESIGN PROCESS HELP THE
INCLUSIVE DESIGN COMMUNITY? The Design Society – a Worldwide Community.
https://www.designsociety.org/publication/37621/CAN+THE+SPORTS+DESIGN+PROCESS+
HELP+THE+INCLUSIVE+DESIGN+COMMUNITY%3F
Writing Body Paragraphs
Body (Note that there is no set number of paragraphs). A paragraph should form a cohesive
whole around a central idea. Each paragraph should lead from the previous one and into the
next one. A paragraph may be short or long—it all depends on what point you are trying to
make and on the amount of evidence that forwards your point (note that I said “forwards”
NOT “proves”).
Each paragraph should look something like this:
1a.
Transition from introduction/previous paragraph (this is often called the topic sentence)
1b.
Introduction of first source—note that this could be an aggregate idea that includes two
or more sources (integrated or non-integrated—see handout in Course
Resources/Exploration Essay-Synthesis Resources folder called “Incorporating In-Text
Citations” for an explanation of these terms).
1c.
Paraphrase (with in-text citation) or direct quote (use sparingly—no more than one
quote per page!—with quotation marks and with in-text citation that includes page
number).
1d.
Interpretation of source information (THIS IS THE IMPORTANT PART. Tell your reader
how you want them to interpret this information). This is about stance; make sure you
are using an appropriate reporting verb (see handouts on reporting verbs in the same
folder noted above).
2a.
Transition between first idea and next idea.
2b.
Introduction of second source(s) (integrated or non-integrated).
2c.
Paraphrase or direct quote.
2d.
Interpretation of source information.
3a-d etc.
Each paragraph should have a minimum of two sources used (otherwise it’s not a
conversation) but it may have as many as three or four (you also can lump together several
into one paraphrase (making sure to includes all the sources in the in-text citation).
Example (I made this one up!):
John Baker and Sophie Smith, veterinarians in urban and rural areas respectively, agree that
dogs are a person’s best friends. Baker and Smith’s (2012) research shows that “70% of
patients with high blood pressure who got a dog found that their blood pressure was reduced
within one month of owning a dog” (p. 46). This high percentage is impressive because it shows
a strong effect on a condition that is hard to treat. Research by Potter et. al. (2004) at the
Harvard Research Lab on Animal Friends and by Wicks (2010), a social worker in Boston,
however, did not find this kind of correlation. In fact, they both strongly argue against the use
of animal therapy. It is thus difficult to figure out what the exact effect of owning a dog may be
as the research is contradictory. Additional research conducted by a group of physicians at
Stanford University and by a geriatric psychologist at Tufts University provides strong evidence
that, regardless of the actual effect on blood pressure, the reported increase in well-being of
patients is an important consideration in owning a dog or in providing animal therapy to people
such as nursing home residents or families living in homeless shelters (Bella et. al, 2011; Russell,
2013).
S. Rickless (Spring 2020)
Synthesis Matrix, English 302, Fall 2023 (Rickless)
Synthesis Matrix
Raneem Sayyad
George Mason University
English 302- M51
Professor Sarah Rickless
October 30, 2023
Synthesis Matrix, English 302, Fall 2023 (Rickless)
Working Research Question: Why are Port Cities in California frequently targeted for human trafficking, and what factors
contribute to the specific targeting of young, low-income women in these areas?
Bibliography
Cook, E. (2017). A Determinant of Child Sex Trafficking in Los Angeles County, California. Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/3758
Didier, K. A., & Salas, R. G. (2020). The Educator’s Role in Human Trafficking Prevention: From the Trafficking Victims Prevention Act
of 2000 to California’s Human Trafficking Prevention Education and Training Act of 2017. Children’s Legal Rights Journal, 40(1),
25–44.
Greer, B. T. (n.d.). Connecting the Dots of an Opaque Crime: Analyzing the Information-Sharing Framework and Practices of California’s
Human-Trafficking Task Forces.
Peart, E. (n.d.). A Comparative Case Study of Human Trafficking Policies in Seattle, Washington and San Francisco, California. California
State University, Chico.
Richards, J. J. (2022). Oceans, Archives, Perverts: Sex Work in the Colonial Port City. GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies, 28(4),
541–566. https://doi.org/10.1215/10642684-9991327
Understanding the Role of Transportation in Human Trafficking in California. (2022, November 30). Mineta Transportation Institute.
https://transweb.sjsu.edu/research/2108-Crimes-Involving-Transportation-Legislation-Stakeholders
Wardop, C. (n.d.). Tracking Traffickers: Investigating the Relationship Between Human Trafficking and Ports of Entry.
Synthesis Matrix, English 302, Fall 2023 (Rickless)
Yagci Sokat, K. (2022). Understanding the role of transportation in combating human trafficking in California. Transportation Research
Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 15, 100673. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2022.100673
Key concepts (top)
Sources (bottom)
Kezban Yagci
Sokat,2022
Scholarly
Port Cities in California
Human Trafficking
Factors
Targeting of Young,
Low-Income Women
“What we have seen for
sex trafficking for the
recruitment is after an
online chat the trafficker
will send a bus ticket for
the soon to be victim to
come visit or the
trafficker says “Hey why
don’t I come down to San
Diego and we’ll hook up”
and so the trafficker or
victim themselves
sometimes takes a bus
down to San Diego. We
know on the labor
trafficking side, what we
have seen, which I don’t
mean to say like we’re not
seeing everything right on
labor trafficking, is
coming in from Asia into
San Diego and I don’t
“The efforts to
eliminate slavery in the
supply chain increased
significantly in the last
decade in the U.S., as
well as in many other
countries, which were
partially shaped by
California’s landmark
legislation efforts on
supply chain
transparency.
Recognizing the
uniqueness of
California in combating
human trafficking from
the demand side, the
State of California
approaches the issue
from a consumer
awareness side, and
enacted the California
Transparency in Supply
“The traffickers
specifically target the
vulnerable populations
such as minors,
homeless groups, or
people who seem to be
oriented to initiate the
conversation and even
offer help.” (16)
“Participants
particularly mention the
size of the state, the
borders, and the
transportation
infrastructure,
especially the ports and
highways. Moreover,
the population size,
tourist places, and high
demand and supply for
human trafficking
attracts traffickers. As a
Synthesis Matrix, English 302, Fall 2023 (Rickless)
know exactly if the port is
LA or New York.” (16)
“All of the interview
participants agree that
California’s geography,
and its influence on
transportation channels,
has a huge impact on the
California’s human
trafficking problem.
Participants particularly
mention the size of the
state, the borders, and the
transportation
infrastructure, especially
the ports and highways.
Moreover, the population
size, tourist places, and
high demand and supply
for human trafficking
attracts traffickers.” (22)
Chains Act, known as
SB 657 in 2012 (Greer
and Purvis, 2016). As a
first of its kind
legislation in the U.S.,
as well as in the globe,
SB 657 requires
retailers and
manufacturers doing
business in California to
disclose their efforts to
eradicate slavery and
human trafficking from
their direct supply
chains.” (9)
Contextualization
Quotes emphasizes two
important aspects of
human trafficking in
California. Online
recruitment is a common
method of recruiting
victims for sex
trafficking. Traffickers
may entice victims with
chat rooms, bus passes to
Contextualization
The United States and
many other countries
have stepped up their
efforts to stop slavery in
supply chains
throughout the last ten
years. California was a
major influence on
these initiatives,
especially with its
result, the role of
different transportation
modalities to bring
in/transport/distribute
potential victims of
human trafficking instate, inter-state or
internationally is in
need of study.
California is also
famous for its
agriculture, which is
known as a potential
industry for human
trafficking, especially
for migrant seasonal
workers with certain
visa types. As a result,
California acts in many
different roles as an
origin, destination,
transit, and hub of
human trafficking”
Contextualization
In the context of human
trafficking, the targeting
of young, low-income
women frequently
results from their
increased susceptibility.
Synthesis Matrix, English 302, Fall 2023 (Rickless)
San Diego, or proposals
for in-person meetings.
However, labor
trafficking is linked to the
migration of people from
Asia, potentially via ports
in New York or Los
Angeles. The
interviewees emphasize
that a major factor in the
state’s people trafficking
problem is California’s
enormous size, several
borders, and wellconnected transportation
network, which includes
ports and roads.
Traffickers are also drawn
to the area by its sizable
population, popular
tourist destinations, and
the strong supply and
demand for human
trafficking.
groundbreaking supply
chain transparency
laws. The California
Transparency in Supply
Chains Act (SB 657),
which was passed in
2012, is one example of
how the state addresses
human trafficking in a
way that is distinct from
other states. This
ground-breaking law
requires businesses
doing business in
California to reveal the
steps they have taken to
end human trafficking
and slavery in their
direct supply chains.
Being the first of its
kind both domestically
and internationally, SB
657 establishes a
standard for greater
openness in the battle
against human
trafficking.
These women are
particularly vulnerable
to exploitation because
of their inadequate
resources and economic
differences. Preying on
their financial
necessities, traffickers
present bogus prospects
or offers of assistance.
Furthermore, in
California’s port cities,
traffickers preferentially
target young, lowincome women as a
source of profit because
to the presence of
wealthy persons and a
demand for commercial
sexual exploitation,
which is frequently
pushed by the tourism
and entertainment
sectors. Providing
support services,
addressing the supply
and demand sides of the
problem, and increasing
public awareness of the
vulnerabilities these
women face are all part
of the solution.
Synthesis Matrix, English 302, Fall 2023 (Rickless)
Cook, E.A,2017
Scholarly
“Destination locations are
important geographical
areas to focus on because
they are where the
victims, traffickers, and
johns converge.
Destination locations are
where the exploitive
sexual act of the minor
victim happens.
California is a natural
destination location
because of its
international border,
popularity with immigrant
populations, and its robust
ports and airports. Los
Angeles County has the
largest homeless
population (91,000) of all
metropolitan areas in the
By mid-2000, South
Los Angeles was
approximately one-half
Latino and, importantly,
approximately one-third
immigrant. This shift
toward migrant labor,
which was less
expensive, less likely to
result in worker’s
compensation claims,
and less likely to result
in lawsuits over work
place conditions,
pushed black workers
out. It also ushered in
an informal economy
including “day labor,
prostitution, street food
vending, and drug
selling”.” (54)
“Traffickers specifically
target victims with
vulnerabilities like
being poor. The second
main tactic by
traffickers is guerilla
pimping. It is based on
overt force and
violence. Pimps use this
approach on the poor,
disabled, illiterate, and
socially marginalized.
The approaches used by
traffickers for domestic
minor sex trafficking
are fundamentally
different than those
used for international
CST.” (50)
Synthesis Matrix, English 302, Fall 2023 (Rickless)
United States with an
increasing amount of the
approximately 8,000 to
11,000 homeless living in
Skid Row being women
and children.” (58)
Contextualization
In the battle against
human trafficking,
destination places are
vital because they act as
hubs where clients,
traffickers, and victims
come together. California
is an obvious destination
for human trafficking
because of its proximity
to other countries,
attraction to immigrants,
and booming
transportation
infrastructure. Being the
largest metropolitan area
“In the words of
Makatche, “[s]ex
trafficking exists where
vulnerability meets
exploitation”. This
requires three actors:
victims and their
underlying
vulnerabilities;
traffickers and their
exploitive tactics; and,
johns and their
willingness to pay for
sex with minors”.” (58)
Contextualization
South Los Angeles
experienced a
demographic change by
the middle of the 2000s,
with almost half of its
residents being Latino
and a third being
immigrants. This shift
resulted in the expulsion
of Black workers and
the emergence of an
unofficial economy
centered around day
labor, prostitution,
street food vendors, and
drug sales. It also
Contextualization
Traffickers target
weaker victims,
especially those who are
impoverished. They
practice “guerilla
pimping,” which is
defined as the use of
overt force and
violence, mainly against
people who are
economically
impoverished, disabled,
illiterate, and socially
excluded. Because
every setting is
different, traffickers use
Synthesis Matrix, English 302, Fall 2023 (Rickless)
Greer, B.T.,2022
Scholarly
in the United States and
home to a sizable
homeless population—a
vulnerable demographic
that is easily exploited,
particularly among
women and children
living in Skid Row—Los
Angeles County stands
out in particular.
favored lower labor
costs, fewer worker
compensation claims,
and fewer lawsuits
related to unfavorable
working conditions.
“Sex trafficking thrives
at the intersection of
vulnerability and
exploitation,” according
to Makatche, and it
involves victims,
traffickers, and eager
customers—especially
for kids.
different tactics for
domestic minor sex
trafficking than for
international
commercial sexual
exploitation of children
(CST).
“According to California
Attorney General Harris,
perpetrators of trafficking
are not limited to single or
“sole practitioners.” They
often include
transnational criminal
organizations (TCOs),
domestic street gangs, and
international labor
contractors.153 TCOs
have evolved their
criminal trade to include
human trafficking and are
conducting business in
California. They are
forming relationships with
“Generally, crime does
not occur randomly
over a geographic area;
rather, it occurs
logically or rationally as
a function of
environmental factors
that leave segments of
the population
vulnerable.174 ILP
comprises the
systematic collection of
information on a subject
of interest and the
contextualized analysis
of the threat.” (50)
“The scope and
applicability of the
TVPA has long been
needlessly opaque due
to political framing and
a lack of fundamental
understanding of the
crime. Congress’s
restrictive funding and
rhetoric focused
myopically on sexual
exploitation and
trafficking of young
women while statutory
construction was much
more inclusive of other
forms of labor
Synthesis Matrix, English 302, Fall 2023 (Rickless)
local gangs, which are
also migrating to
trafficking, according to
the National Gang
Intelligence Center’s 2011
National Gang Threat
Assessment.” (42)
exploitation and was
gender neutral. The
legislative record is
littered with speeches
by members of
Congress focused
exclusively on sexual
exploitation of minors
coupled with the
underlying implication
that victims of human
trafficking are often
foreign nationals.” (25)
Contextualization
Contextualization
Contextualization
Attorney General Harris
of California points out
that those who engage in
human trafficking are not
just lone individuals; they
frequently work with
domestic street gangs,
foreign labor contractors,
and transnational criminal
organizations (TCOs).
TCOs have branched out
into human trafficking
and forged relationships
with neighborhood gangs,
according to the National
Gang Intelligence
Environmental factors
have an influence on
crime rates, making
certain groups more
susceptible to it than
others. Crime is not
always random. By
methodically obtaining
data on a topic of
interest and doing a
contextualized analysis,
intelligence-led policing
(ILP) aims to counter
these dangers.
Theories and political
framing have tainted the
TVPA’s interpretation.
Though the act itself
was more
comprehensive,
including many forms
of labor exploitation
and being genderneutral, Congress has
historically restricted
financ
