Although migration of people within and across nations for years has been social mobility and an economic strategy that has positively impacted millions of individuals globally, concerns that human trafficking is a growing challenge of global proportions has been accordingly raised. Human trafficking in addition to other forms of adverse human exploitations such as forced marriages and forced labor are reported to be affecting approximately 40.3 million people worldwide. Trafficking in human beings violates fundamental human rights at the multinational level. According to United Nations, human trafficking is the act of recruiting, transporting or harboring individuals by using threats, force or through abduction, coercion, deception or fraud, or through abusing one’s power of the position of vulnerability to achieve the consent of one with the control over another person (Kiss & Zimmerman, 2017) .
However, the paper will specifically focus on global sex trade as a form of human trafficking. It is the movement of people from developing countries to developed nations or even domestically. Being that sex trade is a social issue affecting all corners of the globe, various theories have thus been brought forward to provide a clear understanding of the problem. Functionalist theory, social construction theory, and the conflict theory have thus have been employed in the study of the global sex trade to provide a clear understanding of the issues that surround global sex trade. By using theoretical perspectives to understand various aspects of the human sex trade, a concise understanding of the degree of the sex trade is seen.
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Literature Review
Research indicates that among eight hundred thousand individuals who are annually trafficked across international borders, eighty percent are either women or girls while fifty percent are minors (Family Services of Peel, 2017) . However, the degree of human sex trade that occurs annually varies across continents and nations. Even though this is so, it is clear that the human sex trade has become a growing worldwide problem that affects all country whether developed or developing. It is the actual global violation of human rights and consequently represents denying human beings their rights of integrity, freedom of movement, liberty, and security (Kiss & Zimmerman, 2017) . More importantly, sex trade in women and girls is a violation of women’s power and a violation against women in general. This is so per the statement made by Peels Institution on Violence Reports, which stated that “Women rights are human rights." (Family Services of Peel, 2017) . sex trade includes aspects such as prostitution, exotic dancing, stripping, live sex shows, sexual tourism, military prostitution, mail order brides or and even pornography.
According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, approximately 20.9 million people worldwide fall victims to human trafficking (Family Services of Peel, 2017) . Although human sex trade involves all genders, the majority of these people are women and adolescent girls who continue to be primary victims of the abuses of human trafficking, a factor which makes gender a primary determinant in the violence of human trafficking. Research indicates that those who fall victims are from different economic and educational backgrounds, although those who come from nations with low economic statuses are more vulnerable to becoming victims of sex trade (Nour & Deshpande, 2013) . According to research conducted on the sex trade in Canada in 2014, it was found that 206 individuals were reportedly trafficked, and 93 percent of these numbers were female individuals (Family Services of Peel, 2017) . 47 percent of these female victims we re however aged between eighteen and 24 while 25 percent were found to be below eighteen years (Family Services of Peel, 2017) . Studies have indicated that both women and girls who come from Aboriginal communities in Canada are more vulnerable to the sex trade.
Consequently, provinces such as British Columbia, Manitoba and Alberta’s fifty percent of sex trade victims have been found to be of Aboriginal backgrounds. More studies conducted in Canada have accordingly revealed that individuals from indigenous communities often are discriminated upon as a result of their legacy to colonization (Family Services of Peel, 2017) . Thus, women from these communities primarily find themselves more susceptible to poverty, violent crimes, and poor living conditions than non-indigenous female Canadians, a factor which makes them key victims of sex trade.
Research has further indicated that the Canadian police have failed in its duty to protect these women from the violence that they face and to consequently hold their perpetrators accountable. Various inquiries into missing and murdered indigenous women and girls have additionally shown that being a female of a native origin is a risk factor for being a victim of violence. Indeed this explains the reason as to why women and girls particularly of Aboriginal decent fall victims to human sex trade (Family Services of Peel, 2017) . Additionally, in the United States, studies estimate that ap proximately 17,500 individuals are trafficked annually. These victims, however, are recruited predominantly from East Asia and Mexico, followed by victims from Africa, Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, and Latin America (Nour & Deshpande, 2013) . Accordingly, these countries are most politically and economically unstable, thus increasing the risk of females being sex trafficked since minimal interference is involved in forging their travel and passport documents, transportation and in bribing officials. More importantly, studies have indicated that America is one of the top destinations for the sex trade, and a substantial number of children from the U.S. are often trafficked to industrialized countries such as Germany, the Netherlands, and Japan (Nour & Deshpande, 2013) .
Furthermore, research has indicated that although there is no profile evidence of victims of the human sex trade, various risk factors such as age, gender, race, social and economic status are involved in this social problem (Kiss & Zimmerman, 2017) . Runaway individuals and homeless youths in addition to gays, lesbians, and transgender and bi sexual individuals have been found to face the increased risk of human trafficking. However, overall no determinant has been found to appropriately define individuals who will fall victims to the human sex trade. But according to Riutort, Masoud and Riparian, “To fully understand the status of an individual, multiple determinants that impact the individual must be recognized.”(as cited in Family Services of Peel). Even as it stands, the issue of human sex trade can be explained through various theoretical frameworks that include social constructivism, conflict theory, and structural functionalism.
Social constructivism and sex trade
The social constructivist approach involves the gradual transition of social conditions into social problems due to claims made by individuals and groups of interested in the issue and it may or may not in some instances present a reflection of the social arrangement (Keaton & Bodie, 2011). The concept proposes that the world and society as it is often constructed through individual and group effort by people. Human beings create a certain social world through the rationalization of their experiences in one way or the other. Further human beings will mainly construct their worldview through the various languages they use. The primary assumption of that reality does not exist beforehand, but it is often shaped and built by the activities people engage in (Amineh & Asl, 2015). It means that in many instances things will appear as they are not because they were so before but because people have constructed them to seem as they are.
In many cases, individuals will develop claims about conditions that have often been, and in the eventuality, the claims become more consequential than the conditions as they were. The issue of human sex trade has been part of the society for many centuries and throughout this time; it has attracted the attention of different groups and individuals (Amineh & Asl, 2015). Just like other social issues, sex trade has attracted the attention of various activist and crusade groups. These groups focus on sensitizing the community of social vices like sex trade while working towards the eradication of such problems. Their work is often commendable as they will fulfill their function. However, in many instances, these groups will lead to the construction of a certain view of sex trade by society. As Weitzer (2007) identifies, these crusades and activist groups will have the certain opinion concerning issues like pornography and its abolition. To this end, they have previously worked to help eliminate such problems in society. However their thoughts on the degree of evil in a social vice change with the issue.
Conflict theory and sex trade
Conflict theory according to Karl Marx delves into the issue of economic classes in society with the ruling class showing their power to the subject class by oppressing and taking advantage of them (Bystrova & Gottschalk, 2015). According to Marx, there is often the conflict of interest between these two groups in any society as each tries to take control of the resources and power in the community. He identified that conflict will arise in society due to the struggle for limited resources by different groups in society Marx demonstrated that the ruling class often wants to maintain its place in society and therefore use the subject class in whichever way with no consideration of their basic rights. Their aim is for the subject class to remain downtrodden which the ruling class maintains its position at the helm of all that is precious in society (Bystrova & Gottschalk, 2015). As is clear, all matters will be marred by conflict as the two groups fight for their place. In many instances, the ruling class will often win. When looking at the issue of the sex trade and conflict theory, one can identify how the social problem can be described using the model.
Sex trafficking often aims at profiting certain groups while oppressing the other. For instances, it is bound to happen that the individual trafficked for purposes of sex will be the victims of such a case as their rights and overall wellbeing are overlooked and stepped on. Those who engage in the trade and those who receive these victims appear as the beneficiaries of the social vice. Therefore profits go to various groups which other groups are taken advantage of. One can conclude that there exists a conflict between the two groups involved in the issues (Crossman, 2015). The traffickers will often have the upper hand as they have the power and money to control what is happening which the trafficked will always be oppressed as they lack the resources to fight for themselves. As is evident, there will still be a conflict of interest between the traffickers and the trafficked. As one can identify, those at a disadvantage may not know where to run to for help, and in many instances, their fate will be determined by those who have power over them.
Structural functionalism
Structural functionalism as a sociological perspective identifies society as a structure with smaller parts that work together to fulfill the functions required by the whole. According to functionalism, the community has its small elements that function together or differently, and these elements include the social institutions, norms, traditions, and customs (Kingsbury & Scanzoni, 2009). A theory developed by Talcott Parsons, structural functionalism identifies society as a system comprised of different actors whose actions are interdependent. It shows that the various aspects of society, though different and depend in a certain way, their interactions and behaviors are often dependent on the other (Menzies, 2014). One can conclude that how a particular society is as a system can be determined by the actions of one of its subsystems. For instance, the successful education of any community will be determined by how the community views education. If it is not as important, it will not be as accessible for the children, and they too will not find it as important. Consequently, the view of the children concerning education will tell a lot about their society.
Similarly, sex trade can be described with the view of society as a system whose overall look is determined by the actions of its subsystems and whose activities are also interdependent (Fisher, 2010). One can conclude that the social vice of sex trade mars almost every community in the world. There are those who are aware of it but allow it to continue. Looking at the issue, one can identify the various elements come into play these include social norms, institutions, and religion. Every society has norms that govern the behavior of its members, and these norms will often advocate for the well-being of its members (Fisher, 2010). It means that the presence of sex trade in any society is an indication of the decay in the various social institutions.
A comparison of the theories
The popular notion of global sex trafficking is that of a legal and social vice with serious consequences attached to it by different regions. It is why the activity is carried out in secret and it would only be noticed when many have been affected ( Weitzer, 2011) . The three theoretical perspectives have demonstrated their viewpoint on sex trafficking with each differing from the other. These perspectives are also similar or different from the popular notion concerning the issues.
Nonetheless, the social constructivist theory identifies sex trafficking as an issue that does not exist until it is created and developed by people. It means that it solely originates from the people gold of their societies and the world. The conflict theory identifies it to come about due to the struggle of limited resources in any society which means that the issue results from the need to access these resources by different individuals. The structural-functionalist theory identifies it as a child of a society that is gradually decaying in all aspects as it represents one system of the society that affects all the other subsystems. As is clear, each theory identifies global sex trade as a social vice that is all negative. Even as the constructivist theory views it as to originate from people, the conclusion, just like the rest of the theories, is that sex trafficking is inhumane.
Further, one can identify that all the theories view the issue to be affected by people in one way or the other. The constructive approached identifies that it is instigated by people; the conflict theory also views the same while the functionalist approach believes that it is compounded by people. Their assumptions concerning the issue are however different in that the social constructivists' theory sees it as an issue that is constructed by people while the conflict theory views it as one that results from the conflict resulting from the struggle for limited resources. The structural-functionalist approach views it as a failure in the uniform functioning of the subsystem in a larger system.
The three approaches show that the issue emanates from different issues in society that are not going right, be it the people, the systems or limited resources. They show that when a society does not check itself and its systems it is likely that things will go wrong and likely affect its members adversely. Further, the information shows that in some instances society will be rotten to the level that it overlooks serious inhumane issues like sex trafficking that is slowly eating up its people. I believe that the social constructivist approach explains the issue better than the rest. It is so because I believe every social evil is instigated by human beings and in many instances, it will be for personal gain. Therefore sex trafficking is solely caused by people who are greedy and will capitalize on the misery of others to gain an extra coin. It is necessary that before any other social aspect is checked, human beings check themselves first and the ideas they form concerning such serious issues as sex trafficking as many are falling victims to these issues.
Conclusion
Sex trade is a social issue that continues to affect the current world. It is a serious and inhumane practice that affects the well-being of its victims adversely. Even so, it continues to go on in many societies, and many are aware of it but overlook it because the traffickers are influential and powerful. When delving further into the sex trade, it can be described using the social constructivism, conflict theory, and structural functionalism. Social constructivism identifies it as an ideology developed and encouraged by different individuals and groups in society while conflict theory recognizes it as to emerge from the conflict that happens in the community due to the struggle for the limited resources. Structural functionalism identifies it as a demonstration of a society that is not functioning well. Overall, it remains a socially unacceptable issue that should be fought by all means in every society.
References
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