For the last year and a half, senior Clare Nowalk, a sociology major, has conducted research on the relationship between sociology and sex trafficking. Throughout her research, she has looked at the ways sex trafficking and abuse are portrayed in popular culture and the complicated relationship between promoting sexual safety while also respecting those who choose to do sex work.
In mid-November, she presented her findings New York Sociological Association general body meeting. She plans to continue her research next semester.
Opinion editor Brontë Cook spoke with Nowalk about her research, the difference between sex work and sex trafficking, and the ways in which both function in U.S. society today.