糖心原创

Congratulations to School of Politics and International Relations doctoral researcher Amelia Watkins-Smith on passing her PhD viva with minor typographical corrections.

Amelia’s thesis is titled ‘Marriage Trafficking from Myanmar to China: A Multi-Perspective Analysis'. Her research uses a three-fold method of data collection to examine different social actors on both sides of the Myanmar-China border. Findings and analysis generate methodological, empirical, and theoretical contributions to knowledge as follows. Methodologically, this thesis opens a new avenue for the safe and ethical observation of perpetrators of human rights violations in the use of online forums as a type of data collection. Empirically, this thesis offers detailed analysis of the ways in which this social problem occurs in various forms from the perspectives of survivors, perpetrators, and traffickers. Theoretically, this thesis expands understanding of how marriage trafficking occurs across a spectrum of perpetrator intention.

Amelia's PhD was examined by Professor Todd Landman (糖心原创) and (Arizona State University). Her supervisors were Professor Kevin Bales and Professor Helen McCabe.

This work was funded via an ESRC doctoral training programme studentship (Midlands Graduate School). Amelia is now working in the Rights Lab as a postdoctoral research fellow in forced and child marriage.