Menaka Raguparan

Menaka Raguparan is a feminist sociolegal sccholar. Her research focuses on sex work, sex trafficking and the conflation of the two. Her current research examines policing and state court operations in the United States to understand the anti-trafficking initiatives to rescue and rehabilitate women who engage in sex work. Dr. Raguparan is the founder and co-chair of "Sex, Work, Law and Society," a collaborative research network (CRN 6) at the Law and Society Association (LSA).

Education

PhD, Legal Studies, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario

MA, Legal Studies, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario

B Soc. Sc, Joint Hornors in Criminology and Women's Studies, University of Ottawa, Ontario

Specialization in Teaching

Dr. Raguparan regularly teaches the following courses

Undergraduate
CRM 105 - Introduction to Criminal Justice System
CRM/SOC 255 - Criminology
CRM 360 - Criminological Theory
CRM 370 - Racialization and the Criminal Justice System
CRM 495 – Race, Sexuality, and Social Control


Graduate
CRM/SOC 506 - Qualitative Data Analysis

Research Interests

Dr. Raguparan's current research program addresses the conflation of sex work and sex trafficking within the criminal legal system.

The first study examines the Human Trafficking Courts (HTCs) in the US. Drawing on ethnographic court observations and in-depth interviews with court officials, social workers and prostitution defendants from seven HTC, this qualitative study aims to (1) provide a deeper understanding of how the TVPA shapes moral and legal justifications for “victim-centered” responses within the theoretical and methodological framework of therapeutic jurisprudence, and (2) examine whether the conflation of sex work and sex trafficking, along with victim-centered initiatives in the criminal legal system, results in more intrusive and frequent sanctions for individuals involved in prostitution and its related offenses compared to pre- HTC practices.

The second project, an intersectional qualitative study, aims to investigate sex workers' and police officers' interactions—including the power dynamics and implications—in the pre-arrest diversion process. Namely, this study, which is in its early stages of data collection, explores officer and sex worker perceptions of pre-arrest diversion interactions where law enforcement uses alternative action to arrest—such as “lecture and release” or referral programs.

Supplementing her research program, Dr. Raguparan is also working on a project to explore issues of diversity and inclusivity within the Canadian Sex Workers' Rights Movement. Drawing on focus group interviews with activists within the Canadian sex workers' rights movement, the study comprehensively charts the evolution of the movement over the past 10 years to understand the strengths and challenges of the movement.

Community Engagement

Dr. Raguparan collaborates with the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women North Carolina Coalition (https://mmiwnc.com/) to raise awareness about the crisis in her classrooms and communities.

https://uncw.edu/academics/colleges/chssa/departments/sociology-criminology/research-community/mmiw

Honors & Awards

Kathleen Berkeley Inconvenient Woman Award - 2023-2024
Diversity and Inclusion Fellowship - 2022-2024