History of Sex Work Lecture Notes

Lecture 1 History of Sex Work World’s oldest profession? - State regulated brothels existed from approximately the twelfth century well into the Late Middle Ages across Europe (1400-1500s) Brothels regulated the hours, prices and clothing of prostitutions In some cities men were prohibited from bringing weapons into brothels Women could not be sold to other managers or houses Brothels were often located in particular part of town or street. Eg. Valencia, Spain: a walled city containing brothels Brothels were closed on Sunday and Holidays Minimum age of workers and participants in brothels activities was 14 Restrictions on Prostitutions in 1600s - Political leaders began to be increasingly concerned about enforcing morality and maleheaded household model - Northern European cities were the first to criminalize prostitutions - In 1546 Brothels were closed in London - Italy and Spain regulated prostitutions more strictly but did not outright ban it Rational for and Against Prostitutions - Prostitution was preferred over the other sins such as masturbation and raping Reasons to allow/foster prostitution - Sex was viewed as a necessary evil - St. Augustine argues: if you do away with harlots, the world will e consumed with lust” - Aquinas argued that prostitution was likened to a sewer in a palace; take it away and the building would fill with pollution Reasons to criminalize prostitution - Break down the family unity - Improper morals History of prostitution in Canada - 1800s Brothels existed in specific “poorer” - Ottawa and Québec City, brothels were in the lower town - Kingston and Halifax, brothels were located near docks. Fishery districts - Toronto and Montreal had downtown. Street neighborhood where brothels were located - With the creation of continental railways, migration patters began to spread west - Many people settling in the Western regions of Canada were single men, therefore prostitution flourished - In Western Canada brothels were often located near train stations Early prostitution laws in Canada - Prior to 1867 legislation surrounding prostitutions was referred to as vagrancy laws - Vagrancy laws were designed to prohibit unwanted behaviour, particular in the public realm - Prostitutes as well as their customers were considered to be vagrants at this time, however actual enforcement was sporadic at this time, however actual enforcement was sporadic and often based on geography Early restriction on prostitution - When the criminal Code was filled in 1892, the vagrancy provision outlawing street walking and bawdy houses were incorporated along with additional offenses directed bawdy house operators and procurers of women “for unlawful carnal connection Historical Legislation on prostitution - 1985 Criminal code S. (210(1): anyone who keeps bawdy house in is guilty legal framework for prostitution in Canada (Pre- Bedford Decision Laws) - Prostitution was not illegal per se, but activities necessary doing the job safely were. - Illegal activities included o Owning/operating a bawdy House o Pimping/living off the avails of prostitution o Communication in public in public for the purposes of prostitutions BEDFORD V. CANADA - Constitutional Questions: are the prohibitions on activities related to prostitution a violation of the rights to security of the person? - Sep 18th 2010 – Superior Court ruled that provisions of the criminal code did indeed contribute to dangers for sex workers - - there was a state on implementation of the decision to give the government of Canada and Ontario the opportunity to appeal, which they did Appeals on the Bedford Case - In June of 2011 the appeal was heard by the Court of Appeal for Ontario - The appeals court agreed to strike down the laws prohibiting bawdy house, clarifies the law regarding living off the avails of prostitutions, and decided that the laws against communication in public would be upheld - State on the appeals courts decision until the Supreme Court of Canada could hear the case: - Gave to hear the case on Oct 25, 2012 - Supreme court decision released on Dec 20, 2013 Supreme Court Decision - All three sections being challenged were struck down by the Supreme Court o - Ruled that all of these laws violated sex workers right to society of the person stated that the criminal code created the constitution for the work to become dangerous o Significant reliance on social scientific research S.213 of Criminal Code 213 (1) everyone is guilty to and offence punishable a) stops or attempts to stop any motor vehicle: or b) impedes the free flow of pedestrian of vehicular traffic or ingress to or ingress from premises adjacent to that place S. 213 (1.1 &2) - communication to provided sexual services for consideration (1.1) everyone is guilty of an offense punishable on summa conviction who communicates with any person – for the purpose of offering or providing sexual services for consideration – Bill C. 36 protection of community and exploited person act - Stated goal is to eliminate prostitutions - Criminalizes: o Purchase of sexual service o communication in places near schools, day cares, playgrounds o advertising sexual service in print or on the Inter o Gaining material benefit from sexual services Provides $20 million for exist programs designed to assist women/men in leaving prostitutions related industries Hearing into Bill C-36 - Bill passed all legislative steps, and received Royal Assent and came into effect on Dec 6th, 2014 2018 - Bill C-36 remains in effect, however members of the Liberals, NDP and Green have states that they plan to challenged this Bill. - At present, local law enforcement agents have turned to focus on targeting human trafficking rings, rather than individual prostitutions Lecture 2 Varieties of Sex Work - As we know, sex work is diverse There are three traditional forms of sex work that we will focus on here o Stripping o prostitutions o Pornography - Sex work, like most work, is full of power relations In sex work, it is not simply between workers and employers, but also includes clients and authorities Varying degrees of legality in Canada – stripping and pornography legal, subject to age - prostitutions currently in a grey area after the Bedford ruling, push towards decriminalization - Decriminalized in NZ, legalized in Germany, Netherlands, and parts of Nevada Power Relations in Strip Clubs - Source of owners’ powers o Sets rules for the club, and terms of rule enforcements Sets rules for customer and worker conduct o Has the right to ire and fire, and sets schedules for all workers - Sources of customers’ powers o Payments for dancers and tips o Competitions between dancers for access to income o Social power to patriarchy Social construction of attitudes towards dancers - Sources of dancers’ power: o Solidarity amongst dancers, and with other workers o Initiate interactions with customers o Set boundaries and enforce rules with customers Wages - Dancers are not private contractors - Income is earned through tips and private dances - Used as an excuse to define dancers as “independent contractors”, denying workers the statutory benefits associated with employment status Stages of prostitution Local - Street - Bar or casino - Massage parlour - Brothels - Escort/call girl International - Prostitution tourism - Sex migration Myth of the “Lone Streetwalker” - Stereotypes and Media Frames - Workers are primarily white - Work alone on isolated streets - Neighbourhood nuisance - Violence/child abuse - Drug dependence - Trafficking Discourse of Disposal - Social discourse that defines sex workers (and others) as dangerous and socially unwanted - Includes actions that intended to physically remove people from harassment of workers, etc. - Runs the spectrum from verbal abuse/threats to physical violence, including murder Brothel Work - Exist in legal (e.g. Certain countries of Nevada) and illegal contexts o Legal framework will, in part, shape the experiences of workers - In legalized situations this work is the is highly regulated by the state o Licensing, mandatory medical tests, restrictions on mobility Nevada Brothel - Legal in most countries in Nevada (but not Las VEGAS) - Owners and workers must be licensed - Workers must pay for their licenses - Mandatory condom use and mandatory STI checks for workers (at workers’ expense) - Restrictions on mobility - Must pay in the brothel - Must be escorted when leaving the property Escorts and Call girls - Can be done as “self-employed’ work or though agencies o How the work is performed can be shaped by technological advances - Often seen as the “highest level” of prostitution, although variation in quality of the job and income does exist - Offer clients the “Girl Friend/Boy friend Experience - Vegas call Girls (Sarah) (sex for sale) - Cookie Call Girls Sex Tourism and Sex Migration Tourism - Increasingly importance part of broader tourism industry - Phenomenon of both advances industrial and developing/ underdeveloped countries Sex Migration - Occurring with greater frequency than ever before - Related to global division of labour, impoverishment of significant parts of th globe, and technological developments that facilities process of globalization A brief history of heterosexual pornographic films - Stag Films and Loops (c, 1915 to 1960s) o Era includes stag films, nudist camp films, sexploitation films and short loops viewed in bookstores - Video killed the film star (1982 – present) o Advent of home video, and then DVD, revolutionized the production and distribution of hard-core pornography - The internet (1990s – present) o Another boom for the porn industry – but one with tis own challenge to profitability Categories of Heterosexual Porn Professional - Top end production companies, higher budgets and higher pay Professional – amateur - Lower budget production, scenes rather than full-length movies includes “gonzo porn” Amateur - Home made, low budget., low wage Porn workers do move to other sectors of the sex industries (during porn work and/or after leaving the industry) Stripping, modeling, prostitutions Some reported motivations for entering the mainstream porn industry - Money - Fame and glamour - Freedom and independence - Opportunity and sociability - Being Naughty and having sex On the Job - Most “mainstream” porn conforms to a standard narrative resulting in a routinized production process - Little autonomy in the labour process for workers - Wages paid for the scene, all revenue after that accrues to the owner of the copyright January 22 2017 Lecture 3 The Work of Sex Work Conceptualizing Sex work - Common dictionary type definitions of work: - Activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result (often, though not always, a wage/money - Mental or physical activity as a means of earning income; employment - There is a focus on output of labour AND importantly same form of remuneration (wages) - For many workers, their physical and/ or mental activity done and the wages they earn are related to/earn from some form of sexual activity Sex work is defined as: - “the exchange of sexual services, performances, or products for material compensation. It involves activities of direct physical contact… as well as indirect sexual stimulation - Weitzer, Sex for Sale, 2010) - This broad definition sees sex work on a broad spectrum, include work in which there is direct sexual intercourse (i.e. prostitution), direct and indirect physical contact (i.e. stripping and sexual stimulation (i.e. pornography) Sex Industry - Refers to the workers, managers, owners, agencies, clubs, trade association, and marketing involves commerce” - Weitzer, Sex for Sale, 2010) - Our main focus in this lecture is on sex workers, that is those involved directly in prostitution, exotic dancing and pornography These workers sexually is front an centre and to varying degrees for sale. This is the contrast to a club DJ, a videographer in a pornography film, or someone providing security at a brothel TedTalk (Juno Mac) - Two tier system – legal and illegal - The most vulnerable person works illegally - Trafficking  solution giving workers more legal authorities - Prohibition creates more problems; why do people support it? - Full Decriminalisation/ and legalizing it What do Sex Workers want? (Juno Mac) - New Zealand  60% feel safer - UK – demanding decriminalisation (Red Umbrella) Emotional Labour - An important theoretical term for conceptualizing work: Arlie Hocschild’s study of flight attendants - Hocschild’s criteria for jobs involving emotional labour: o Require face – to face or voice to voice contract with the public o Require the worker to produce an emotional state in another person o Allow the employer, through remaining aa supervision, to exercise a degree of control over the emotional activities of employees o Highly true of sex work, especially the first two points. The third may or may not be relevant (true un strip club, but not true of independent call girl - Workers have to regulate their own emotions/expressions on the job and feel (or feign) according to a desired norm (example they may not like the sex but may fake it or acto it out (on screen) - The term strategic friendliness is also utilized in the study of emotional labour o An example of surface acting o As a way to manipulate other through emotion/expression - Being nice, polite, welcoming, playing dumb or behaving courteous o Highly true of sex (work(ers) Why sex work? - It is possible they like the work, but…. - Many (but not necessarily all) of the reasons foe entering into sex work are identical to the reasons for taking any job - E.g. need for an income, constrained fields of option, even enjoyment of the work - Many (but by no means all) of the reams and conditions of the work are similar to terms and conditions in other jobs or self-employment situations (example rise of service sector employment, contingent precarious. flexible work arrangements Sex work in New Zealand - The oldest profession – inside the fun house Stigmas - Sex work still carries significant stigma - Material impacts on stigma: - Discrimination and harassment in almost al aspects of life, including housing and employment - Sex workers targeted by police Sex Workers - Different workers are legally classified in different ways - The primary distinction is between employee and contractor - Both employees and contractors do the same things – perform work an receive remuneration - The way that sex workers are legally classified has important ramifications - This is true for both those already working in legal industries (i.e stripping) and those working in industries that are seeking legalization or decriminalization (i.e prostitution) - Main legal distinctions between employees and contractors 1) control: o to what extent is the worker directed by the persons paying them? Directed – employee vs, nor or limited direction – contractor o Does the person paying them control their hours of work, the pace of their work or specific work tasks? YES – employee vs. np – contractor o Is the person paying the worker able to discipline them? YES – employee vs, no – contactor 2) Ownership of tools: - Who actually owns the tools and other devices necessary for the work to be completed? o If they are being provided and supplied by person paying – employee vs. person purchases and supplies their own contractor 3) Chance of profit/structure of remunerations: - most employees will have the bulk of their remuneration calculated by a preestablished formula based on an annual salary or set hourly wage (generally set by person paying wage, limited negotiations) vs. - contractor – who on the other hand lend to get paid by the job (normally a flat fee upon completion) at a fee that they set (and someone agrees to pay) - Some examples An adult film actor Paid a wage by a producer Schedule set by production staff, including days and hours - Managers controls, at least partly, what he/she can or cannot do A prostitute determines if and when, she wants to work, and ideally at least) under that conditions She sets her own wages, which maybe ne hourly, or may be per act (piecemeal) She can be her own boss On a show night, she might not earn anything but on good night, she entitled to all profits (unless she pays security etc.) She provides the tool she needs end pays of pocket (condoms) She be classifies and an independent contractor Prostitute Working from a Brothel - Conversely, prostitute may work in a brothel - Assuming they are legal, it is likely that condoms would be provided - Her schedule and shifts would likely be dictated by a manger - On an slow night, she would b entitle to a minimum wage of some sort - The brothel would keep a portion of al profits - The brothel would presumably hire security and pay other overheard costs - In this case, she would be classified as an employee Sex Workers - What does all of this mean> Who cares? What are the implications? - Employees have protection under the Employment Standards Act, and are therefore entitles to a minimum wage, some regulations on scheduling, severance pay, access (paid) maternity leave. Etc. - These workers (and their employees) a also pau into the CPP and El, and can access these - Employees can unionize - Employees can make claims to the labour boards - Covered by Occupational Health and Safety Act - Contractors have no protections under the Employment Standard Act and therefore not entities to a minimum wage, severances pay, access to (paid) maternity leave etc. - These workers do not pay into the CPP and El and cannot access these (unless they pay double, both the employer and employee options) - Contractors cannot unionize - Contractors cannot make claims to the labour board, and must be instead rely upon small claims about - Not Covered by Occupational Health and Safety Act - These distinctions are important for the work that is current legal, but will become especially important if prostitution is fully decriminalized/legalized in Canada Melissa Gira Grant? Lecture 4 (Unionization) January 29, 2018 Sex Workers: Organizing and Collective Action Reasons for Organizing - Two main and competing reasons for organizing - - one would be a collective designed to stop/eliminate the sex industry (i.e.. Prostitution) - The other would be to make improvement to the industry - For prostitution, this would include those dedicated to legalizing the industry and those dedicated to decriminalizing it o Our focus I on the later: sex workers (of all kinds) acting collectively to improve make improvement to the industries and improve the conditions of their labour Reasons for Organizing - Provide services to sex workers - Lobby government for more favourable laws and/treatment under existing laws Regulation: Can be imposed by governments - Eg licensing fees for strip clubs or massage parlours Can be self-imposed by the industry - Example condoms uses and STI/HIV testing in the porn industry Can take the form of criminal prohibitions - Laws regarding activities related to propitiations in Canada Can be non- criminal laws to limited behaviour - Example zoning by laws restricting the locations of strip clubs Or can be informal - Actions to control sex workers based on commonly held beliefs about sex work Another option is to larger deregulate, especially prostitution in the form of decriminalizing it Reasons for Organizing - Improve conditions of work o Protect health and safety o improve wages o job security o provide a collective voice for workers to lesson the power imbalance with employers - Generally, work for the betterment of all sex workers Varieties of Organizing - Advocacy organizations o coalitions of sex workers and allies - Activists organization - - independent collectivism - Trade Union organizing Advocacy Organizations - Not necessarily made up of sex workers themselves - Can be used oriented, e.g. o decimalization/legalizations o safer streets and workplaces for sex workers Can be service oriented, example - Rehab - Provision of condoms - Access to social services - Intent might also be fight for the abolition of prostitution and/ or exist supports Case Study - Some sex worker rights organizations may surprise you, such as Amnesty International - Amnesty International has: o Choses to advocate for the decriminalization of all aspects of consensual adult sex – sex work that does not involve coercion, exploitations or abuse o They reached this prostitution by consulting a wide of individuals and groups including but not limited to: sex workers, survivors and abolitionist groups, HIB agencies, women’s’ and LGBTI rights activists, Indigenous women groups, and trafficking groups and leading academic Activist Organizations - Led by sex workers, and ex-sex workers - Organized to either deal broader issues (similar to advocacy groups), or to address workplace issues a on ad hoc basis o The intent is not to create formal unions of workers, but to mobilize workers in less formal structure of different kinds of structure Maggie’s (Toronto) fight to control our own bodies (covers every sex worker) For clarity: Decriminalization vs. Legalization (of prostitution) (midterm) - Decriminalization o The elimination of criminal prohibitions against prostitution and its related activities o Effectively eliminates state interventions into the filed of prostitution - Legalization o The end of criminal prohibitions, couples with a system of laws and regulations to govern the sale of sex, including: o Licensing, zoning, mandatory STD testing taxing Decriminalization - The majority of sex worker organization favour the approach of Decriminalization as opposed to legalization - For sex workers, this removes an element of state control and surveillance over them - Think other industries; the sae of alcohol is legalized (but highly regulated) Decriminalization removes the element of state control General criminal law would still apply i.e. rape trafficking etc. Arguments for legalization - Protects workers and communities o Reduces immediate harms to sex workers in prostitution o Intended to: Protect against violence Control spread of disease Manage the location of prostitution Reduce role of organizes crime in the sex trade - Source of revenue for local (and higher level) governments Arguments for Decriminalization - Both Decriminalization and legalization are enforced by states that do not sex worker’s best interests in mind o Create conditions in which regulations are imposes in ways that are detrimental to sex workers - Legalization creates a two –tiered system o A legally protector sector and o A still illegal sector that is driven farther underground o Regulation control access to entry which create barriers to people accessing the legal system - Control over location of prostitution can make the sex trade more difficult and. Or more dangerous Trade union organizing - Build workplace specific organization to negotiate and enforce collective agreements o Could also be based on “occupational organizing” i.e. organizing specific categories of sex work - Most possible in workplace where there is: o An identifiable employer (and an employment relationship o A group of workers with similar interest (and similar grievances) o An union that is willing to dedicate resources to organizing and representing the workers o Where workers identify as having common interests Employees vs. Contactors - Recall that contractors canoe unionizes: only employee can - This is a barrier to many sex workers in that it makes a traditional form of workers’ power and collective actions impossible - That said, many sex workers (broadly defined) are employees, and some have begun to unionize Prostitutes Unionizing – mid 1990s - Prostitutions Decriminalized in Australia in early 1990s, prostitutes began to form unions (as part and establish union) - Operating under the umbrella of the Australian Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union Nude Girls Unite (documentary February 2, 2018 STRIP DANCING - Cardi B on dancers as workers Power Relations in Strip Clubs - Sources of owners: o Sets rules of the club and terms of rule enforcement Sets rules for customer and worker conduct - Has the right to hire and fire though increasingly dancers are not employees t all (independent contractors) o In the case of a contractor you just refuse to utilize their services again - Sets schedule for all workers - Determine rates of income for all workers in the club (if employees) or sets fees for contractors Sources of customers’ power: - Payment for dancers and tips - Competition between dancers (and increasingly bartenders) for access to income - Social power of patriarchy - Men benefit from women’s subordination in society o Example from all forces that lead women into sex work as a profession including but not limited to financial patriarchy of women - social construction of attitudes towards dancers Sources of dancers’ power: - solidarity amongst dancers and with other worker (inside and outside the clubs) - initiate interactions with customers - set boundaries are enforcing rules with customers Wages - Prior to 1980s the dominant trend was for workers to be paid to dance - Subsequently, there has ben a tendency to charge dancers a stage fee o Income I earner through tips and private dances o uses as an excuse to define as “independent contractors denying workers the statutory benefits associated with employment status - some dancers are still classified as employees and many more are classified (wrongly) as independent contractors Ethical Stripper - Ethical stepper Stacey Clare (TEDx) Portland Stolen Wages Lawsuit - Brought by Matilda Bickers and Amy Pitts against the Casa Diablo strip club - Unpaid wages - Unlawful deductions - Battery (mandatory full friction lap dance as part of job assessment) - Independent contractor (how they were classified) vs employee (what they thought was a more accurate classification) - the law uses a walk and test” – i.e. it doesn’t matter what an employee calls someone. It matters how their work is actually structured - names the club owner and the manager who hires and fires as defendants - similarly, lawsuit have taken against clubs in Seattle, Las Vegans and NYC o the lawsuit says the club exercises control over the dancers, making them more like regular employees than contactors. Allegedly determined o how quickly they must become full nude o the number of songs a stripper could dance to during each performance o how to perform when women were in the crowd - Pitts alleged she didn’t the guaranteed minimum wage at any club, she said tips don’t always cover stage rental fees and fines accrued for violations such as arriving late or cancelling a shift due to illness - - it certainly possible to leave work in the red - resolves out of court however, - following an intense loby effort, the Oregon legislature created a workers’ right hotline for the entertainment industry - as of 2016 live entertainment venues with 600 or fewer seats are require to prominently display a poster that says “What are my rights? And includes the hotline number Training to be a dancer - emotional labour (Midterm Questions) - Keeping the boss and the customers happy - Channing Tatum (Stripper) Grooms James Gordon NYC Stripper Strike (2017) - In Novembers 2017 many dancers in NYC went on strike as a result of workplace grievances - Strike because they withheld labour. Not unionized workers’ no picket lines, etc. Not a strike per labour law issues with club managers and promoters but also other workers at clubs ‘ - Linked to allegations or racism - Lead-up to strike shows changing nature pf employment in clubs - Historically, the dancer was the attraction, people would go and pay to see people dance - Drinking was mandatory and bartenders would service alcohol Changing nature of employment relation’s - Previously, dancers performed on stage and in VIP rooms. The dancers were the “moneymakers” and rarely moved around from club-to club - Fully dresses (and sometimes male) bartenders were certified mixologists and poured customer drinks. That was the extend of their role Stripper have always paid a house fee to the club. In NYC, it is generally a minimum $50 a night fee to strip (remember, they are no employees). Despite this. There was still some sense of loyalty The strike grows out of the changing nature of bartender and the resulting decline in wages for dancers A new brand of bartender – the startender” Instagram model with large social media following started to be hired in clubs Promoters stopped seeking the best mixologists and started hiring from Instagram Bartenders started to resemble the strippers, excepts they have been getting more benefits A drastic difference in dancers’ wages – panama (a dancer organizing the strike) She used to make thousands in a night but now usually averages $400 a night No dancers in New York City is making $1000 a night anymore Why? The Startender - The bartenders tell the customers no to tip us. They block us from customers while we dance or they are sweeping our money off the stage while we dance – Gizelles Marie, another strike organizer - Bartenders dress far more revealing than they used to dance, (with clothes on) and try and secure as much money as they can - In some cases, customer direct money to bartenders - At the very least, it is competition The Demands - The want their house fees reduced - They want bartender to pay house fees, too - The black dancers want the opportunity to be hires as bartenders - They want the bartender to stop stealing their money - They wish as well that management would stop pitting the strippers and bartenders against each other The organization of work - Dancers are independent contractors, not employees - Even if they were employees, they are not unionized - Their work is also incredibly precarious - This makes collective action and a fight back campaign difficult Midterm Next WEEK - 10 multiple choice - 5 true or false - 2 short answers - 1 essay (point form) - Lecture content -> essay / short answer (could be supported by the seminar readings) - Differences between criminalization – Different types of model of criminalization and not criminal northern model Facts about sex work Wages Themes of the lecture Legal classification Seminar February 6th - What are some differences among outdoor and indoor? - Indoor location: have the police called and shut if down - Differences between Outcall and In-call sex work? - Hard scales are involved in sex labour?  emotional labour, physical labour, customer service, verbal and non verbal communication - How is emotional labour used in sex work? - What does the term of discourse of disposal mean?  Aboriginal sex workers (Pamela) the idea if a sex worker dies it doesn’t matter. A - What are some differences between decriminalization and legalization? Midterm Questions: - - - 1. What are some differences among outdoor and indoor? Outdoor sex workers are more likely to be under the surveillance and regulation of the police, and most likely work for lower wages than the majority of indoor sex workers. Outdoor sex workers are more likely to practice unsafe sex with clients and more like to use drugs threefold increased odds of coercive unprotected sex by clients and physical violence among women exchanging sex in public spaces and industrial settings There is some research evidence suggesting that outdoor prostitution may subject women in prostitution to higher rates of physical violence, but according to several studies, the rates of psychological violence among indoor and outdoor prostitution are comparable. In practice, indoor prostitution increases the trick’s safety, but it does nothing to decrease psychological trauma for the prostituted woman. The social invisibility of indoor prostitution may actually increase its danger. When women prostitute indoors, the community is less likely to see them. Homes or apartments are rented for use as brothels for escort prostitution. No one lodges complaints until neighbors become irritated about a lack of parking space or they become suspicious about the steady stream of men going in and out of the house in 20-min intervals. “Indoor prostitution typically involves much less exploitation, much less risk of violence, more control over working conditions, more job satisfaction, and higher self-esteem.” He defines exploitation as extreme physical coercion, ignoring psychological violence. He fails to define what types of control are exercised over the “working conditions” of prostitution. Job satisfaction and self-esteem are undefined by Weitzer, who also fails to notice the silence created by the lack of research on this subject. 2. Differences between Outcall and In-call sex work? - In-Call - ·As a client, you visit the escort and the place can be her home or any other place such as a hotel of her choice. - ·Usually, in-call sessions are less expensive than the out-calls. - ·The information about your residence remains veiled - Out-Call - When you opt for out call escort services, the escort visits your residence or hotel of your choice. - Out-calls are expensive as you have to bear the hotel charges, in case you have booked a hotel room. Both courts acknowledged working indoors to be safer than working on the street and on this basis interpreted current laws criminalizing those that “keep” bawdy houses to be unconstitutional because that they undermine sex workers’ *OHY[LY guaranteed right to life, liberty and security of person. In spite of these rulings, the decisions have been stayed. 3. How is emotional labour used in sex work? Emotional Labour - An important theoretical term for conceptualizing work: Arlie Hocschild’s study of flight attendants - Hocschild’s criteria for jobs involving emotional labour: o Require face – to face or voice to voice contract with the public o Require the worker to produce an emotional state in another person o Allow the employer, through remaining aa supervision, to exercise a degree of control over the emotional activities of employees o Highly true of sex work, especially the first two points. The third may or may not be relevant (true un strip club, but not true of independent call girl - Workers have to regulate their own emotions/expressions on the job and feel (or feign) according to a desired norm (example they may not like the sex but may fake it or acto it out (on screen) - The term strategic friendliness is also utilized in the study of emotional labour o An example of surface acting o As a way to manipulate other through emotion/expression - Being nice, polite, welcoming, playing dumb or behaving courteous o Highly true of sex (work(ers) - 4. What does the term of discourse of disposal mean?  Discourse of Disposal - Social discourse that defines sex workers (and others) as dangerous and socially unwanted - Includes actions that intended to physically remove people from harassment of workers, etc. - Runs the spectrum from verbal abuse/threats to physical violence, including murder 5. What are some differences between decriminalization and legalization? For clarity: Decriminalization vs. Legalization (of prostitution) (midterm) - Decriminalization o The elimination of criminal prohibitions against prostitution and its related activities o Effectively eliminates state interventions into the filed of prostitution - Legalization o The end of criminal prohibitions, couples with a system of laws and regulations to govern the sale of sex, including: o Licensing, zoning, mandatory STD testing taxing Decriminalization - The majority of sex worker organization favour the approach of Decriminalization as opposed to legalization - For sex workers, this removes an element of state control and surveillance over them - Think other industries; the sae of alcohol is legalized (but highly regulated) Decriminalization removes the element of state control - General criminal law would still apply i.e. rape trafficking etc. Arguments for legalization - Protects workers and communities o Reduces immediate harms to sex workers in prostitution o Intended to: Protect against violence Control spread of disease Manage the location of prostitution Reduce role of organizes crime in the sex trade - Source of revenue for local (and higher level) governments Arguments for Decriminalization - Both Decriminalization and legalization are enforced by states that do not sex worker’s best interests in mind o Create conditions in which regulations are imposes in ways that are detrimental to sex workers - Legalization creates a two –tiered system o A legally protector sector and o A still illegal sector that is driven farther underground o Regulation control access to entry which create barriers to people accessing the legal system - Control over location of prostitution can make the sex trade more difficult and. Or more dangerous - - 6. Different types of model of criminalization? 7. Legal classification: 8. Facts about sex work: 9. Wages: Dancers are not private contractors Income is earned through tips and private dances Used as an excuse to define dancers as “independent contractors”, denying workers the statutory benefits associated with employment status - 10. Themes of the lecture History of Sex Work Varieties of sex work: from high class call girls to on street workers The work of sex work Unionization Sex work and the entertainment industry - Exotic dancers AFTER MIDTERM Sex work and the entertainment industry: Mainstream Pornography Lecture 7 Pornography Some reported motivations for entering the mainstream porn industry  Money  Fame and glamour  Freedom and independence  Opportunity and sociability Feb 26 On the job  Most mainstream porn conforms to a standard narrative, resulting in a routinized production process 1. Little autonomy in the labour process for workers 2. Wages paid for the scene, all revenue after that accrues to the owner of the copyright Amateur pornography  Many female actresses are between 18-20 years’ old  Average career is between 1-6 months  Very rare to work as an amateur porn actress for 12 months Recruitment of amateur porn actresses  Often recruited though often seeking ads “models or actresses” on craigslist Amateur pornography  Play is approximately $800/ scene  $1200/ scene for niche scenes  An individual company will often only ire a female 1-3 times (after that she is no longer an amateur) Cam girl/ cam boy  Women/ men who perform sexual acts on a pay website  Clients begin to chat with/ view an individual performer  Cam girls/ boys work as independent contractors who pay a fee to cam girl/ cam boy who provide necessary infrastructure  Camgirls/ boys buy their own props, webcams, computers etc. Belle Knox- Duke University Student Amateur Porn Star  Women’s studies major at Duke University  Started working as an amateur porn actress as a way to pay off tuition Professional pornography  Adult film actors/ actresses who are employed professionally, typically working for an agent  In previous years could earn up to $100,000/ year now often earning $50,000/ year Professional pornography income  Top female earners = $350,000/ year  Top male earners = $100,000/ year  An industry where per film, females earn more than males  However, a male may earn more overall due to a more lengthy career Pay per scene  $800 for a girl-girl scene  $1000 for a guy-girl scene  $1200 or more for anal sex  $4000 or more for double penetration Examining perspectives on porn  Radical feminism: 1. All porn is degrading, violent and leads to socially destructive outcomes/ subordination of women  Sex positive feminism: 1. Porn can be either destructive or positive for the workers and viewers alike… developing narratives that challenge male dominance can be done within the porn industry (and though the production and consumption of porn) Career management  Most performers unable to earn a living exclusively in porn  “retrogressive dynamic”: the longer a person works in a sexual occupation, the less one is paid, and the lower the status of the venue  Addressed by performers by: 1. Limiting number of films 2. Diversifying sexual reporting 3. Shifting into other roles in the industry (behind the camera, marketing, production) 4. Work in economically complimentary forms of sex work After porn  Many porn actors/ actresses have a limited career length  Some are able to transition into a personal line of sex toys, directing, managing  Others leave the adult film industry altogether and pursue other work, this can be quite challenging March 5th Lecture 8th Critical/Feminist Pornography Alternative Pornographies (EXAM) Examining perspectives on Porn - As we noted last week there are variety of feminist perspectives on pornography. One such approach emanating from second wave feminism, is that all porn is degrading, violent and lead to socially destructive outcomes/ subordination of women - There are however more nuances or alternative feminist perspectives on pornography - Clip What is feminist Porn? Rolling Stone (CrashPadSeries.com) Examining perspectives on Porn - The anti-pornography approach makes some important assumption about women’s sexuality and their agency - Women may like pornography, or at least certain aspects of it, either as consumer/viewers or as workers - While not exactly pornography, the erotic novels of 50 shades illustrate the problems of these assumptions The feminist ant0pornograpghu movement, no less than the feminist movement of a century are, encourages… Barbara Examining perspectives on Porn - Mainstream pornography does objectify women in a very literal sense - With few exceptions, the heterosexual women actress is the object of the desires of the heterosexual male subject (actor/viewer) - Even in the case of mainstream lesbian (or more accurately, girl on girl) pornography the women are much more the objects of the male viewer desire than the other women’s desire - Mainstream pornography is made by men for men. Women exist in this world to fulfill male desires Perspectives on Porn - Sex positive feminism - This approach suggest that women have their own sexual desires and that sex – even pornography (or sex work more generally) isn’t inherently bad - This approach seeks to reform pornography rather than simply abolish it - Porn can be either destructive or positive for the women’s and viewers alike - Developing narratives that challenge male dominance can be done within the porn industry (and through) the production and customer porn) He subject need not be a heterosexual male Perspectives on Porn - One approach, often referred to as lipstick feminism, suggest that male desire actually empowers women - That what women have, their bodies and their se, puts them in a position of power in relation to the male viewer who wants it/them - This approach doesn’t provide any critique to the status quo - Until fairly recently, pornography doesn’t exist for those other than the heterosexual male - The are many silences in pornography: heterosexual women, LGBTQ women, trans people, people with disabilities, non-white heterosexual people, LGBTQ men - In terms of the marker, the supply has tended not to fil (or even begin to address) the demand - Feminist pornography as an evolving form of pornography Clip TEDx - Olivia Tarplin - Shifting our culture (Feminist Porn) - Feminist Porn Requirement. According to the EPA - Women involved in the production conception. Direction Gay Male Porn First major film: Boys in the Sand (1971) - Performers throughout the 1970s tented to be gay men, and were likely yo be friends and or associates of producers - Both subject and object are men. There is no woman - The themes/interactions may or may not be different in terms of interaction and objectification - Major expansion of the industry in the 1980s (due in part to the VCR) required more open casting, and the rise of gay for pay - Voluntary use of condoms – a t a higher than than heterosexual – oriented porn - Male porn actors earn approx. %500-600 scene for straight porn Male actors in a gay scene earn up $1500/scene This has led to the term gay for pay whereby straight men will act in a gay to earn more scene Still exists for a male audience, simply not a heterosexual one Barebacking - Merged as a subgenre/subculture in the late 1990s - Approximately 20% of current gay male porn is bareback (a much lower proportion than in heterosexual porn) - Working in bareback porn makes it virtually impossible to move into porn using condoms On the Job - Until recently there was a rigid division between performance as a top or as a bottom o – tops tended to be exclusively the penetrator; were portrayed as more masculine, and were paid a higher rate o Heterosexual men wanting to be paid more for their work would perform as a gay for pay - Recently development of more versatile and egalitarian roles – some abandonment of the rigid top/bottom dichotomy o With the advent of the internet it has been even more possible to cater to a wider variety of submerges o More diverse narratives, acts, casts, etc. Feminist Porn - It seeks to unsettle conventional definitions of sex, and expand… - First Lesbian pornography magazine (1984) on our backs - Challenges how it is made, by whom, starring whom, and for whom Challenges how it is seen by the viewer Portrayal of real, intimate sexual acts (for both heterosexual and LGBTQ women) Much less white than mainstream pornography Some Varieties of Feminist Porn - Couples films o E.G Femme Productions - Education films o E.g. Nina Hartley and Tristan how to series - Lesbian porn (by lesbian/for lesbians) - Diverse representations of gender and sexuality On the Job - Feminist porn - or women porn – might attempt to break with routinization, it might reproduce some of its elements o Attempt to male a more authentic product, depicting real pleasure for the performers o Acknowledgment that this capitalist enterprise but call for a fair wage and good working conditions Motivations for making feminist porn - Sec education - Activism - Making better porn/making porn for women o Economic motivations appear to be less prominent for performers, is this less of a job because of that? - Most explicitly political form of porn - Although gay male porn has implicit politics (at they very least) It time for porn to change (TEDx Vienna) Perspective on Pornography - If we think of politics as a struggle over power; pornography – as a film genre – tends to be apolitical. There is generally no struggle, power is assumed (the heterosexual, able-bodies male’s desires) - Feminist pornography attempts to challenge this dominant discourse and question/change power relations in pornography - While diversity is important, alone is does not challenge the status quo - For example, ore women of colour in pornography may not challenge the dominate narrative Clip – on set of a feminist porn what it is like on a ethical porn The day of (Erica Lust) March 12, 2018 Lecture 9th The Impact of the internet/technology on Sex Work Technology and Sex Work - Technological Implications Technology has important implications on most industries, sex work is no different In the same way that technology has changed the automotive assembly line, it has likewise changed sex work. This is especially true for pornography Technological betterment – for whom? Ease and efficiency for consumers vs. making a living for the workers The Pre-Internet Era - The internet has revolutionized sex work, particularly pornography (both magazines and videos) - At one point, accessing pornography required you to leave your home - Most importantly, you also need to purchase your pornography - The concept of free porn didn’t really exist. Magazines and video were made specifically (and almost exclusively) for the commercial market - While pornography is till a billion-dollar industry, it is easily pirated in ways not previously possible Early 1980s magazines – these couldn’t be googled for free The VHS Technological Implications - The internet is provides a virtually unlimited supple of pornography with ease - It is accessible by virtually anyone and available 24/7 basis - While pay sites exist, it also freely accessible – You Porn - For consumers this provides obvious benefits - For performers on the other hand the rise of free porn is problematic - The issue with the internet is that is is always and constantly free. It is unlike getting a coupon for a free product, liking it, and then having to purchase subsequent ones - For workers and to some level studio, these technological issues are a problem - While the internet and social media offer excellent promotion, the content is freely available and easily save/share/viewable without the studio consent - For workers this means access to less work and consumers enjoying their work without paying for it - No different that pirated movies or illegally download music Pay for Your Porn (#P4YP) - With illegal downloading studios profits decrease. This is problematic for the extent that workers are impacted – fewer opportunities, lower wages Issues with consent – I consent to being filmed/photographed with the understanding that you will be purchasing/paying Many of these workers have starter an online campaign urging people to pay for their porn Cam Girls - The rise of technological has provided opportunities for workers (independent contractors) called cam girls (or boys) - As the name suggest, one can access a webcam streaming with content that is inherently sexual Camming - Two – way interaction - Niche/fetish market and mainstream appeal Technological Implications - As we noted earlier sex work is diverse - Technology in sex work like in all industries has differing impacts for different types of workers - Adapt the technology they the situation they are in - Some sex workers – prostitutes and those who meet clients in person – have utilized technology in different ways which have had more positive impact on their working conditions Positive or negative impact? - Safety? - Many sex workers say that they now feel safer in their jobs as they may vet their client through online services - Historically worker to seek out clients (and vice versa) in dangerous secretive places. Now people can connect online prior to a face to face encounter A voice to voiceless - Sex workers often voiceless and marginalized - Technology has given sex worker the ability to expose their day – to day lives on social media if they so chose - This gives the public that may not otherwise hear from them insight into their lives and perspectives Positive or negative - Ability to work as an independent contractor has increase - With the use of Back pages and other online service sites, sex workers can now advertise for themselves - People can work from the comfort of home with a laptop and webcam Lower threat of physical violence - Studies suggest that instances of the job physical violence experienced by sex worker has decreased Instances of online violence such as cyberstalking and hat – email has increased Impact of review boards - Can have a positive or negative impact on workers - Review boards can create accountability for workers as well as clients - Negative reviews, or sited which do not allow replies to reviews can be problematic for sex workers Variety of online advertising forums - Backpages and Craigslist are available to nay sex worker with internet access - Eros- a website requiring by sex workers. Deemed to be of higher quality than Backpages - Clip Men for Sale Lecture 10 Policing Sex Work March 19, 2018 Sex Work and Sex Workers Public policy and the regulation of sex worker policing sex work - Regulation - Can be imposed by government – licensing fees for strip clubs or message parlours - Or can be self-imposed by the industry – condom used and STI/HIV testing in the porn industry - Can take the form of criminal prohibitions Legal Framework for Prostitutions in Canada (Pre-Bedford decision laws) Prostitution was not illegal per se, but activities necessary to doing the job safely were illegal activities included: - Owning/operating a Bawdy House - Pimping/living off the avails of prostitution - Communication in public for the purposed of prostitution - Purchasing the services of sex work was also illegal Supreme Court Decision - All three section being challenged were struck down by the Supreme Court o Ruled that all of these laws violated sex workers right to security of the person Stated that the criminal code created the condition for the work t become dangerous o Significant reliance on social scientific research Options for the government to Respond to the court - Decriminalization example New Zealand - Legalization – Germany, Netherlands, Nevada - Criminalization of demand – Sweden “the Nordic Model Argument for legalization - Protects worked and communities - Reduces immediate harms to sex worker in prostitution - Indented to o Protect against violence o Control spread of disease o Manga the location of prostitution - o Reduce role of organized crime in the sex trade Source of revenue for local (and higher level) governments Arguments for Decriminalization - Both criminalization and legalization are enforced by states that do not have sex worker bes interest in mind - Create condition in which regulation are imposed in ways that detrimental to sex workers - Legalization creates a two- tiered system - Legally protected sector and - A still illegal sector that is driven farthest underground - Regulation control access to entry, which create barriers to people accessing the legal system - Controls over location of prostitution can make sex trade more difficult and / or more dangerous Bill C-36 Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act - Stated goal is to eliminate prostitution - Criminalizes: o Purchase of sexual services o Communication in places near school, day cares, play grounds o Advertising sexual services in print or in the internet o Gaining material benefit from sexual services - Provides $20 million for “exit programs Who are police targeting? - Primary focus on creating exit opportunities for sex workers and locating trafficked persons - Hamilton Police has a budget of $15,000 per year for 5 years solely for exit strategies Examples of exit strategies - $ for bus ticket - Emergency hotel room - Luggage - Emergency first aid care Exit Strategies? - This assumes that most sex workers would like to leave sex work - Offers counselling services, warm clothes or even simply a hot drink to on street sex workers - Opportunity for police to explain the laws regulating sex work to workers (some may not be aware of the current laws) Clip – Happy Hooker Myth? Continued - How do we know which sex worker enjoy their jobs versus who wish to exit? In areas where sex work is partially criminalized, how do we get an accurate picture? Anther perspective on Policing Sex Work: Human Rights Watch - In certain neighbourhoods in U.S states such as New York, policy have arrested transgendered sex worker for carrying condoms Independent versus working for a pimp - Hamilton and Niagara police refer to sex workers as one of two categories: - 1) Independent - 2) Working for a manager or pimp Clues Police look for when investigating - is a sex worker freely able to answer his/her/their phone while working? - if advertised online, are they available 24/7 or limited hours? - Is there limitation to the service offered? - Police will also closely read the type of language used in online ad. For example, are the adjectives ne a women are male would use to describe themselves Which changed do police la on Canada - Most common charge is material benefit - Although people may work as sex workers and earn their own $ other people may not profit from someone else work - For example, a taxy driver may bot request a cut of a sex workers’ earnings John Sweeps - Rather than targeting sex workers themselves police have now turned to John Sweep where the buyers of sex are targeted Impact of Internet Pro: Easier to track sex worker and potentially identity trafficked persons Cons: everyone can work online and it is often difficult to track locations of workers March 26, 2018 Lecture 11 – International Sex Trade Sex Trafficking Amsterdam So you think you will dance (Clip) - In many instances, women and children are most likely to fall victim to human trafficking - This phenomena exists both domestically as well as internationally - Not all sex workers are trafficked person - There is a significant difference between migrant sex workers and victims of human trafficking - Not all human trafficking is sex trafficking labour trafficking is also prominent but does not receive as much media attention - Clip (sex trafficking is what you think it is - Meghan Sobel – trafficking means forced o Physically free but not physiologically o Privilege = choices o Smart raids = not smart at all raids UN and Human Trafficking “Palermo convention” - EXCPLOITATION shall include, at a minimum, THE EXPLOITATION OF THE PROSTITUTION OF OTHERS OR OTHER FORMS OF SEXUAL EXLOITATION, FORED LABOUR OR SERVICES, SLAVERY OR PRACTICES SIMILAR TO SLAVERY, SERVITUDE OR THE REMOVAL OF ORGANS The Act (What is done) - Recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons The means (How it is done) - Threat or use of force, coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power or vulnerability, or giving payments or benefits to a person in control of the victim The purpose (Why it is done) - For the purpose of exploitation, which includes exploitation, forced labour, slavery or similar practices and the removal of organs Victims and culprits of Human trafficking - Victims of trafficking cab be any age, and any gender. However, a disproportionate number of women are involved in human trafficking both as victims and as culprits Who are traffickers? - There is no standard profile of traffickers. They ranger from truck drivers and village aunties to labour brokers and police officers - Traffickers are as varied as the circumstances of their victims - Female offender have a prominent role in human trafficking, particularly where former victims become perpetrators as a means of escaping their own victimisation - When interviewed many who are considered to be victims of trafficking openly state that they were aware that they were migrating to work in the sex industry, often as a way of sending money home to family - Example: Amsterdam’s Red Light District Many openly state that why were aware that they were migrating to work in the sex industry, often as a way of sending money home t family - However, once they have begun to work in this industry many are prevented from leaving, often due to financial responsibility to their families Sex worker’s rights organization and trafficking - Victims of sex trafficking needs o necessarily be repatriated to their original country - Focus should be on making sex work safe and ensuring that workers are freely choosing their occupations - Remove exploitation How common is sex trafficking? - The answer to this question is largely unknown, as many victims as well as perpetrators of sex trafficking are never located - The international Labour Organization (ILO) estimates $31 billion/ year are exchanged for the purpose of trafficked labour - The ILO states sex trafficking constitutes 11% of all human trafficking Trafficking in Canada - Anyone can be trafficked. But the evidence overwhelmingly suggests the biggest risk factors for sex trafficking are being female and being young Clip (Sex trafficking in Toronto) Canada a target for human traffickers Exam 48:00 - Not the same as midterm 5 question – short answer question four to answer - Each 20 points – 80 – worth 20% - Something worth 20% (20 points) - Focus mostly posy midterm - Alternative types - Main stream porn and - Policing – sex trafficking and human trafficking - What way does the sex work? - Analytical questions – draw upon seminar reading – lecture – no need to cite - Amsterdam – Police in Toronto