Whether Sex Work a Necessary Form of Labor - Literature review Example

Institution : xxxxxxxxxxx Title : xxxxxxxxxxx Tutor : xxxxxxxxxxx Course : xxxxxxxxxxx @2012 Whether governments should be focused on eradicating sex work or is sex work a necessary form of labor Introduction Sex work, described as the provision of sexual services in exchange for material gain or reimbursement, has a very long history. According to the International Labour Office (1998), the practice is argued to have strong social bases and economic foundations, and has in the past four decades undergone significant changes in a number of nations worldwide. The scale of sex work has expanded to a point where one can justly talk of a commercial sex sector that is integrated into the social, political as well as the political life of many nations. The business has taken on the dimensions of an industry and has either directly or indirectly played a role in no small measure to the employment, economic growth and national income. According to Altman (2002), for instance, an article in the Melbourne Age’s business section estimated Australia to having about 23,000 individuals employed within the sex industry, with nearly a billion dollar income in 350 illegitimate brothels, massage parlours and escort agencies. The organizational structures as well as the relations within the sex sector have turned out to be much diversified and complex as they involve an increasing number of powerful interests and networks of dependencies. The increasing scales, economic importance as well as the increasing global dimension of sex work have increased concerns relating to social welfare and public morality, human rights violation of the sex workers and public health threats. Governments have thus found it extremely difficult to deal with the issues in large measure owing to the complexity and the sensitivity of the issues involved in addition to the range of circumstances individuals working within the sex sector. As highlighted by Altman (2002), the sex sector has not been acknowledged, and it has only been in recent years that some aspects of the sector, have attracted significant interest and encouraged public discussion and national action. This particular paper therefore intends to argue why governments should be focused on eradicating sex work Background Information As one of the globe’s oldest professions, sex work has traditionally often been downgraded to the dark corners of the human society, hardly talked about and generally disregarded as much as possible. When it emerges into the mainstream discussion it is unsurprisingly followed by the expected group polemics that comes with nearly every social issue of our time, triggering furious and often entrenched discussion across the political spectrum (Baptie, 2009). As Owen (2012) highlights, most liberal-minded individuals acknowledge the view that individuals can have sex for a number of different reasons other than the socially endorsed kinds relating to procreation, love or affection. Lust, vengeance, material gain, jealousy, political expedience, security, are all convincing, if not approved, good reasons for playing (fooling) around. On the other hand, introducing commerce or business into the equation, with an individual seeking for sex in exchange for money and the other individual offering sex in order to obtain money, the issue is classed as belonging to a different category. This is due to the fact that when sex is now viewed as an act that can be bought as well as sold just like any other commodity; issues such as dominance and abuse or exploitation are viewed as more significant. It is when sexual services are framed as business enterprises and sex just another form of occupation that the division between rights based pro-sex worker groups and philosophy based anti-prostitution groups becomes clear. Supporting Evidence or Facts Governments should be focused on eradicating sex work. One of the reasons for this is based on the fact that the acceptance of sex work is one cluster of detrimental attitudes that promote and validate violent behavior against women. In addition, the acceptance of this practice (sex work) may only result in the further degradation of women under the existing patriarchal system, resulting in the symbolic subjugation of male aggression through sexual violence. According to Landau (2008), women are normally powerless victims and can be abused sexually, emotionally and physically with sole aim of satisfying males’ sexual gratification. According to Quadara (2008), for instance, findings by the Personal Safety Survey carried out by the Australian Bureau of Statistics during the year 2006 revealed that approximately 1.3 million women have been sexually assaulted since the age of 15.Additionally, within 12 months prior to the survey, 101,600 (1.3%) of women over the age of 15 years have experienced sexual assault. Vanwesenbeeck (2001) further argues that sex workers do not make a choice by free will, but are rather forced into it due to social and financial pressures facing them. Violent behaviours towards women have normally been associated with mind-sets that encourage men’s conviction that they have a right to sexual access from women, that they are accredited as sexual aggressors, and that they are more superior to their female counterparts. Men who exploit women in sex work therefore strongly approve such mindsets towards women. As a result of this, governments ought to be focused on eradicating this practice. Another reason why governments should be focused on eradicating sex work can also be explained based on the fact that sex work can never be a sincere employment option when the underlying basis of such work is economic requirement. As highlighted by Landau (2008), even though the economic aspect concentrates on the assertion that women are generally a disadvantaged group within the contemporary society, having fewer economic opportunities, as a result, placing them in helpless positions of financial need.ProCon.org (2012) argues that sex work can never be a genuine employment option, arguing that there is nothing like consenting adults when an individual is a buyer and the other one a seller, especially when a buyer is socially constructed as being of superior sex. Owen (2012) argues further that as buyers of sex, men tend to exercise greater power and therefore take control over the relationship, implying that male desires and attitudes are the dominant factor in this kind of relationship. Therefore sex work is normally based first on the economic disenfranchisement of women allowing men to have relative power as well as privilege to take advantage of powerlessness, poverty and the history of sexual abuse of women involved in sex work. As highlighted by Raymond (2003), governments should also be focused on eradicating sex work as accepting it becomes practically the same as legally, morally and culturally approving the enslavement of those involved in this practice. Sullivan & Jeffrey (2001) contend that performing sex in order to meet the demands and sexual pleasure of another while ones own pleasure is irrelevant, is not an equal sex act (not a mutual sex act) but rather a subordinate position. In this case, the sex worker is reduced to sex a fulfilment instrument where their emotional and mental disassociation from the act is viewed as natural. Governments ought to focus therefore on getting rid of sex work as it plays a significant role in encouraging social discrimination of women by characterizing them as mere sex objects that can be dehumanized in addition to being treated as inferior. Furthermore, viewing women in terms of sex only conveys the message that buying women’s bodies as commodities is a male right. A discussion of both sides of the issue According to Sullivan (2007), proponents of sex work argue that endorsing this practice can neutralize violence and abuse involved within the sex industry as it assumes that women are free to make informed choices in a globe characterized by the male oppression, in addition to legitimizing males’ right to buying women. On the other hand, accepting this practice is one cluster of detrimental attitudes that will promote and validate violent behaviour against women. In addition, the acceptance of this practice (sex work) may only result in the further degradation of women under the existing patriarchal system, resulting in the symbolic subjugation of male aggression through sexual violence. Governments should therefore be focused on eradicating this practice. Alternatively, proponents of this practice also argue that sex and sexuality could be sites of resistance and contestation, as a result offer women ways of experimenting with power, desire and choice. For this reason, they argue sex workers ought not to be viewed as mere objects for sex but be viewed as agents who have a degree of control that has always been denied to women (Laurie, 2012).However, the reality is that, as buyers of sex, men tend to exercise greater power and therefore take control over the relationship, implying that male desires and attitudes are the dominant factor in this kind of relationship. Therefore sex work is normally based first on the economic disenfranchisement of women allowing men to have relative power as well as privilege to take advantage of powerlessness, poverty and the history of sexual abuse of women involved in sex work. Governments should therefore be focused on eradicating this practice as it is not a necessary. Proponents of this practice have also argued that women are generally a disadvantaged group within the contemporary society, as they have fewer economic opportunities, placing them in vulnerable positions of financial need. On the other hand, Brewis (2000) disputes this assertion arguing that sex work can never be a genuine employment option, arguing that there is nothing like consenting adults when an individual is a buyer and the other one a seller, especially when a buyer is socially constructed as being of superior sex. In general, sex work reveals an extreme demonstration (manifestation) of women’s never-ending sexual availability and masculine entitlement, a factor that seems to reduce women into absolute objects. This informs an abolitionist position on this practice. Some believers of this viewpoint view sex workers to imply those involved in the sex industry as a way of labelling the object and victim status of those who are being prostituted. Possible solutions As highlighted by Macleod et.al (2008), One of the possible solutions for the governments would be to put their focus on a two-step strategy; increase penalties or fines for men involved in sex work and to empower women economically (increase economic development for women).According to Menstuff.org (2012), so far, if existing laws are not enforced or legislations that target sex service consumers are not created, governments will only be allowing this demand-driven trade to grow. Just like it is done in Sweden, Harcourt et.al (2005) argues that there ought to be penalties or fines, including detention for consumers who seek sex services. Most importantly, Rekart (2005) argues that governments should ensure effective policies that address the root cause of the problem, as a result, creating economic alternatives for sex workers. They should make an effort to ensure that development programs as well as funds are not just designed, received and implemented only by men but by women as well. Simultaneously; all the governments need to focus on coming up with training as well as micro-credit programs meant for women, in addition to developing various social support services for women who are involved in sex work. Suggested courses of action As the voices of moral authority that express disapproval of all forms of sexual evil, the church has been accused of comprising their missions and vision. In the past years, they have been argued to have retreated into being non-judgemental in as far as addressing the issue of sex work is concerned(Hughes, 2004).I would suggest that churches re-examine their draw back from this issue and re-engage themselves in the debate. There is an important and urgent need for churches to play a role in enlightening the harm of sex work to women, communities, children and families. Religious communities from the grassroots to the leadership ought to use their voices of authority in order to deal with the increasing sexual exploitation of sex workers in addition to its normalization. Conclusion Generally, from the above analysis, it is clear that sex work is a complex issue for governments, service providers, feminist researchers, communities and sex workers. There is also no doubt that the subject has turned out to be a crucible of the significant issues for women’s rights: power, choice, economics, sexuality, gender, human rights and violence. Every so often, debates regarding the practice have become polarized, with the evidently conflicting differences stemming from the way in which this practice has been a symbolic battle ground, with terms of the debate having less to do with sex work by itself and more to do with what this practice symbolizes as regards women’s human, social, political as well as their social status. In general, naming sex work as a profession rather than a form of victimization, certainly stirs up debates. Accordingly, it is important that governments gesture into the philosophical, ideological in addition to the political backdrops in order to inform the conception of this practice. References Altman, D, 2002, Global Sex, University of Chicago Press Baptie, T, 2009, Why Prostitution, the world's Oldest Oppression, Must be Stamped Out, Retrieved on October 17, 2012 from Brewis, J, 2000, Sex, Work and Sex Work: Eroticizing Organization, Routledge Hughes, D.M, 2004, Prostitution: Causes and Solutions: Prostitution and Trafficking of Women and Children: The Dynamics of supply and Demand Harcourt, C, Egger, S & Donovan, B, 2005, Sex work and the law, Journal of Sexual Health, Issue 2, No.3, Pp121–128 International Labour Office, 1998, The Sex Sector: The Economic and Social Bases of Prostitution in Southeast Asia, International Labour Organization. Laurie, S, 2012, Feminist Perspectives on Sex Markets, The Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy Landau, S, A, 2008, Case for the Legalization of Prostitution: A Critical Analysis of Liberal versus Radical-Feminist Views on Sex Work Menstuff.org, 2012, Prostitution: Solutions for a Global Problem, Retrieved on October 17, 2012 from Macleod, J, Farley, M, Anderson, L & Golding, J, 2008, Challenging Men’s Demand for Prostitution in Scotland: A Research Report Based on Interviews with 110 Men who Bought Women in Prostitution, Women’s Support Project. Owen, N, 2012, Sex Work – Demeaning Practice or Basic Human Right? ProCon.org, 2012, Should Prostitution be Legal? Retrieved on October 17, 2012 from Quadara, A, 2008, Sex workers and sexual assault in Australia Prevalence, risk and safety, Australian Institute of Family Studies, Issue no.8 Rekart, M.L, 2005, Sex-work Harm Reduction, Journal of Medicine, Volume 366, Issue 9503, Pages 2123 - 2134 Sullivan, M, 2007, Rape, Prostitution and Consent, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology, Issue 40, No.2, Pp 127-142 Vanwesenbeeck I, 2001, Another Decade of Social Scientific Work on Sex Work: A Review of research 1990—2000. Ann Rev Sex Res, 12: Pp 242-289. Raymond, J.G, 2003, Reasons for Not Legalizing Prostitution, Coalition against Trafficking in Women International (CATW) Sullivan, M & Jeffreys, S, 2001, Legalising Prostitution is Not the Answer: the Example of Victoria, Australia. Coalition against Trafficking in Women, Australia and USA. Read More