Prostitution Politics Policy

Chapter 1 Why has prostitution become an issue? -- chapter 2 Prostitution myths -- chapter 3 Prostitution, vulnerability and victimisation -- chapter 4 Pathways into prostitution -- chapter 5 Desistance and exiting from prostitution -- chapter 6 The politics of prostitution -- chapter 7 Regulating prostitution.

Prostitution has become an extremely topical issue in recent years and attention has focused both on the situation of female prostitutes and the adequacy of existing forms of regulation. Prostitution, Politics & Policy brings together the main debates and issues associated with prostitution in order to examine the range of policy options that are available. Governments in different parts of the world have been struggling to develop constructive policies to deal with prostitution – as, for example, the British Home Office recently instigated a £1.5 million programme to help address the perceived problems of prostitution. In the context of this struggle, and amidst the publication of various policy documents, Prostitution, Politics & Policy develops a fresh approach to understanding this issue, while presenting a range of what are seen as progressive and radical policy proposals. Much of the debate around prostitution has been polarized between liberals – who want prostitution decriminalized, normalized and humanized – and conservatives – who have argued that prostitution should be abolished. But, drawing on a wide range of international literature, and providing an overview that is both accessible to students and relevant to policy makers and practitioners, Roger Matthews proposes a form of radical realism that is irreducible to either of these two positions.

The most effective way to deal with prostitution has always been hotly debated by governments and women s movements alike. Feminists want it abolished or regulated as sex work; governments have to safeguard public health and order. This book shows how women s movements in Western Europe, North America and Australia have affected politics on prostitution and trafficking of women since the 1970s, asking what made them successful in some countries but a failure in others. It also assesses whether government institutions to advance the status of women - so-called women s policy agencies - have played a key role in achieving policy outcomes favourable to movement demands. Written by an international team of experts and based on original sources, all chapters follow the same framework to ensure comparability. The final chapter offers an overall comparison identifying what makes women s movements successful and women s agencies effective, presenting the case for state feminism .

Prostitution has become an extremely topical issue in recent years and attention has focused both on the situation of female prostitutes and the adequacy of existing forms of regulation. Prostitution, Politics & Policy brings together the main debates and issues associated with prostitution in order to examine the range of policy options that are available. Governments in different parts of the world have been struggling to develop constructive policies to deal with prostitution – as, for example, the British Home Office recently instigated a £1.5 million programme to help address the perceived problems of prostitution. In the context of this struggle, and amidst the publication of various policy documents, Prostitution, Politics & Policy develops a fresh approach to understanding this issue, while presenting a range of what are seen as progressive and radical policy proposals. Much of the debate around prostitution has been polarized between liberals – who want prostitution decriminalized, normalized and humanized – and conservatives – who have argued that prostitution should be abolished. But, drawing on a wide range of international literature, and providing an overview that is both accessible to students and relevant to policy makers and practitioners, Roger Matthews proposes a form of radical realism that is irreducible to either of these two positions.

This imaginative and comprehensive introduction to the sex industry is as welcome as it is timely.... This is a rewarding and topical book that I would urge all interested parties to consult. Graham Scambler, Professor of Medical Sociology, University College London. A remarkably thorough analysis of prostitution in contemporary society. Situating sex work at the intersection of economy, occupation, and emotion, the authors illuminate the complex forces that shape prostitution within an emerging global order. Bringing their analysis full circle, they close with a helpful exploration of the methods by which researchers are able to investigate an area of such danger and controversy. All in all, a courageous and important book. Jeff Ferrell, Visiting Professor of Criminology, University of Kent, UK, and Professor of Sociology, Texas Christian University, USA. This excellent text fills a gap in the market as it explores the full range of issues covering sex work, policy and politics....A fascinating and informative text which will become the leading handbook in this area. Dr Louise Westmarland, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, The Open University Many commentators have attempted to analyze and explain the nature of prostitution. However, this is the first textbook to offer a complete overview of the way it operates within contemporary society, its characteristics, organzational structures and cultural contexts. The book also explores how criminal, social and health policies have sought to regulate and control the selling of sex. This introduction to the sociology and criminology of sex work is: " comprehensive - covering all key areas common to the study of the female sex industry and also includes male and transgender sex work, and the sexual exploitation of young people " interdisciplinary - combining sociological approaches with criminology, criminal justice studies, social policy, health research and sexuality studies " comparative - including the international context of the sex industry, drawing on European and other examples of law, regulation and systems that govern the sex industry " student-focused - offering a lively writing style, case studies, summaries of relevant legislation, study questions and guidance on further reading " accessible - assisting student learning and aiding lecturers in their teaching. Written by leading experts with over 20 years' experience in researching and teaching in the field, this is a must for all criminology, criminal justice and sociology students taking modules in sex industry and prostitution studies. It will also appeal to those in gender studies and social policy.

Available Open Access under CC-BY-NC licence. While the debate on regulating prostitution usually focuses on national policy, it is local policy measures that have the most impact on the ground. This book is the first to offer a detailed analysis of the design and implementation of prostitution policy at the local level and carefully situates local policy practices in national policy making and transnational trends in labour migration and exploitation. Based on detailed comparative research in Austria and the Netherlands, and bringing in experiences in countries such as New Zealand and Sweden, it analyses the policy instruments employed by local administrators to control prostitution and sex workers. Bridging the gap between theory and policy, emphasizing the multilevel nature of prostitution policy, while also highlighting more effective policies on prostitution, migration and labour exploitation, this unique book fills a gap in the literature on this contentious and important social issue.

The topic of sex-work/prostitution has long generated contentious debate, particularly within the broad church of feminism. This antagonism is reflected in UK policy debates, which are further complicated by their enactment in spaces of neoliberal hegemony. This book analyses the plurality of narratives which contribute to Westminster sex-work/prostitution policy debates and subsequently seeks to situate them within the social and political conditions of their production. Hewer illustrates that contemporary sex-work/prostitution debates are constituted through a complex entanglement of ideologically hybrid perspectives, which variously challenge and ingrain extant relations of power. Moreover, by drawing on a range of feminist and other critical social theories, Hewer offers a way to think differently about both sex-work/prostitution debates and sex-work/prostitution itself. The book will be a valuable resource for researchers and students from across the social sciences with an interest in the language used to talk about sex-work and prostitution in policy debates.