Understanding Exploitation In Consensual Sexwork To Inform Occupational Health Safety Regulation

The impetus behind this Special Issue emerged from a quest to move beyondbinary thinking in the contemporary period about people who sell sexual services,including recent disputes about “sex trafficking vs. prostitution” and“criminalization vs. decriminalization”, to encourage theoretical and empiricalscholarship by exploring how sex work actually operates under different regulatoryregimes. The volume includes contributions from scholars of different socialsciences backgrounds based in five countries- New Zealand, the United Kingdom,Brazil, the United States and Canada. The article topics range widely,and both quantitative and qualitative research methods are showcased. The empiricalevidence presented adds to our current understanding of the complexityof this phenomenon of sex commerce/prostitution, which is found to be largelya problem of social inequality within and across capitalist societies. The authorscall for policies to address occupational and societal wide inequities faced by sexworkers across many countries.

The impetus behind this Special Issue emerged from a quest to move beyond binary thinking in the contemporary period about people who sell sexual services, including recent disputes about "sex trafficking vs. prostitution" and "criminalization vs. decriminalization", to encourage theoretical and empirical scholarship by exploring how sex work actually operates under different regulatory regimes. The volume includes contributions from scholars of different social sciences backgrounds based in five countries- New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Brazil, the United States and Canada. The article topics range widely, and both quantitative and qualitative research methods are showcased. The empirical evidence presented adds to our current understanding of the complexity of this phenomenon of sex commerce/prostitution, which is found to be largely a problem of social inequality within and across capitalist societies. The authors call for policies to address occupational and societal wide inequities faced by sex workers across many countries.

Archaeology of a Brothel in Nineteenth-Century Boston, MA provides an accessible and thought-provoking account of the archaeological understanding of nineteenth-century prostitution in Boston, Massachusetts. The book explores how the practice of nineteenth-century sex work involved a careful construction of fantasy for brothel customers. This fantasy had the potential to provide financial stability and security for the madam of the establishment, if not for the women working for them. Employing theories of embodiment, sexuality, and an archaeology of the senses, this study of the Endicott Street collection contributes a new methodological and theoretical framework for studying the archaeology of prostitution across time, space, and culture. The material culture recovered from brothel sites allows exploration of both the semi-private, "behind the scenes" narrative of sex work, as well as the semi-public, eroticised "performance space" where patrons were entertained. Few books on the archaeology of sex work exist and this volume will both provide an updated perspective on the history of sex work in Boston in the nineteenth century as well as tie advances in gender and embodiment theories to a compelling case study. The book is for students and scholars of historical archaeology, nineteenth-century urban America, and gender studies. Students studying feminist theory and archaeology of the senses will also be interested in the contents.

In Canada, sex workers continue to experience stigma and criminalization despite changes to the policy. In many regions across the globe, the consensual sale of sex is criminal, thereby limiting fundamental human rights and dictating persons' right to bodily autonomy. While consent is the primary element of the rights of sex workers, a problem arises when the industry becomes exploitative. Exploitation in the sex industry is the course leading to sex trafficking and rape for profit. Crime and harm flourishes in the dark hidden areas of the world, which is why an ongoing conversation about the differences between consensual sex work and sex trafficking is essential. In order to reduce stigma, we must continue to have difficult conversations about uncomfortable topics in the hopes that one day they no longer seem uncomfortable. Millions of people particulate in the sale of sexual services, and the clear distinction between consensual and coerced forms can allow for the decriminalization of sex work with attention to the needs of victims. The potential for harm is enough to drive legislation, and there is hope for a shift to harm reduction and empowerment. Victims of sexual exploitation and abuse will not wait for politics to catch up.

In 2013, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in Canada v. Bedford that key prostitution laws were unconstitutional. Red Light Labour addresses the new legal regime regulating sex work by analyzing how laws and those who uphold them have constructed, controlled, and criminalized sex workers, their clients, and their workspaces. This groundbreaking collection also offers nuanced interpretations of commercial sexual labour from the perspectives of workers, activists, and researchers. The contributors highlight the struggle for civic and social inclusion by considering sex workers’ advocacy tactics, successes, and challenges. A timely legal, policy, and social analysis of sex work in Canada.

This annotated document collection surveys the history and evolution of laws and attitudes regarding free speech and censorship in the United States, with a special emphasis on contemporary events and controversies related to the First Amendment. The United States' collective understanding of First Amendment freedoms was formed by more than 200 years of tensions between the power of word and the power of the government. During that time, major laws and legal decisions defined the circumstances and degree to which personal expression could be rightfully expressed—and rightfully limited. This struggle to define the parameters of free speech continues today. Vibrant and passionate debates about First Amendment limitations once inspired by the dissemination of birth control information now address such issues as kneeling during the national anthem, removing controversial books from public libraries, attempts by the Trump administration to discredit the press, and disseminating false or hateful information through social media platforms. By exploring diverse examples of censorship victories and triumphs of free expression, readers will better understand the enormous impact of First Amendment freedoms on American society.