Should sex work 'be understood as legitimate work, and an expression of women's choice and agency‟ (Jeffreys 2009: 316)?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36399/GroundingsUG.7.217Keywords:
Prostitution, Globalization, Jeffreys, Legitimization, Legalization, Critique, Liberal Feminism, Social Structures, Swedish ApproachAbstract
This article presents a radical feminist critique of how best to manage the increasingly complex social problems arising with the globalization of prostitution. It purports the essentialist arguments made by Sheila Jeffreys; that prostitution should not, and must never be perceived as a legitimate profession, regardless of its 'traditional' status as one of the oldest professions. The article systematically challenges liberal feminist arguments supporting legalization on the basis that working alongside and with prostitutes is a more effective way to improve working conditions and support the prostitutes. By no means discrediting the value of this perspective, this article criticizes the liberal ideology. It argues that liberal feminism fails to question the wider social structures upholding the practice of prostitution. This article recognizes prostitution as a social issue. It is inherently harmful for men as well as women and misconceives expectations of sex. It advocates the proactive Swedish approach to tacking prostitution, which makes it illegal to buy sex, as opposed to sell sex; sanctioning the 'demand' as opposed to the prostitute.
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