Responding to Academic Critiques of Sex Work: Practical Suggestions from a Sex-Positive Perspective

16 Responding to Academic Critiques of Sex To help make sense of this, I present three Work: Practical Suggestions from a Sex- standard academic critiques of sex work that Positive Perspective I suggest have often held academics back from taking a more sex-positive perspective. Jeremy N. Thomas, PhD Although I only present the basic contours Idaho State University and Center for of these critiques, I present them with the Positive Sexuality intent of highlighting how a more sex- positive perspective could respond to these While the prevalence of sex workers and the critiques in a helpful and constructive size and growth of the sex industry is manner. That is, instead of simply regularly disputed and/or misrepresented dismissing or attempting to undermine these (Weitzer, 2007), by all accounts, sex work critiques, I ask, how might academics forms a significant part of the American respond to these critiques in ways that could economy. Whether prostitution, erotic be both practically beneficial as well as massage, escorting, dancing, modeling, broadly applicable?—not just for other pornography, or providing BDSM and fetish academics, but also for clinicians and policy services—sex work and sex workers are makers, as well as for those who either work available virtually everywhere, and in the sex industry or utilize the services that depending on the particular service the industry provides. Accordingly, I now involved, are utilized by anywhere from a present three standard academic critiques of small but substantial portion of the sex work, after which, I offer three population (e.g., prostitution; Monto & corresponding responses. McRee, 2005) to a large percentage of adults (e.g, pornography; Carroll et al., 2008; Three Standard Academic Critiques of Döring, 2009). Sex Work Needless to say, many persons find this While academic critiques of sex work are problematic. Indeed, drawing on religious wide-ranging and often quite sophisticated rhetoric (Thomas, 2013) as well as popular (Zatz, 1997), I suggest that in basic form notions of decency (Heins, 2007) and there are really three standard critiques that sentimentality (Ericsson, 1980), many have subsequently been adapted and Americans are quick to offer moral integrated in a variety of ways. The first of condemnation of these practices (Sherkat & these is the Marxist critique. This critique Ellison, 1997; Weitzer, 2006). In this article, derives from Marx’s general critique of however, I want to look beyond just popular capitalism (1976) as well as Engels’ specific opinion, and I want to consider how application of this critique to the family academics have often responded to sex structure (2010). At root, this critique can be work. In particular, I am interested in why it summed up in Marx’s aphorism that is that although academics have frequently “Prostitution is only a particular expression come to the defense of other popularly- of the universal prostitution of the worker...” controversial aspects of sexuality—for (1992, p. 350). By this, Marx meant that just example, homosexuality—when it has come as the general workings of capitalism are to sex work, academics have typically been inherently exploitive (e.g., owners profiting much more hesitant to counter popular from and mistreating their workers), so too, opinion. sex work is inherently exploitive (e.g., pimps and club owners profiting from and Journal of Positive Sexuality, Vol. 1, February 2015 © 2015 Journal of Positive Sexuality-Center for Positive Sexuality 17 mistreating their prostitutes and dancers). work of Marcuse (1955, 1964), the critical One of the interesting corollaries to this is theory critique argues that when sex that the Marxist tradition has frequently becomes something that is bought and sold, argued that just like workers in any other both the buyer and the seller lose a part of industry, the exploitation of sex workers is themselves in the transaction. The idea here not constant but rather varies significantly is that in its natural form, sexuality is a across situations and contexts (Ericsson, creative energy that in order to be fully 1980; Kesler, 2002). In particular, when sex experienced must be freely given and freely work takes place in less regulated received (Horkheimer & Adorno, 2002). environments (e.g., child brothels in Hence, when sex enters the marketplace, its Thailand), sex workers are subject to greater creative energy becomes regimented and levels of exploitation, while in more diminished through the constraints of regulated environments (e.g., adult brothels exchange and consumption (Fleming, 2007). in Nevada), such exploitation is decreased. No matter how consensual and pleasurable the experience may be, the critical theory The second standard academic critique of critique argues that the sale of sex sex work is the radical feminist critique. fundamentally degrades its creative Often identified with the writings of character, and in turn, both buyers and Dworkin (1981) and MacKinnon (1989), the sellers become alienated from their own radical feminist critique argues that sex sexualities. work is not only exploitive because owners profit from and mistreat their workers, but Responding Instead of Dismissing more critically, because owners are overwhelmingly male, and workers are Many advocates of the above critiques— overwhelmingly female. This promotes the whether Marxist, radical feminist, or critical idea that sex work is not really about selling theory—argue that sex work of all kinds sexual services, but actually about selling should be discouraged, resisted, and made women themselves (Barry, 1979, 1995). In illegal or at least difficult and costly to turn, the radical feminist critique argues that access (e.g., Jeffreys, 2009). Alternatively, this kind of objectification leads to the some proponents of sex work argue that further mistreatment of sex workers by both these critiques are invalid and should simply owners and buyers—which ultimately be dismissed. Instead of either of these results in the similar mistreatment of women options, I suggest taking a more sex-positive more generally (Dines, 2010). In sum, the perspective. That is, rather than trying to radical feminist critique argues that sex adjudicate evidence and trying to assess the work reinforces patriarchy and validity of these critiques, I propose giving heteronormativity. Sex work, it is claimed, each of them the benefit of the doubt, and turns women into sexual objects to be used then asking, given that sex work and the sex and mistreated by men. industry is not likely to be going away any time soon, how we might respond to these The third standard academic critique of sex critiques in a helpful and constructive work is the critical theory critique. While manner? Accordingly, I now offer three this critique is perhaps the least likely to be responses that lay out some practical specifically identified, in many ways, it is suggestions that could be promoted by the most powerful and enduring of the three academics and then implemented by standard critiques. Based primarily on the clinicians and policy makers, as well as by Journal of Positive Sexuality, Vol. 1, February 2015 © 2015 Journal of Positive Sexuality-Center for Positive Sexuality 18 those who either work in the sex industry or academics should be especially supportive utilize the services that the industry of queer and alternative services such as provides. Although these responses are not those provided by gay escorts and lesbian necessarily new and have in large part been dancers, as well as by professional articulated elsewhere (e.g., Bell, 1994; dominants and submissives, by alternative Chapkis, 1997; Rubin, 1984), nonetheless, I pornography actors, and by fetish service think it is still helpful to identify and providers. By means of such diversification describe some basic sex-positive responses. and queerification, sex work can move away from reinforcing patriarchy and First, to the degree that the Marxist critique heteronormativity and actually begin to may have some validity in arguing that sex undermine these hegemonic structures. work is an inherently exploitive labor practice, I suggest that the appropriate Third, to the degree that the critical theory response lies in advocating for the kinds of critique may have some validity in arguing occupational regulations that will reduce this that sex work alienates buyers and sellers exploitation. In particular, academics should from their own sexualities, I suggest that the not only call for the decriminalization and appropriate response lies in advocating for legalization of consensual, adult sex work, the legitimation and celebration of sex work but they should also call for fair labor as a creative occupation that not only practices, for profit sharing, for safe provides an important source of income for workplaces, and especially for the many persons but can also be personally opportunity for sex workers to be self- meaningful and fulfilling. While there are employed as desired. Now, obviously, much many ways in which this might be of the current regulation of sex work is not understood (e.g., in a therapeutic sense, an at all intended to support these goals but entertainment sense, or a self-actualization actually is intended to limit and discourage sense), regardless of the particularities, sex work. Hence, when it comes to academics should encourage others to see implementing new regulations, it is sex work as a creative enterprise, as imperative that policy makers partner with acceptable and important as any other line of sex workers in developing these regulations, work. Alongside this academic so that these regulations properly serve the encouragement, clinicians can also play a interests of sex workers. To be clear, valuable role in supporting these kinds of regulation must support and protect sex ideas. Finally, sex workers, as well as those workers, not further exploit them. who utilize their services, can both be intentional in respecting and validating— Second, to the degree that the radical and thus reifying—the creative dimensions feminists critique may have some validity in of their mutual interactions.

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