SHAPESHIFTING: PROSTITUTION AND THE PROBLEM OF HARM A DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF MEDIA REPORTAGE OF PROSTITUTION LAW REFORM IN NEW ZEALAND IN 2003 A thesis submitted to AUT University New Zealand in partial fulfillment of the degree of Master in Health Science JANE BARRINGTON SEPTEMBER 2008 i TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................................. i TABLE OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................... iv ATTESTATION OF AUTHORSHIP ............................................................................. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................ vi ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................................... vii CHAPTER 1: Introduction .............................................................................................. 8 Problematising Prostitution Law Reform in New Zealand ........................................... 10 Problematising Prostitution ........................................................................................... 11 Reasons for the Research .............................................................................................. 14 The First Aim of the Research .................................................................................. 17 The Second Aim of the Research .............................................................................. 17 The Third Aim of the Research ................................................................................ 18 The Fourth Aim of the Research ............................................................................... 19 The Scope of the Study ................................................................................................. 19 Terms used this Thesis .................................................................................................. 22 The Gendered Nature of Prostitution ........................................................................ 22 Prostitute ................................................................................................................... 22 Consumer .................................................................................................................. 23 Service Users ............................................................................................................ 24 The Organisation of the Thesis ..................................................................................... 24 CHAPTER 2: Methodology ........................................................................................... 26 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 26 Philosophical Underpinnings ........................................................................................ 26 Post-structuralism ..................................................................................................... 26 Discourse................................................................................................................... 27 Power ........................................................................................................................ 28 The Subject ............................................................................................................... 29 Discourse Analysis........................................................................................................ 29 The Body: The terrain of power ................................................................................ 31 Governmentality and Biopower ................................................................................ 32 Foucault’s Technologies ............................................................................................... 33 Disciplinary Power.................................................................................................... 34 Resistance ................................................................................................................. 35 Feminism................................................................................................................... 35 Feminist Post-structuralism ...................................................................................... 36 Methodological Strengths ............................................................................................. 37 Methodological Limitations .......................................................................................... 39 Method .......................................................................................................................... 40 Data Collection ......................................................................................................... 40 Data Analysis ............................................................................................................ 42 Questions for the Interrogation of the Discourses .................................................... 44 Review and Representation of the Literature ............................................................ 45 Ethical Considerations .................................................................................................. 45 ii Methodological Rigour ............................................................................................. 46 Reflexivity................................................................................................................. 47 Trustworthiness ......................................................................................................... 47 Fruitfulness ............................................................................................................... 50 Limitations of this Research ......................................................................................... 50 CHAPTER 3: Review of the Literature and the Research Context ........................... 53 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 53 Laws .............................................................................................................................. 53 International Approaches to Prostitution Law .......................................................... 55 The New Zealand Prostitution Reform Act .............................................................. 57 Regulation of Prostitution: Devolution to local government .................................... 58 Therapeutic Jurisprudence ........................................................................................ 59 Human Rights ............................................................................................................... 60 Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women .... 61 Feminisms ..................................................................................................................... 63 Liberal/Rights Feminism .......................................................................................... 64 Radical/Abolitionist Feminism ................................................................................. 65 Hegemonic Masculinities.......................................................................................... 66 A Feminist Backlash ................................................................................................. 67 Sexualities ..................................................................................................................... 68 Consumers................................................................................................................. 68 Consumers are Ordinary Men ................................................................................... 69 Sexualities and Neoliberalism ................................................................................... 70 Prostitution as Male Sexuality .................................................................................. 71 Masculinity as a Homosocial Performance ............................................................... 72 Sexual Terrorism ........................................................................................................... 73 Secrecy and Silence .................................................................................................. 73 Moralities ...................................................................................................................... 74 Relationships, Family and Sexual Morality .............................................................. 76 Economics ..................................................................................................................... 77 A Marxist-Feminist Perspective ............................................................................... 80 Women’s Labour ...................................................................................................... 80 Contesting Prostitution as Work ............................................................................... 81 Commodification ...................................................................................................... 81 Prostitution and Poverty ...........................................................................................