New Technology, Same Old Stigma: An Analysis of Feminist Discourses and Sex Work Stigma in Sex Robot Media by Delphine DiTecco A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Women’s and Gender Studies Pauline Jewett Institute of Women’s and Gender Studies Carleton University Ottawa, Ontario © 2020 Delphine DiTecco Abstract Scholars have theorized the technological displacement of sex workers at the hands of sex robots, but none have addressed how sex robot representations could contribute to sex work stigma. Using critical discourse analysis and sex positive theories, this thesis seeks to address this gap by analyzing the production of knowledge in the emerging field of sex robots. Specifically, this study analyzes sex robot representations in academic literature and online news articles to critically consider how prevailing discourses may impact sex and gender norms and sex work stigma. My analysis revealed that through their construction as sex work, sex robot representations reproduce problematic sex and gender norms, radical feminist discourses, and stigmatize sex workers and sex work clients. Furthermore, sex workers, sex work clients, and sex robot/doll users were found to be underrepresented in these conversations. This research demonstrates the need for more inclusive and destigmatizing sex robot representations. ii Acknowledgements I would like to express my deep gratitude to my thesis supervisor Dr. Lara Karaian, who I am so honored to have had the opportunity to work with. I am eternally thankful for her guidance, enthusiasm, and continued support throughout my academic journey. I would also like to express my great appreciation to my committee members, Dr. Ummni Khan and Dr. Megan Rivers-Moore. Along with Lara, these women produce some of the most inspiring and thought- provoking research that I have come across in my academic career and I am immensely grateful for the ways that they have engaged with my work and challenged my own thinking. I would like to thank my chair, Dr. Patrizia Gentile, and Dr. Katie Bausch and Lana Keon who have been indispensable pillars of support as I have navigated through the thesis process, as well as the student cohorts of the Women’s and Gender Studies graduate department who make it a joy to be a student at Carleton. I am also very grateful to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada for supporting my research through funding. I cannot speak about sex robots without mentioning Simon Dube, without whom I would have never delved into this wonderful topic. I am so grateful for the valuable knowledge and excitement he has shared with me as well as the many opportunities he has granted me. Thank you to my parents for providing me with a supportive and open-minded family environment, giving me all the tools necessary to succeed, and never doubting me. Thank you to my brother, Lucas, and my best friends in Montreal for always encouraging my pursuits. Finally, a very special thank you to my partner, Elias, who has followed me to Ottawa in support of my goals, who is my rock, and who both challenges and empowers me. I am so grateful to each and every individual who has seen the value in my work and perspective. iii Table of Contents ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................................................................. II ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................................................................... III TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................................. IV INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................................... 1 TERMINOLOGY ...................................................................................................................................................... 6 CHAPTER 1: SEX ROBOTS: DEVELOPMENT, PREDICTIONS, AND THE SEX WORK PARALLEL ................................... 11 SEX TOYS ................................................................................................................................................................... 12 THE CURRENT STATE OF SEX ROBOTS .............................................................................................................................. 15 PREDICTED ACCEPTANCE AND USE OF SEX ROBOTS ............................................................................................................ 18 CATEGORIZING ROBOT SEX ............................................................................................................................................ 25 THE PARALLEL BETWEEN SEX ROBOTS AND SEX WORK ....................................................................................................... 28 CHAPTER 2: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS: STIGMA, THE FEMINIST SEX WARS, AND SEX POSITIVE THEORY ....... 34 STIGMA THEORY .......................................................................................................................................................... 35 SEX WAR DEBATES....................................................................................................................................................... 48 SEX POSITIVITY ............................................................................................................................................................ 55 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY & METHOD ............................................................................................................. 59 METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................................................................................... 60 METHOD .................................................................................................................................................................... 63 CHAPTER 4: ANALYSIS .......................................................................................................................................... 75 GENDERING ROBOTS AND THEIR USERS ............................................................................................................................ 78 MEN WHO BUY SEX: PATHOLOGIZED AND DEHUMANIZED ................................................................................................... 92 INHERENT HARM AND CAUSALITY ................................................................................................................................. 102 SEX WORKER VICTIMIZATION AND DISPOSABILITY ............................................................................................................ 109 MISSING PERSPECTIVES ............................................................................................................................................... 112 CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................................................................... 115 LIMITATIONS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS .......................................................................................................................... 117 REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................................................... 121 APPENDICES....................................................................................................................................................... 165 APPENDIX A: FIGURES ................................................................................................................................................ 165 APPENDIX B: SAMPLE TABLES ...................................................................................................................................... 171 APPENDIX C: SAMPLE STATISTICS TABLES ....................................................................................................................... 178 iv Introduction Robots are being welcomed into our living rooms, kitchens, and bathrooms, but what about our bedrooms? As robot technology becomes increasingly popular, a particular type of robot seems to be on everyone’s lips: the sex robot. According to Danaher (2014), sex robots are visually human-like artifacts used for sexual activity that perform human-like movements and interact with the environment through artificial intelligence technology. This technology is just beginning to enter the market, and admittedly, the artificial intelligence of today’s sex robot is slightly underwhelming; but it is evolving rapidly. David Levy (2007a), an artificial intelligence expert and leading voice in the field, claims that sex with robots is inevitable and will soon become a normal part of our lives, and he is not alone in his belief. In 2006, the chairman of the European Robotics Research Network announced with confidence that “people will be having sex with robots within five years” (Levy, 2007b, p. 1). For futurist Pearson (2015), robot sex will begin to replace human sex by the year 2050. Beyond at-home usage, scholars have predicted that sex robot brothels will be commonplace in a near future (e.g. Yeoman & Mars, 2012). Though sex robots are not yet as common