The Two Faces of Prostitution

Prostitution is one of the most contested issues in global feminism today. Some theorists argue that it is a telling example of violence against women, others argue that it is labour or 'work'. This controversy reflects the complexity of the subject of prostitution and the deeper theoretical questions it invokes. Prostitution is a highly gendered phenomenon - mostly women selling sex to male customers - involving such issues as the social meaning of the female body, women's sexual agency and autonomy, the status of male sexual needs in society, the role of the state in controlling and regulating sexuality. Moreover our overall ethical view of 'what the body is allowed to offer for money' is involved as well as our assessment of the world-wide vulnerability and poverty of women. From an academic point of view we need to explore what may be called the 'two faces of prostitution': on the one hand - looking from the perspective of agency - the fact that a great many women today have chosen to work some time in their life as a prostitute, on the other hand the denial of agency - in whole or in part - to those women as a result of conditions existing in the global and local sex-market and the social processes of stigmatisation. To put it simple: both agency and violence have to be taken into account in any serious discussion about gender and sex work.<br> <br> This two-day course attempts to analyse the various meanings of prostitution on the basis of the best academic studies available today. It also presents the participants with a challenging view of the recent - specifically Dutch - experiences with legalising the sex industry.<br> <br> The subjects that will be specifically addressed include at least the following: prostitution as a female experience; migration, traffic in women and the 'voluntary-forced' divide; Dutch policies in legalising the sex industry; feminist prostitution politics in historical perspective. There will be special attention to research issues as well. For example, is a particular methodology in research on prostitution needed; what are useful theoretical approaches?<br> <br> <b>Speakers</b>:<br> Prof. Dr. Joyce Outshoorn, University of Leiden<br> Dr. Petra de Vries, University of Amsterdam<br> Drs. Marie-Louise Janssen, University of Amsterdam<br> <br> <b>Second date</b>: October 25, 2006; 9.30 am - 5.00 pm<br>