The politics of sex work: risk mitigation strategies employed by sex workers

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dc.contributor.advisorGouws, Amandaen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorMasondo, Nonduduzoen_ZA
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Political Science.en_ZA
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Political Science.en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2024-02-29T03:52:57Z
dc.date.accessioned2024-04-26T08:35:11Z
dc.date.available2024-02-29T03:52:57Z
dc.date.available2024-04-26T08:35:11Z
dc.date.issued2024-03
dc.description Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractENGLISH ABSTRACT: Sex workers are one of the most stigmatised and discriminated individuals. Due to the criminalisation of sex work, sex workers experience extreme victimisation, violence, abuse, harassment, discrimination, and stigmatisation. Sex workers must protect themselves mentally, physically, and emotionally because of the limited protection resources available. The criminalisation of sex work increases the risks for sex work. Risks play a substantial role in sex workers’ lives as their professional and personal lives intertwine. Previous literature on risk mitigation strategies focuses inter alia on Australia and the United Kingdom. Literature on risk mitigation strategies in South Africa centres on health, physical violence, and police abuse risks but not on emotional risks. Emotional risks need to be analysed because they impact sex workers’ well-being on a personal and professional level. This study analyses and explores the different risk mitigation strategies that sex workers employ to deal with health risks, emotional risks, police abuse, and physical violence from a feminist standpoint methodology. To analyse and explore the risk mitigation strategies sex workers employ, exploratory semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with ten research participants. The research participants were working in and around Cape Town, South Africa. Sex workers are a tight-knit community, and it is difficult to access this community. Therefore, this study needed a gatekeeper, the Sex Worker Education and Advocacy Task Force (SWEAT), which facilitated access. An in-depth analysis of interview transcripts was conducted to generate thematic codes for understanding how sex workers perceive and manage emotional risks, health risks, police abuse risks, and physical violence risks daily. Findings show that sex workers are aware of the risks of being a sex worker. They are most concerned and stressed about physical violence risks and police abuse because police behaviour is unpredictable, and police can put them out of business. The relationship between police and sex workers is complex. Some sex workers form protective relationships with police officers to get protection in exchange for information on criminal activity or sexual favours. A quid pro quo relationship between sex workers and the police is established. The research participants were not concerned about health risks because they could receive healthcare support from SWEAT. Sex workers are the most concerned about client and police violence risks and the least concerned about emotional risks. To mitigate emotional risks, the research participants relied on alcohol, ubstances, and therapy. To alleviate the challenges that these risks pose, sex workers are heavily dependent on SWEAT and other NGOs and NPOs. All the sex workers rejected the criminalisation of sex work. It had brought hardship to their lives, and they favour the decriminalisation of sex work because it would allow them to work freely. This study makes a case for the decriminalisation of sex work.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Sekswerk is oor die algemeen nie gewelddadig nie. As gevolg van die kriminalisering van sekswerk ervaar sekswerkers buitengewone viktimisasie, geweld, mishandeling, teistering, diskriminasie en stigmatisering. Sekswerkers moet hulleself geestelik, fisies en emosioneel beskerm weens die gebrek aan beskermingshulpbronne. Risiko’s speel 'n wesenlike rol in sekswerkers se lewens aangesien hulle professionele en persoonlike lewens vervleg is. Bestaande literatuur oor risikoverminderingstrategieë fokus, onder andere, op Australië en die Verenigde Koninkryk. Literatuur oor risikoverminderingstrategieë in Suid-Afrika fokus op gesondheidsrisiko’s, fisiese-geweldrisiko’s, en polisiegeweldrisiko’s. Die literatuur fokus nie op emosionele risiko's nie. Emosionele risiko's behoort ontleed te word omdat dit sekswerkers se welstand op 'n persoonlike en professionele vlak beïnvloed. Hierdie studie het die verskillende risikoverminderingstrategieë wat sekswerkers gebruik om gesondheidsrisiko’s, emosionele risiko’s, polisiegeweld en fisieke geweld te verminder vanuit 'n feministiese standpuntmetodologie ontleed en verken. Om die risikoverminderingstrategieë wat deur sekswerkers gebruik word te ontleed en te verken, is verkennende, semi-gestruktureerde in-diepte onderhoude met tien repsondente gevoer. Die respondente het in en om Kaapstad in Suid-Afrika gewerk. Sekswerkers is 'n hegte gemeenskap, en dit is moeilik om toegang tot die gemeenskap te kry. Daarom het hierdie studie 'n hekwagter, die Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Task Force (SWEAT), nodig gehad om toegang tot sekswerkers te fasiliteer. 'n Diepgaande ontleding van onderhoudtranskripsies is gedoen om tematiese kodes te genereer om te verstaan hoe sekswerkers emosionele risiko’s, gesondheidsrisiko’s, polisiegeweld en fisiese geweld risiko’s op 'n daaglikse basis ervaar en bestuur. Die sekswerkers was bewus van die risiko’s om 'n sekswerker te wees. Hulle was veral bekommerd en gespanne oor die risiko van fisieke geweld en polisiegeweld omdat polisiegedrag onvoorspelbaar is en hulle werk kan beëindig. Die verhouding tussen polisie en sekswerkers is kompleks. Sommige sekswerkers vorm verhoudings met polisiebeamptes wat hulle sal beskerm in ruil vir inligting oor kriminele aktiwiteite of seksuele gunste. ’n Quid pro quo verhouding tussen sekswerkers en die polisie word gevestig. Die navorsingsdeelnemers was nie te bekommerd oor gesondheidsrisiko’s nie, want hulle kon gesondheidsorg met behulp van SWEAT verkry. Sekswerkers is veral bekommerd oor fisiese geweld van kliënte and die polisie, maar minder bekommerd oor emosionele risiko’s. Om emosionele risiko’s teen te werk, het die respondente op alkohol, dwelms en terapie staatgemaak. Om al hierdie risiko’s teen te werk, is sekswerkers hoogs afhanklik van SWEAT, nie-regeringsorganisasies, en nie-winsgewende organisasies. Al die sekswerkers het die kriminalisering van sekswerk verwerp omdat dit ernstige probleme in hulle lewens veroorsaak. Al die respondente het dit eens dat die dekriminalisering van sekswerk hulle sal toelaat om openlik en vrylik te werk. Hierdie tesis maak ʼn saak uit vir die dekriminalisering van sekswerk.af_ZA
dc.description.versionMastersen_ZA
dc.format.extentvi, 149 pages
dc.identifier.urihttps://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/130190
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.rights.holderStellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshSex work -- Social aspectsen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshDecriminalizationen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshRisk-taking (Psychology)en_ZA
dc.subject.lcshNonprofit organizationsen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshProstitutes -- Services foren_ZA
dc.subject.lcshProstitutes -- Political activityen_ZA
dc.subject.nameUCTD
dc.titleThe politics of sex work: risk mitigation strategies employed by sex workersen_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA
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