Prostitution: Sex Work, Policy and Politics

This imaginative and comprehensive introduction to the sex industry is as welcome as it is timely.... This is a rewarding and topical book that I would urge all interested parties to consult. Graham Scambler, Professor of Medical Sociology, University College London. A remarkably thorough analysis of prostitution in contemporary society. Situating sex work at the intersection of economy, occupation, and emotion, the authors illuminate the complex forces that shape prostitution within an emerging global order. Bringing their analysis full circle, they close with a helpful exploration of the methods by which researchers are able to investigate an area of such danger and controversy. All in all, a courageous and important book. Jeff Ferrell, Visiting Professor of Criminology, University of Kent, UK, and Professor of Sociology, Texas Christian University, USA. This excellent text fills a gap in the market as it explores the full range of issues covering sex work, policy and politics....A fascinating and informative text which will become the leading handbook in this area. Dr Louise Westmarland, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, The Open University Many commentators have attempted to analyze and explain the nature of prostitution. However, this is the first textbook to offer a complete overview of the way it operates within contemporary society, its characteristics, organzational structures and cultural contexts. The book also explores how criminal, social and health policies have sought to regulate and control the selling of sex. This introduction to the sociology and criminology of sex work is: " comprehensive - covering all key areas common to the study of the female sex industry and also includes male and transgender sex work, and the sexual exploitation of young people " interdisciplinary - combining sociological approaches with criminology, criminal justice studies, social policy, health research and sexuality studies " comparative - including the international context of the sex industry, drawing on European and other examples of law, regulation and systems that govern the sex industry " student-focused - offering a lively writing style, case studies, summaries of relevant legislation, study questions and guidance on further reading " accessible - assisting student learning and aiding lecturers in their teaching. Written by leading experts with over 20 years' experience in researching and teaching in the field, this is a must for all criminology, criminal justice and sociology students taking modules in sex industry and prostitution studies. It will also appeal to those in gender studies and social policy.

Table of Contents:
The Sociology of Sex Work The Cultural Context of Commerce and Sex Sex Workers and Sex Work Children, Young People and Commercial Sexual Exploitation Buying Sexual Services Sex Workers, Labour Rights and Unionization Crime, Justice and the Sex Industry Communities, Services and Welfare Globalization and the Sex Trade Researching the Sex Industry

About the Author :
Teela Sanders is Professor of Criminology at the University of Leicester specializing in the cross-sections between gender, crime and justice. She has researched areas relating to the sex industry for 15 years producing eight books and many articles. Her current projects look at digital technologies and the sex industry (www.beyond-the-gaze.com) with a strong impact agenda around netreach and safety guidance for sex workers. She is a strong supporter of Participatory Action Research methods which underpin her research endeavours, working alongside the sex work community to ensure evidence-based policy speaks to the rights agenda. Other work focuses on homicide and mental health with sex workers. The National Ugly Mugs are collaborative partners with her research activities, enabling impact into grassroots activities. Maggie O’Neill is Chair in Sociology/Criminology in the Department of Sociology, University of York and has conducted participatory and feminist work on sex work with sex workers, practitioners, communities, artists and other researchers since 1989. Her inter-disciplinary research career has developed along a threefold path: the development of cultural, criminological and feminist theory; the development of innovative methodologies for doing social research – including visual, biographical and performative (walking) methodologies (ethno-mimesis); and the development of praxis (policy) interventions in practice and policy. She co-founded and co-chairs the Sex Work Research hub with Rosie Campbell and Teela Sanders. She is a board member of the North East Sex Work Forum, co-founded the Crime Research Network and co-chairs the Migration Research Network at the University of York. Maggie has a long history of conducting participatory, biographical and arts-based research working in collaboration with artists, communities and criminal justice agencies on asylum and migration. Jane Pitcher completed an ESRC-funded PhD in Social Sciences at Loughborough University which explored the working experiences of sex workers in different indoor settings in Great Britain, drawing on in-depth inter­views with adult female, male and transgender sex workers. She has more than 20 years’ research and evaluation expertise in voluntary, academic and public sector organizations, including recently working on a study of internet-based sex work, Beyond the Gaze, with co-researchers at the universities of Leicester and Strathclyde and is co-author of Internet Sex Work: Beyond the Gaze (Palgrave 2017). She has undertaken research and published on sex work and services to sex workers, criminal justice and community safety and labour market disad­vantage, as well as teaching a postgraduate module on Feminism and Sex Industries. Her research interests include intimate labour, labour market struc­tures and gender, and policy responses to sex work. 

Review :
This imaginative and comprehensive introduction to the sex industry is as welcome as it is timely... This is a rewarding and topical book that I would urge all interested parties to consult. Graham Scambler, Professor of Medical Sociology University College London A remarkably thorough analysis of prostitution in contemporary society. Situating sex work at the intersection of economy, occupation, and emotion, the authors illuminate the complex forces that shape prostitution within an emerging global order. Bringing their analysis full circle, they close with a helpful exploration of the methods by which researchers are able to investigate an area of such danger and controversy. All in all, a courageous and important book. Jeff Ferrell, Visiting Professor of Criminology University of Kent, UK,and Professor of Sociology Texas Christian University, USA. This excellent text fills a gap in the market as it explores the full range of issues covering sex work, policy and politics...A fascinating and informative text which will become the leading handbook in this area. Dr Louise Westmarland, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, The Open University