Sex work and speech: the public perception of terms describing sex industry participants
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Date
2021-11
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Abstract
The intention of this study is to explore and capture the perceptions that the public hold about different terms used to refer to sex industry participants. With the increasing acceptance and normalization of sex work, those who participate in the industry have voiced discomfort, concern, and criticism about the terminology they are referred to with. Many of these words carry heavy connotations and can insinuate certain things about a sex worker's moral character or value. Recently, activists have sought to shift the linguistic representations of marginalized groups to mitigate the usage of derogatory language that is often weaponized against them. Although some have embraced sex workers and ardently defended their humanity and right to work, the world has not made suitable progress in accommodating sex industry participants by describing them with dignity and sensitivity. Derogatory, stigmatizing language evidences society's hesitance to humanize this sector of society. In order to discover what attitudes people hold about specific terminology, a survey was administered that prompted participants to share what attitudes and beliefs they associated with the words sex worker, escort, prostitute, and hooker.
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sociolinguistics, sex work, stigma