Sex Work and Human Dignity Law, Politics and Discourse

The notion of human dignity is frequently, yet enigmatically, invoked in legal and political debates on sex work, where many people use it without much elaboration on exactly what they mean by it. Sex Work and Human Dignity: Law, Politics andDiscoursesheds light on this enigma, by exploring how dignity-based discourses are used by those who write and talk about prostitution and also what role these discourses may play in shaping wider cultural understandings of sex work and sex workers. The book draws on political discourse theory and is international in its scope, with analysis of legal cases, textual sources, and empirical data gathered through interviews with activists from several different countries in the Global North and South. The book traces how the concept of dignity is used in a range of legal and political discourses on sex work and ultimately asks to what extent dignity-based discourses help to advance, or hinder, sex workers’ social inclusion. This book will appeal to students and researchers interested in sex work and feminism, as well as those who study human dignity. Its interdisciplinary nature means it will appeal to those working in a range of disciplines, including law, sociology, philosophy, and political theory.

1. Introduction 2. Setting the Scene: The Concept of Human Dignity 3. ‘Dignity Talk’ in Judicial Decisions on Sex Work 4. The Concept of Dignity in Abolitionist Feminist Discourses 5. The Concept of Dignity in Sex Worker Rights Discourses 6. ‘Dignity Talk’ and the Sex Working Subject 7. Conclusion

Stewart Cunningham completed his PhD at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow. His research interests are focused on the legal regulation of sex work and political activism on sex work law reform.