Motivation and emotion/Book/2015/Sex worker motivation
What motivates people to do sex work?
Overview edit
This chapter will explore the motivations that drives sex workers. Touching base on what is considered sex work and the laws that govern sex work. There can be uncertainty on what sex work is and the 'types' of people that are employed as sex workers; this chapter will look at the ups and downs and the facts and myths surrounding the profession.
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What is Sex Work? edit
Sex Work can be defined as sexual intercourse with another person, it can include masturbation of others and using objects or other parts of the body in return for payment (s3 Summary of offence Act, 1988). Legal definitions of sexual services can often be unclear and open to the interpretation of courts, police and even local councils. For instance, nude massages can be considered a sexual service, and any workplace that offers sexual services can legally be defined as a brothel. Depending on location Sex Work is a legal occupation, however it is important to be aware of the rules and regulations enforced in each area that it is being solicited. There are different forms of sex work, each offering there own sets of guidelines and rules. There is Street Prostitution, Indoor prostitution (inclusive of brothels, escort services, and massage parlours etc), phone sex operators, adult film performing and erotic/lap dancing. Individuals considered 'behind the scenes' can be classed as sex workers as well, such as managers of the clubs, escort agents, film producers and directors.
Types of Sex Work edit
Indoor Prostitution - Sex Work that can take place inside brothels, massage parlours and can include escorting services. Studies have generalised that indoors prostitution reports the lowest levels of abuse, one study depicting 48% reporting abuse whilst working compared to the 81% of street workers reporting abuse (Roxburgh, Degenhardt & Copeland, 2006)
Street Prostitution - the solicitation of services on the streets, it is generally illegal to solicit or perform sex work in sight of churches and education centres such as schools, hospitals and residencies (Sex Workers Outreach Project [SWOP], 2010).
Adult Films - Erotic Films such as pornography, displaying erotic sexual acts for the purpose and distribution of eliciting sexual arousal in others (Ditmore, 2006).
Other - People who work behind the scenes, such as adult film producers, directors. Managers of brothels and massage parlours. Depending on the location this individuals who work in sex workplaces, who may not necessarily engage in the sexual intercourse can be considered sex workers for their job of managing/ promoting the work place (Dither, 2006).
The Law edit
Sex work rules and regulations are differ according to the country and state that an individual is in. It is important for sex workers and individuals soliciting the work of sex workers to understand what is and isn't legal where they are or where they choose to go.
Street sex work (sometimes referred to as streetwalkers) is legal in New South Wales under certain circumstances; such as being out of view of any residences, churches, schools and hospitals. Sex Work becomes illegal when in view of these premises and if the soliciting is done in an harassing or distressing manner. Public sex is illegal, so doing jobs in public, for example in a car on the street is also illegal.
Strip Clubs have 'Place of Public Entertainment' (POPE) licences which govern what they are and are not allowed to do, however alcohol laws have also been put in place which may create grey areas for what is and isn't legal.
Sex workers have rights as individuals and workers and there are many situations in which sex workers may interact with the police. Knowing these rights can stop any confusion between police and sex workers alike ensuring safe and fair treatment is adhered to.
It is illegal for individuals to live off of a sex workers pay. |Pimps can be charged for the exploitation of sex workers by collecting percentages of their earnings.
Sex workers have the same right as every other person in or out of the industry. No one should feel threatened or be subject to abuse of any kind. And it is important to note that while some sex workers do not experience abuse it is the right of a sex worker to report to the police and have a fair and just investigation into the allegations regardless of their profession (SWOP, 2010)
History of Sex Work edit
Sex work has originated from the ancient times. It is prevalent in many forms including prostitution. It is viewed differently across various cultures. In many countries sex work is prohibited, in others it is strongly legislated whilst in others it is common and prominent. For example some European Countries have very prominent Red Light districts, one of the most famous being De Wallen in Amsterdam in Holland.
Motivation and Sex Work edit
Motivation is considered the process which drives goal oriented behaviour, it guides, initiates and maintains certain behaviour.
Having a goal is not enough to accomplish it, there are three main components in motivation; Activation, Persistence and intensity.
Activation is the decision to initiate the behaviour, such as applying for work in a brothel or searching for ways to enter sex work. Sex work may not be the goal but an obstacle to cross in the process of reaching the goal, which leads us to persistence.
Persistence is the continued effort to reaching the goal. Even though there may be set backs and difficulties along the way. Sex work can be considered a difficult profession with the controversy of the topic and there are many risks and dangers that can be faced throughout a sex workers career.
Intensity is the focus and the energy that is put into the behaviour. If sex work is the means to reaching another goal or incentive then the intensity of the motivation could be measured by the fact that sex work was chosen as a resource to reach the goal. If sex work is the behaviour then the motivation can be measured by how hard one works as a sex worker.
The big question: Why are people sex workers?
There is a lot of negative stigma and discrimination associated with sex work, so the idea that someone might willingly choose to become a sex worker may be baffling to some (Cohan, Lutnik, Davidson, Cloniger, Herlyn, Breyer & Klausner, 2008). However the sex industry is not all negative and there is a demand of clients wanting to buy what is on offer, and individuals wanting to deliver such services (Kontula, 2008).
People who become sex workers are driven by motivation much like every other aspect of life. Some individuals report that the motivation to enter the sex worker industry is to help with financial situations. Some are motivated by the goals of wanting to pay for and finish schooling, sex work offers flexibility with time and room for good pay outs. Other individuals use sex work to fund their addictions, either being addicted to illegal substances before entering the industry or unfortunately being introduced to illegal dealings after entering the profession (Sinha, 2015; SWOP, 2010; Kontula, 2008).
There are misconceived ideas that all sex workers have been subjected to physical or sexual abuse as a child and sex work becomes an outlet for them once they've grown up, while this might be the case for a portion of sex workers, others use sex work as a way to explore their sexual curiosities (Kontula, 2008). Those who may have been subjected to sexual abuse can use sex work as a way to gain perceived control over their own bodies (Sinha, 2015).
Theoretical Framework edit
Personal Control Beliefs edit
Personal Control beliefs is centred around individuals desire to have control over their environment which leads to the perceived perception that positive outcomes are more likely to occur along with negative outcomes less likely occurring. The motivation to exercise personal control is narrowed down to two expectancies efficacy and outcome. For those individuals entering sex work for financial reasons efficacy expectations could be 'Can I secure X amount of clients a week to make X amount of money?' the outcome expectation could differ for each personal reasons for example 'Would this be enough to pay off my student loans/ pay the bills' or even 'will this be enough for my next 'fix''. The two expectancies lead to motivation to exercise personal control. Self, Action, Control Model of Perceived Control can be used as a way of explaining the motivation behind sex work (Reeve, 2015).
- Perceived Control - Can I improve my financial state
- Self (Efficacy expectation) - can I sell sexual services to make money?
- Action (Outcome expectation) - will selling my body increase my financial security?
- Control - ends
See: Case Study 1 and 3
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs edit
Maslow sought the structural concept of basic needs up to secondary or higher needs, describing the idea that people innately seek to achieve these needs. He suggested that the most basic level of needs must be met before an individual would focus more intensely on secondary levels (Maslow, 1954). As previously mentioned some people enter the sex working industry as a way to find financial security as without the security of an income physiological needs are unable to met, the need for sustenance and shelter are all items that come as monetary cost. Although sex work is not always safe Maslow suggested that the motivation for secondary needs such as safety may be weaker until primary basic needs are met (Goble, 1970). So if an individual it at a point of desperation they would have the motivation to sell their body as a service to meet their physiological needs. The culture of sex work can be different for everyone and if a sex worker has the correct support network within the industry and are practicing self care then other needs mentioned in Maslow's Hierarchy can be met as well. Job security can result in fulfilling safety needs and projects as the Sex Workers Outreach Project provide information and tips on ways to ensure psychological safety as well. Due to stigma the feeling of belonging may be need that is unreachable by some who have entered the sex worker industry and this could become a motivator for exiting. However relationships formed with co-workers in parts of the industry such as brothels and or massage parlours may fulfil these needs for some sex workers.
Each level of Maslow's Hierarchy of needs can fulfilled or become a motivator for exiting the sex work industry depending on the individual and their personal experience and journey of becoming a sex worker.
See Case Study 2 and 3
Self Discrepancy Theory edit
The real self vs the ideal self. May motivate individuals to move towards behaviours and or goals that reflect ideal self. It is proposed that discrepancies between the ideal and real self can cause negative psychological outcomes and discomfort. It can lead to feelings of dissatisfaction, disappointment and sadness, there can be motivation to achieve self satisfaction and eliminate discrepancies. For instance if an individual's ideal self is to have a degree then they would consider going to school (Higgins, 1987). Sex work could be a means to making that goal a reality if the individual had no other means or prospects of being able to pay for it.
See Case Study 3
Autonomy edit
Autonomy is being free of any outside influences, being independent in our own decisions, having perceived control over one's self and actions. Those that have entered sex work due to previous sexual exploitation usually do so under the reasoning of autonomy, that they would like it to e there decision to sell their bodies. It is a perceived perception of autonomy as without the influence of past experiences they most likely would not have chosen to enter the sex work industry. Reeve and Sickenius introduced a scale to measure autonomy among other things with the AFS ( Active Feeling Scale); a Likert scale of 1-7 with eleven questions scoring autonomy, competence, and relatedness. To assess whether individuals who entered sex work under the perceived idea of autonomy were actually scaling with autonomy could be measured using this scale. Proposing the question of considering their experience with sex work.
Real World Experiences edit
Case Study 1 - Reasons Why Women Enter Sex Work edit
A 25 year old woman named Dharna from India partook in a case study for the reasons why women enter sex work. She stated ‘....I used to work as a maid in people’s houses but there too the boys would want to do ‘‘it’’ [have sex] with me. I didn’t have much to do then and I decided to choose this path for myself...’ (Sinha, 2015). She was one of a few women questioned and the study concluded that the most popular reason for becoming a sex worker was autonomy. Having control over their own bodies, they preferred to make the decision of using their bodies as a means to get money their own choice and not someone else’s. There were several narrations of Indian women, all discussing the availability of jobs, however, they discussed that they were subjected to repeated experiences of discrimination, oppression and exploitation. The women perceived higher control and autonomy by entering the sex worker industry. Geentanjali, another subject within the case study discussed that performing other jobs let to neglect of her children, as she was putting in long hours at work and struggling to be mother and provider. Gentanjali's main motivation for entering the sex work industry was to meet the needs of her children ensuring that their physiological and safety needs were being met (Sinha, 2015, Maslow, 1943). Global generalisation of this study was a limitation as the sample population they chose were Indian so cultural differences and expectations may not relate in other areas, as well as the chosen subjects were all daytime workers not night time due to safety concerns. This could affect the generalisability of the motivation to enter sex work.
Case Study 2 - Tony Kirwan edit
Triple J Hack -Tony Kirwan podcast
In some situations individuals to not choose to enter the sex industry of their own volition, this is known as the sex trade, or even sex slavery. Tony Kirwan an Australian man moved to South East Asia to help rescue children trapped in the sex trade, he founded the organisation Destiny Rescue in 2001. He spoke on Triple J Hack discussing his personal experience of entering brothels under the disguise of someone soliciting work from one of the victimised children and slowly earning their trust to offer them the chance to escape. He spoke of how in several circumstances the children would be reluctant to trust them straight away as many of them had been sold by loved ones, or coerced to enter the industry in order to help financial situations for those left at home. Some when offered the escape would not accept straight away and go back to the brothels for a little while longer before calling and asking for help (Tilley & McCormack, 2015).
It is a sad reality to ponder the idea that some individual's motivation to enter sex work was not their own but others who took their rights away. Their motivation to stay an involuntary sex worker was survival, as their only support network was the brothel they had been taken to, and leaving could not only incur punishment by the owner of the brothel, but having no where to go or no perceived person to turn to for help.
Case Study 3 - Geena Leigh edit
Triple J Hack - Geena Leigh Podcast Geena Leigh was interviewed on Triple J Hack on the topic of Breaking Free of the sex industry, she discussed her reasons for entering the sex industry which was as a 'fix' for her financial problems. She stated 'It can be addictive and intoxicating when all these men want you and will pay a lot of money for you', she found validation and became addicted to these feelings that the sex work gave her. A comment 'tweeted' through the social media application of twitter to triple j hack was "sex work can be very safe if you go through the right channels. I've felt less safe in hospitality jobs...' (McVeigh & Tilley, 2014). The struggle of exiting the industry can be due to repercussions of stigma and discrimination says Sue White from Resourcing Health and Education in the Sex Industry. Geena was scared 'to go back into society' as she didn't have a resume and was unsure of what to do (McVeigh & Tilley, 2014).
Quiz edit
Conclusion edit
Sex Work is apart of the sex industry where different countries and states implement there own rules and regulations. Some countries have open acceptance of sex work as an such as the Red Light District in Holland. New South Wales implements a set laws to protect all individuals, sex work is not illegal in all areas, and it is important for all individuals client or sex worker to understand what is and is not legal.
There are several theories that can help explain the motivation to become a sex worker, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs presents a strong case for those wishing to enter the profession due to financial hardship, being motivated to fulfil basic needs and possibly having weakened desire for higher needs whilst basic needs are not being met could allow for an individual to enter the profession when perceived 'desperate'
There are programs and resources available to try and ensure that support is available for sex workers while it is still a stigmatized profession. Sex Workers Outreach Project offers resources to help lift awareness of the dangers and also support benefits of being a sex worker. Self care is very important and surrounding one self with a group of likeminded people can help with fulfilling needs of belonging and safety. There are risks of abuse that need to be considered and contingency plans should be made to ensure maximum safety.
It is important to try and be aware of motivational influences, so that decisions made can be objective and effective towards living with positive outcomes based on motivational guidance. Sex work as a profession is stigmatised and as discussed in third case study it can be difficult to try and exit without feeling like you don't belong, raising awareness of the sex work industry and making it a 'normal' profession could help reduce negative emotive outcomes tied to being a sex worker and or trying to exit the profession.
Being aware of motivational reasoning for entering sex work could help lower stigma. And increase the number of sex workers reaching out for help when they need it.
See Also edit
Sex Crime Victim Emotion
References edit
Ditmore, M, D. (Eds). (2006). Encyclopedia of Prostitution and Sex Work USA. Greenwood Publishing Group
Goble, F. (1970). The third force: The psychology of Abraham Maslow. Richmond, CA: Maurice Bassett Publishing. pp. 62.
Higgins, T. E. (1987) Self Discrepancy: A Theory Relating Self and Affect Psychological Review 94 (3) 319-340
Kontula, A. (2008). The sex worker and her pleasure. Current Sociology, 56(4), 605-620.
Maslow, A. (1954). Motivation and personality. New York, NY: Harper
Maslow, A.H. (1943). "Psychological Review 50 (4) 370–96 - A theory of human motivation". psychclassics.yorku.ca.
McCarthy, B., Benoit, C., Jansson, M. (2014). Sex Work: A Comparative Study Archives of Sexual Behavior 43, (7), 1379-1390 10.1007/s10508-014-0281-7
McVeigh, S., Tilley, T. (2014) Breaking Free of the Sex Industry retrieved http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/hack/stories/s3952098.htm
Reeve, J., & Sickenius, B. (1994). Development and validation of a brief measure of the three psychological needs underlying intrinsic motivation: The AFS Scales. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 54, 506-515.
Reeve, J. (2015). Understanding motivation and emotion (6th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Roxburgh, A., Degenhardt, L., Copeland, J.(2006). Posttraumatic stress disorder among female street wokers in the greater Sydney area, Australia BMC Psychiatry doi:10.1186/1471-244X-6-24
Sinha, S. (2015). Reasons for Women's Entry into Sex Work: A Case Study of Kolkata, India. Sexuality & Culture, 19(1), 216-235. doi:10.1007/s12119-014-9256-z
Summary Offences Act 1988, s3.
Sex Workers Outreach Project [SWOP]. (2010). Street Sex Work & the Law [PDF] swop.org.au
Tilley, T., McCormack, A. (2015) Tony Kirwan: How to save children from the sex trade. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/hack/stories/s4337001.htm
Weitzer. R. (2009). Sociology of Sex Work Annual Review of Sociology, 35, 213-234
External Links edit
Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP)