If sex was work, what kind of work would it be?

In the Nordic countries prostitution has usually been approached to as a social problem. Prostitutes have been seen as victims. Because of this approach, most of the studies concentrate on clients, marketing of sex and discourses of prostitution and the gender roles in general.

There is also a research tradition that sees prostitution as one form of labour. In this context it’s more relevant to ask why and how people en up in sex work, what kind of threats and possibilities this choice means for them and what is the position of sex work in the labour markets. This tradition is used to underline sex workers’ own view and most of the studies are based on different kind of interviews.

In my paper I’ll ask if the perspective and concepts of work can help us to understand what’s happening in commercial sex and how sex workers feel about it. Most of the prostitutes I have met see prostitution as work, some even as an occupation. Also it’s unexceptional that they compare sex to other jobs available for them.