阿宾顿 professor’s new book explores the rise of digital sex work

阿宾顿,爸爸. — Today’s sex workers use the internet to attract clients, shape personas, share information, screen potential clients and build community, according to a new book from a Penn State faculty member. 库尔特·福勒, assistant professor of criminal justice at Penn State 阿宾顿, 在他的新书《推荐全球最大网赌正规平台欢迎您》(纽约大学出版社)中运用了一种被称为叙事犯罪学的方法,对这个行业不断变化的面貌进行了深入的研究, 讲述员工的故事,揭示他们如何上网分享信息, grow their businesses and establish global communities.  

“There is a cultural perception about sex work, and reading their stories can alter that,” Fowler said. “数字化性工作正在改变21世纪性工作者的定义. They want to have more say in when, where and why they choose to work. We rarely hear from the workers themselves, and the underlying meaning of their stories are important to all of us.”

福勒对全球工业化国家的50名从业人员进行了深度采访,这些从业人员提供从网络摄像头到伴游服务等各种服务. He offers insight into how race, 阶级和特权影响他们的工作和互联网的角色,并探讨他们如何管理他们的日常业务和客户关系, 他们将数字技术用于安全并作为一种更广泛的社会资源, and the role race plays in their work.  

"These are not just sterile measurements. These are human beings with human stories, 为了理解社会学的结果,我们需要背景, which my book provides. 他们的故事更多地反映了我们,而不是工人,我们选择如何构建它反映了社会的理解. 数字性工作正在兴起,但它与性工作无关. It’s all about our digital lives,他说. 

福勒解释说,传统性工作者和数字化性工作者之间存在显著差异. 

“Most of the people I interviewed were highly educated, 白色, middle-class women with a median age of 28, which is older than cultural stereotypes. 但这说明了这个亚文化网络中的一些东西,只有那些对自己的生活和社会地位感到安全的人才愿意和我谈论他们的非法行为. 有皮条客或吸毒的人可能不会和我说话,”他说.  

“Those variables speak to their own personal sense of security; it’s not a risk to talk to me. At first it was difficult finding workers to interview, 但后来通过电子邮件和其他方式传出了我没有安排的消息. 不同之处在于代理:我可以选择客户,也可以选择是否谈论我的作品,’” Fowler said.  

他解释说,大多数关于性工作的研究都是从离开这个行业的人或在刑事司法系统中的人身上抽取的样本, which fuels stigma. 

“我采访的大多数人都只是想在这个世界上混下去, but no one stigmatizes businesses that don’t pay a livable wage. This is a job on a spectrum of jobs they are willing to do, but ones they’ve tried before didn’t pay enough. They are trying to enrich their human experience and pay the bills,” Fowler said, adding that he did not interview workers who were being trafficked. 

Stigma also limits access to resources.  

“如果他们受到攻击,他们不能报警,或者他们必须向医生编造故事. 从叙事犯罪学的角度来看,是我们的印象限制了他们. 例如, digital sex workers generally rigorously screen potential clients, including asking for real names, banking information, and references from other providers. 这违背了人们对性工作的文化认知,一个男人把车停在路边,工作人员坐进去,” Fowler said. 

“These workers are preemptively making sure they are safe. 创建数字和虚拟社区以传播信息和最佳实践的能力对他们至关重要,他补充道. 

“数字化性工作的兴起”一章的重点是疫情的影响."  

“使用数字平台从事性工作的人激增. Porn is the new reality of an inflated cost of living. 我重新拜访了三名员工,请他们谈谈自COVID以来的变化. 一名工作者曾经从事不同类型的性工作,然后当疫情来袭时, they moved to video. 他们现在坐在客厅里赚的钱比以前多。. 

福勒的研究表明,性工作者希望在制定影响他们的政策和项目时能有一席之地, but they are generally opposed to decriminalization. 

“They consistently said, ‘Stop telling me and start asking me.他们是被边缘化的群体,所以当法规通过时,他们不会被征求意见. 性工作的犯罪化模糊了受害者和代理经营自己生意的人之间的区别. They make money because this is taboo, but they are also speaking from a place of privilege,他说. 

福勒对数字化性工作的研究始于他的博士论文, 这篇文章描述了性工作者如何利用互联网技术绕过传统的社会制度,为他们的社区创造新的资源. He also focuses on deviant subcultures, 特别是他们如何在数字空间中创造和维持文化,以发现问题并解决问题. 他研究了煽动者的亚文化,他们如何分享感知到的现实来支持他们的意识形态,以及警察如何使用制度语言来为自己的不法行为开脱.  

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