Stigma and Professional Activity: A Look at the Process of Professionalizing the Profession of Sex
Name: DANIELE DO CARMO BALDNER
Publication date: 08/11/2011
Advisor:
Name |
Role |
|---|---|
| ELOÍSIO MOULIN DE SOUZA | Advisor * |
Examining board:
| Name |
Role |
|---|---|
| ELOÍSIO MOULIN DE SOUZA | Advisor * |
| MÔNICA DE FÁTIMA BIANCO | Internal Examiner * |
Summary: This study began with the interest in deepening into the knowledge about the sex profession aiming to identify aspects and meanings of the process of professionalization of women prostitution that provides sexual services in one of the largest brothels area of southeastern Brazil. The question that guided the research was: how women prostitutes understand the process of professionalization of the sex profession? To this purpose, we opted a qualitative research, which were used as instruments: a literature review, a semi-structured interview and direct observation. The data analysis was based on the categorization proposed by Bardin (2002), WHERE five categories were defined: the first was to examine the conditions under which prostitution is exercised: Laboral vulnerability space and work environment. The second category brought to discussion were the attributes required for the profession and identification of these professionals. The third category attempted to clarify questions about citizenship in prostitution it investigate the prostitutes needs and aspirations as professionals. The fourth category sought to understand the knowledge of sex workers on the project law 98 / 2003 authored by former Congressman Fernando Gabeira (PV-RJ) by examining the political awareness of the women interviewed, their participation in unions and political articulation by NGOs. Finally, the fifth and last category proposes the conjugation of the sex profession in the optical of the law project, WHERE the realization of the profession is faced with labor autonomy required from the Ministry of Labor and Employment and, therefore, we sought to understand whether the regulation of the profession of sex interfere positively or negatively in the work activity practiced by them and if prostitutes are adhering to the regulation. The study revealed that in the view of all the people interviewed who have sex in exchange for money or benefits are considered prostitutes, that there should be no categorization of professionals who influence the regulation of the profession, that the environment WHERE prostitution is practiced places high risks for sex worker, that they aspire to change that only a law could assure them, but do not want to bear the burden imposed by labor legislation; that the action of NGOs is unstructured and personal, not covering the category in an fully way, and that this abandonment is reflected in politics unarticulated ways that keeps the labor improvement, that assures a healthy and better environment, away from them, spreading among them a lack of future perspective, that sex work is considered inferior when compared to the other types of work, despite the respondents claim that this is a real profession, its contents reflect a speech replete with nonsense, value, meaning, marginality, inferiority and stigma imposed by society historically. The contribution of the study, in this first look, is to point out the needs of sex workers under their vision, from a look that was born from below, showing that strategic measures in public policy and the articulation of NGOs must be born in this same direction, giving a voice to sex workers and educate them of their work and their rights. The research also proposes the inclusion of vocational learning centers close to brothels for prostitution becomes a lifestyle choice, not fate of women who sell their bodies for survival.
