Tricks of the Trade

Social work practice with women who exchange sex for material goods dates back to the beginnings of the social work profession in the settlements, benevolent societies, and charity organizations. This article presents the theoretical frameworks, methods and findings of a qualitative, participatory inquiry with six adult female sex workers in Seattle, Washington. The study participants worked as street workers, dancers, and escort workers. The findings discuss how and why the women entered the sex industry, how they talk about and define what they do (with a significant focus on emotional labor) from their perspective, the intersections of race and class in their work experiences, and agency as it applies to their personal and professional lives. The article concludes with recommendations for social work practice from the study participants.

[1]  Noah D. Zatz.  Sex Work/Sex Act: Law, Labor, and Desire in Constructions of Prostitution , 1997, Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society.

[2]  S. Wahab.  Creating Knowledge Collaboratively with Female Sex Workers: Insights from a Qualitative, Feminist, and Participatory Study , 2003 .

[3]  C. Overall.  What's Wrong with Prostitution? Evaluating Sex Work , 1992, Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society.

[4]  Laura S. Abrams,et al.  Wayward Girls and Virtuous Women: Social Workers and Female Juvenile Delinquency in the Progressive Era , 2000 .

[5]  P. Collins.  Black Feminist Thought , 1999, Theories of Race and Racism.

[6]  L. Gutiérrez.  Working with Women of Color: An Empowerment Perspective , 1990 .

[7]  S. Wahab,et al.  Feminist Voices on Sex Work: Implications for Social Work , 2000 .

[8]  S. Wahab.  "For Their Own Good?": Sex work, social control and social workers, a historical perspective , 2002 .

[9]  P. Maguire.  Doing Participatory Research: A Feminist Approach , 1987 .

[10]  Frédérique Delacoste,et al.  Sex Work: Writings by Women in the Sex Industry , 1988 .

[11]  E. Guba,et al.  Fourth Generation Evaluation , 1989 .

[12]  A. Weiner.  Understanding the social needs of streetwalking prostitutes. , 1996, Social work.

[13]  Kelly Gorkoff,et al.  The Everyday Occurrence , 2002 .

[14]  L. V. Davis.  A Feminist Approach to Social Work Research , 1986 .

[15]  M. Fine.  Working the hyphens: Reinventing self and other in qualitative research. , 1994 .

[16]  P. Reason,et al.  A Participatory Inquiry Paradigm , 1997 .

[17]  bell hooks,et al.  Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center , 1984 .

[18]  A. Pines,et al.  Early Sexual Exploitation as an Influence in Prostitution , 1983 .