Essay on Sex, Money and Society: Deconstructing Taboos Around Sexuality

Our experience as human beings is affected by the way we internalize and consume sexually explicit material. Sex work is often referred to as "the oldest profession in the book," and often intersects with the what makes the industry a multibillion-dollar enterprise, money. Universally this topic of conversation is often considered taboo or denied all together. Each society dictates what is "appropriate" behavior when concerned with one's sexual life. The way sex is portrayed in the media, how we distribute and consume explicit material, legal or health concerns, and the stigma attached to it all affects all individuals in a society, not just the ones directly involved in the sex industry.

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According to (book citation), sexually explicit material (SEM) can include photos, art, magazines, books, or videos that the central theme is centered around sexuality & that can evoke sexual arousal. At the same time, SEM is a very malleable and neutral term. In the United States, it is quite common to lump SEM into the category of pornography. Pornography can carry a negative connotation, which can be damaging to one's self-image if their livelihood depends on the consumption of pornography (for instance a cam girl who makes rent, pays for food, bills, etc. on the earnings she makes while performing live show online or by selling videos of pre-recorded shows). Erotica, on the other hand, is often only used when describing things (usually art) in a more "digestible" or "dignified" manner. 'Erotica' derives from erotikos in Greek, translated to "a love poem" while the term 'pornography' takes on a much more stigmatized Greek translation, 'porne' translating to "prostitute" and 'graphos' translating to "depicting." Even the distinction between the origins of these two words shows how blurred the lines can be when navigating these topics, and that depending on the context, we either shame or celebrate the human body in a sexual state.

Pornography as a concept has changed entirely from its original print form in magazines (Playboy and the like) to a digital age, where it's no longer accessible to only a particular population. Of course, there are still adult superstores that offer magazines or DVDs, but most pornography is available with a click of a button these days. The primary consumers of SEM have been predominantly men. Another point to consider is that only within the past 10 or 15 years has the LGBTQA+ community made substantial progress in being recognized as people deserving of human rights. The United States, along with many other countries, has long been an anti-queer, anti-people of color, and in many ways, anti-women. When taking those factors into consideration, the target audience for SEM would then be heterosexual white men. Because the target audience was the leading consumer of pornography, women were, and still are, often objectified and portrayed in dehumanizing, powerless, and submissive roles. Though the porn industry has expanded its market to a variety of different audiences, the most prominent themes still seem to be aimed at the male gaze. (book citation)

What's even more impressive in terms of themes that are often front and center in SEM, is a focus on violence. The insinuation that men who "know what they are doing," are often the ones who "take charge" and don't ask their partner for permission. This also may play a role in society's view of men being driven by their sexuality.

Conversely, society often condemns sexually active women, calling them "aggressive" or having "loose morals." These deeply ingrained ideas of gender differences concerning sex could be significant influencers when determining what the industry produces. Often the central theme surrounds a man who pursues the woman, who at the beginning usually resists, but then is overcome with lust, "manhandling" regularly appears throughout, with the sole focus being on the man' s pleasure.

The way this media is consumed may also play a role in how sex workers across the world are treated. Prostitution has been around for centuries, and yet, it remains one of the most globally taboo and criminalized services. Derkas (2019) challenges the traditional views of sex work by highlighting the work of advocacy groups such as Empower Foundation, SWEAT, and Desiree. These advocacy groups are developed and headed by those who are working in the industry, which is the most effective way for portraying the issues at hand accurately and also simultaneously re-claiming their rights as competent workers deserving of respect as any other employee of business would. While criminalization of sex work does often leads to violence, there are a variety of factors that contribute to this issue such as cultural, political,

A look back on what would be considered to have "sexual undertones" over the years as compared to now, might help put into perspective how generational context can create conflict between differing opinions related to SEM. For example, in the United States, the word 'provocative' is often associated with women. When the revolutionary mini skirt hit the market in the '60s, the opinion from the public might have been drastically different from what it is now, especially if you were born after the turn of the century, when showing more skin is not as "immoral" as it once was. Generational context. Some older folks may argue that such items of clothing may, in fact, still be immoral or provocative. Cultural context is also looking at family values and how one is raised.

People need to know about sex workers and understand why this term should not be referred to as prostitution. It will help the opponents of the sex workers to know that individuals in this industry strive just like others to earn a living but not as harmful as other people believe. For instance, sex workers are mainly adults who get cash and products in exchange for offering sexual activities or suggestive exhibitions, either occasionally or regularly (Hauck, 2015).

We should always learn to utilize the expression "sex workers" instead of identifying these individuals as "prostitutes." Ideally, the term "sex worker" perceives that sex work just works like other professional activities that people involve in to make their ends meet. Prostitution, then again, has implications of guilt and unethical behavior. Prostitution is described as a disrespectful term that should not be considered in today's society. Many people who sell sexual services do not favor the use of the term " prostitute," but instead prefer "sex worker." The term prostitute is disparaging and deriding word that contributes to their avoidance of well-being, social activities, and lawful. They argue that being called prostitutes makes them feel demoralized, thus causing stigmatization in their entire life.

For an important reason, sex workers earn a livelihood by offering sexual services. By far, most of the sex workers resolve to accomplish functions of sex work since it is their excellent choice for them to fuel their living (Dodsworth,2012). A lot of workers in this industry battle with neediness and desperation and do not have many different opportunities for work. Others argue that it is only the activity that offers them better earnings and a better adaptable environment of action than other occupations. Furthermore, some individual chooses sex work to conduct investigations or communicate their sexual ability to know if they are capable of functioning well biologically.

Sex work should not be considered as a crime. Criminalizing it bargains sex workers' well-being and security by bringing down the industry. Criminalization incorporates everything from condemning the deal and acquisition of sexual services, to cover preclusions on the board of sex work. The activity of criminalization can make it difficult for the sex workers to arrange terms with customers, cooperate with other sex workers for security, and convey condoms unafraid that they will be used against them as proof of prostitution (Michael et al., 2010). Many sex workers in numerous setups report outrageous degrees of brutality or provocation regarding their work, including from customers, police, and administrators. Criminalization is not appropriate. It makes it hard to report rights infringement for the sex workers, particularly from the police, since they are powerless against detainment, further maltreatment, and retaliation. Criminalization of sex work sustains disgrace, viciousness, and exemption, which further jeopardizes sex workers' well-being and security.

Numerous rivals of sex work recognize the damages that come about because of condemning sex workers and bolster a framework that condemns purchasers and outsiders, for example, chiefs or massage parlor proprietors, however, not sex workers themselves. This sort of criminalization, which is frequently alluded to as the "Swedish" model, looks to end interest for sex work while treating sex workers as casualties as opposed to criminals.

The model propagates shame against sex workers, prompting segregation in social services, lodging, and medicinal services, and does not address the underlying issue of criminalization. It leads to driving the sex work underground and pushing them from security and other essential services that every human is entitled to having. Criminalization of customers and outsiders has not been successful in accomplishing its planned objective of nullifying or in any event, diminishing sex work. In France, for instance, the acquisition of sexual services was condemned in the year 2016. After two years, an examination showed that the effect on sex workers was serious, remembering significant disintegration for living conditions and unique presentation to savagery.

Also, in Sweden, the place where criminalization of the acquisition of sexual administrations was presented in the year 1999, online notices for sexual administrations have expanded exponentially in the previous decade. The industry has extraordinarily attracted many people. These incidences depict how sex work cannot be overlooked. Implementing laws that only target the clients of sex workers is not a solution. Sex workers should be treated as victims but not criminals. The bitter fact that sex work in today's era is work does not imply that it is acceptable to work or to enable action, or innocuous practice. According to Portland State University (2014), sex work cannot be destructive, yet criminalization and disgrace accomplishment make sex work unsafe.

Sex work being a consensual exchange between grown-ups who perform the act of selling or purchasing activities related to sex, cannot be used as an infringement of human rights. Associating trafficking or other criminal activities in the society with sex work can be counterproductive and hurtful to the industry. The organizations of sex workers prohibit exploitation, and most contend that the best method to address abuse is reinforcing the workers' privileges and address the shameful financial acts. Seemingly, shaky work, prohibitive movement strategies, and disparity of sexual orientation all lead to more prominent defenselessness to misuse.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Sex workers, as numerous workers, have different sentiments about their work. Some sex workers loathe their work. However, they find that it is their best hustle or just choice to bring home the bacon. Some are rationalist about their work, however, find that it offers adaptability or great pay. What's more, some appreciate the work and think that it's overall fulfilling or just a way of making fun. Despite what sex workers think about as being their work, they ought to get the best working environment that is good for their health and security. Their human rights need to be respected....