Exporting Sexköpslagen : Sweden, Sex Work, and the Moral Stakes of Externalizing Feminist Policy
Bullock, Lukas LU
(2023)
In Sexuality Research and Social Policy
23.
p.503-513
- Abstract
- Introduction
Swedish statecraft is increasingly utilizing domestic state feminist policy as a means of promoting humanitarian ideals transnationally. One policy that has been promoted by the Swedish government is Sexköpslagen, a first-of-its-kind legal framework that criminalizes the purchase of sex while not criminalizing its sale. As the Swedish government works to export the law transnationally, sex workers in Sweden are critical of the implications of the law on their ability to engage with institutions.
Methods
Drawing on a diverse set of secondary source materials published between 2004 and 2020, this article identifies and explores two epistemic mechanisms that contribute to the further marginalization of Swedish... (More) - Introduction
Swedish statecraft is increasingly utilizing domestic state feminist policy as a means of promoting humanitarian ideals transnationally. One policy that has been promoted by the Swedish government is Sexköpslagen, a first-of-its-kind legal framework that criminalizes the purchase of sex while not criminalizing its sale. As the Swedish government works to export the law transnationally, sex workers in Sweden are critical of the implications of the law on their ability to engage with institutions.
Methods
Drawing on a diverse set of secondary source materials published between 2004 and 2020, this article identifies and explores two epistemic mechanisms that contribute to the further marginalization of Swedish sex workers: the distortion of institutional empiricism and the willful ignorance of critical sex worker perspectives.
Results
The epistemic moves by the Swedish state allow for it to position itself as a humanitarian state in contradiction with sex worker narratives.
Conclusions
This article argues that these epistemic moves enable the Swedish state to further its moral image as a good state in international affairs while sex workers are pushed further to the margins.
Policy Implications
Researchers and activists should attend to the nuanced ways in which moral politics factor into the framing and enactment of feminist policies. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/a4d70062-e5f1-4348-8f12-4aff774a4bc7
- author
- Bullock, Lukas
LU
- publishing date
- 2023-07-25
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Sexuality Research and Social Policy
- volume
- 23
- pages
- 503 - 513
- publisher
- Springer
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85165712732
- ISSN
- 1553-6610
- DOI
- 10.1007/s13178-023-00855-7
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- no
- id
- a4d70062-e5f1-4348-8f12-4aff774a4bc7
- date added to LUP
- 2025-09-02 11:48:45
- date last changed
- 2025-09-03 16:27:43
@article{a4d70062-e5f1-4348-8f12-4aff774a4bc7,
abstract = {{Introduction<br/>Swedish statecraft is increasingly utilizing domestic state feminist policy as a means of promoting humanitarian ideals transnationally. One policy that has been promoted by the Swedish government is Sexköpslagen, a first-of-its-kind legal framework that criminalizes the purchase of sex while not criminalizing its sale. As the Swedish government works to export the law transnationally, sex workers in Sweden are critical of the implications of the law on their ability to engage with institutions.<br/><br/>Methods<br/>Drawing on a diverse set of secondary source materials published between 2004 and 2020, this article identifies and explores two epistemic mechanisms that contribute to the further marginalization of Swedish sex workers: the distortion of institutional empiricism and the willful ignorance of critical sex worker perspectives.<br/><br/>Results<br/>The epistemic moves by the Swedish state allow for it to position itself as a humanitarian state in contradiction with sex worker narratives.<br/><br/>Conclusions<br/>This article argues that these epistemic moves enable the Swedish state to further its moral image as a good state in international affairs while sex workers are pushed further to the margins.<br/><br/>Policy Implications<br/><br/>Researchers and activists should attend to the nuanced ways in which moral politics factor into the framing and enactment of feminist policies.}},
author = {{Bullock, Lukas}},
issn = {{1553-6610}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{07}},
pages = {{503--513}},
publisher = {{Springer}},
series = {{Sexuality Research and Social Policy}},
title = {{Exporting Sexköpslagen : Sweden, Sex Work, and the Moral Stakes of Externalizing Feminist Policy}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13178-023-00855-7}},
doi = {{10.1007/s13178-023-00855-7}},
volume = {{23}},
year = {{2023}},
}