Indentured sex work migration in an anti-immigration paradigm: A qualitative case study on the effect of immigration laws on migrant street-based sex workers in Copenhagen, Denmark.
(2022) STVK12 20221Department of Political Science
- Abstract
- This thesis is a qualitative case study that explores how the anti-immigration paradigm in Denmark has affected migrant street-based sex workers in the Red-Light District of Copenhagen. Denmark has been chosen as the geographical location of this thesis because the country is regarded as having one of the world's strictest immigration laws. Additionally, this thesis focuses specifically on street-based sexual commerce, as I understand it as the most vulnerable type of sex work. I situate my thesis within feminist standpoint theory, as it seeks to challenge the dominant ways of knowledge production.
This thesis is critical of the Danish state’s construction of migrant street-based sex workers as either ‘victims’ of human trafficking or... (More) - This thesis is a qualitative case study that explores how the anti-immigration paradigm in Denmark has affected migrant street-based sex workers in the Red-Light District of Copenhagen. Denmark has been chosen as the geographical location of this thesis because the country is regarded as having one of the world's strictest immigration laws. Additionally, this thesis focuses specifically on street-based sexual commerce, as I understand it as the most vulnerable type of sex work. I situate my thesis within feminist standpoint theory, as it seeks to challenge the dominant ways of knowledge production.
This thesis is critical of the Danish state’s construction of migrant street-based sex workers as either ‘victims’ of human trafficking or ‘illegal’ migrants – guilty of violating the Aliens Act. The analysis is based on a collection of policy documents from the Danish state, an interview with the chairwoman of the civil society organization the Red Van, and observations of their work. The findings show that migrant street-based sex workers in the Red-Light District of Copenhagen have become increasingly vulnerable, due to Denmark’s strict immigration laws. However, vulnerability is difficult to measure. Therefore, this thesis suggests that future research should engage further with the concept of vulnerability, as a common understanding of the concept is still missing to this date. Furthermore, a key finding was that the Danish state’s narrative and assumptions about sex work migration do not mirror the reality on the ground. It is argued that understanding sex work migration as indentured migration, instead of as a division between human trafficking and smuggling, makes it possible to study it in new ways. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9081602
- author
- Dawids, Cecilie Smed LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- STVK12 20221
- year
- 2022
- type
- M2 - Bachelor Degree
- subject
- keywords
- sex work, indentured sex work migration, anti-immigration paradigm, immigration policies, human trafficking.
- language
- English
- id
- 9081602
- date added to LUP
- 2022-07-03 08:48:51
- date last changed
- 2022-07-03 08:48:51
@misc{9081602,
abstract = {{This thesis is a qualitative case study that explores how the anti-immigration paradigm in Denmark has affected migrant street-based sex workers in the Red-Light District of Copenhagen. Denmark has been chosen as the geographical location of this thesis because the country is regarded as having one of the world's strictest immigration laws. Additionally, this thesis focuses specifically on street-based sexual commerce, as I understand it as the most vulnerable type of sex work. I situate my thesis within feminist standpoint theory, as it seeks to challenge the dominant ways of knowledge production.
This thesis is critical of the Danish state’s construction of migrant street-based sex workers as either ‘victims’ of human trafficking or ‘illegal’ migrants – guilty of violating the Aliens Act. The analysis is based on a collection of policy documents from the Danish state, an interview with the chairwoman of the civil society organization the Red Van, and observations of their work. The findings show that migrant street-based sex workers in the Red-Light District of Copenhagen have become increasingly vulnerable, due to Denmark’s strict immigration laws. However, vulnerability is difficult to measure. Therefore, this thesis suggests that future research should engage further with the concept of vulnerability, as a common understanding of the concept is still missing to this date. Furthermore, a key finding was that the Danish state’s narrative and assumptions about sex work migration do not mirror the reality on the ground. It is argued that understanding sex work migration as indentured migration, instead of as a division between human trafficking and smuggling, makes it possible to study it in new ways.}},
author = {{Dawids, Cecilie Smed}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Indentured sex work migration in an anti-immigration paradigm: A qualitative case study on the effect of immigration laws on migrant street-based sex workers in Copenhagen, Denmark.}},
year = {{2022}},
}