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‘You Are Thai, Why Don’t You Do It?’ An anthropological study of Thai women’s strategies for navigating sexualized and racialized stigma in the Thai massage industry in Sweden

Hammargren, Nicola LU (2025) SANK03 20251
Social Anthropology
Abstract (Swedish)
This study explores how Thai women in Sweden, working in the massage and wellness sector and members of the ThaiWISE initiative, navigate social stigma and negotiates their identities in the context of migration. Drawing on five semi-structured interviews, the study examines how these women manage the persistent association between Thai femininity and sex work, despite working in safe and regulated environments. Through a qualitative, ethnographic approach informed by social anthropology, the analysis highlights the strategies these women use to reclaim respectability and legitimacy, such as through community support, professional certification and impression management. The study engages with theoretical concepts including Goffman’s... (More)
This study explores how Thai women in Sweden, working in the massage and wellness sector and members of the ThaiWISE initiative, navigate social stigma and negotiates their identities in the context of migration. Drawing on five semi-structured interviews, the study examines how these women manage the persistent association between Thai femininity and sex work, despite working in safe and regulated environments. Through a qualitative, ethnographic approach informed by social anthropology, the analysis highlights the strategies these women use to reclaim respectability and legitimacy, such as through community support, professional certification and impression management. The study engages with theoretical concepts including Goffman’s stigma and impression management, Pheterson’s whore stigma, and Rytter’s integration paradigm. Findings suggest that while integration into safe workspaces enables opportunities and self-sufficiency, Thai women must continuously manage both external prejudice and internalized stigma. Additionally, community-based initiatives like ThaiWISE play a crucial role in fostering resilience, professional legitimacy and collective solidarity. The thesis aims to contribute to discussions on migration, gendered labor and the everyday negotiation of stigma. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Hammargren, Nicola LU
supervisor
organization
alternative title
An anthropological study of Thai women’s strategies for navigating sexualized and racialized stigma in the Thai massage industry in Sweden
course
SANK03 20251
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Social anthropology, Thai women, stigma, gendered labor, massage
language
English
id
9195295
date added to LUP
2025-06-09 18:51:11
date last changed
2025-06-09 18:51:11
@misc{9195295,
  abstract     = {{This study explores how Thai women in Sweden, working in the massage and wellness sector and members of the ThaiWISE initiative, navigate social stigma and negotiates their identities in the context of migration. Drawing on five semi-structured interviews, the study examines how these women manage the persistent association between Thai femininity and sex work, despite working in safe and regulated environments. Through a qualitative, ethnographic approach informed by social anthropology, the analysis highlights the strategies these women use to reclaim respectability and legitimacy, such as through community support, professional certification and impression management. The study engages with theoretical concepts including Goffman’s stigma and impression management, Pheterson’s whore stigma, and Rytter’s integration paradigm. Findings suggest that while integration into safe workspaces enables opportunities and self-sufficiency, Thai women must continuously manage both external prejudice and internalized stigma. Additionally, community-based initiatives like ThaiWISE play a crucial role in fostering resilience, professional legitimacy and collective solidarity. The thesis aims to contribute to discussions on migration, gendered labor and the everyday negotiation of stigma.}},
  author       = {{Hammargren, Nicola}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{‘You Are Thai, Why Don’t You Do It?’ An anthropological study of Thai women’s strategies for navigating sexualized and racialized stigma in the Thai massage industry in Sweden}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}