Work, Morality, Control. On the History of Sex Work

What does sex work mean, and how is it viewed by society? What notions of morality, work and gender continue to shape attitudes towards it to this day? And how have legal, social and cultural perspectives changed over time?

Since the 19th century, sex work has been increasingly regulated, controlled and subject to moral judgement: by the medical profession, the police, the Church and women’s movements. To this day, differing positions remain at odds: Whilst some view sex work as an expression of structural violence and patriarchal conditions, others emphasise the self-determination of sex workers and call for its recognition as paid work with corresponding rights. This controversy has shaped not only the lived realities of sex workers, but also society’s perceptions of sex work itself.

Historian Sarah Baumann and theologian Nathalie Eleyth explore together how perceptions of sex work have changed, which narratives continue to influence the present day, and what this means for the present.

Moderator: Christina Caprez, sociologist, historian and journalist