Diversity in Sex Work in India: Challenging Stereotypes Regarding Sex Workers

Azhar, Sameena; Dasgupta, Satarupa; Sinha, Sunny; Karandikar, Sharvari

doi:10.1007/s12119-020-09719-3

Cited by 30 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…Asian women are depicted as the objects of sexual desire but rarely as the subjects or agents of that desire (Yamamoto, 2000). The constructs of hyperfemininity, and presumed demure behavior, act as disciplinary norms policing the racialized bodies of Asian women (Azhar et al, 2020). Through contradictory stereotypes of sexual prowess and, alternately, sexual ignorance, Asian women's bodies, desires, and femininities are constrained to the imaginary-from geishas to dragon ladies (Labao, 2017)-and exist solely to please the white male gaze.…”

Section: Hypersexuality and Disciplining Femininitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“You’re So Exotic Looking”: An Intersectional Analysis of Asian American and Pacific Islander Stereotypes

Azhar

Alvarez

Farina

et al. 2021

Affilia

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We applied critical race theory’s concept of intersectionality to analyze the experiences of discrimination among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (APIs) in the United States, across race, gender, and sexuality. We collected tweets from October 2016 through December 2017 using the hashtag #thisis2016 on the social media platform, Twitter. Data were scoped down to 3,156 tweets and were coded by four members of our research team—all of whom identify as Asian American female social workers. Only intersectional themes related to the convergence of race, gender, and sexuality among APIs are reported in this article. These six themes include the following: (1) API women are perceived to be exotic and are overtly sexualized, (2) API women are expected to be passive, (3) API men are perceived to be weak and asexual, (4) Both API men and women are the objects of racialized violence and sexual harassment, (5) Queer APIs have unique experiences of sexualized harassment and violence, and (6) APIs are the subjects of neocolonialist attitudes. Taken together, these themes portray an intersectional understanding of the Asian American experience that counteracts stereotypes of Asians as the “model minority,” who do not experience racialized, sexualized, and gendered microaggressions.

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Section: Hypersexuality and Disciplining Femininitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“You’re So Exotic Looking”: An Intersectional Analysis of Asian American and Pacific Islander Stereotypes

Azhar

Alvarez

Farina

et al. 2021

Affilia

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“…Anti-oppressive approaches towards social work education should include the widening of our lens to include minoritized voices not only within the U.S. context, but also across global contexts (Azhar et al, 2020;Aziz & Azhar, 2019). American imperialism within the field of clinical social work, stemming from the profession's dependence on validation from the culturally biased Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM; American Psychiatric Association, 2013), continues to remain largely unquestioned.…”

Section: Critique How Racial/ethnic Minority Populations Have Been Pathologized By Social Workers and Psychologistsmentioning

confidence: 99%

How Racism Against BIPOC Women Faculty Operates in Social Work Academia

Azhar

McCutcheon

2021

ASW

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In this article, we seek to highlight the ways in which we, as two female social work faculty members whose racial/ethnic identities fall into the categories of Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC), have experienced racism and White supremacy within predominantly White institutions in the United States. We seek to clarify that these experiences are not unique to any particular institution or university, but rather reflect systemic racism and the upholding of White supremacy in higher education in social work throughout the United States. We highlight the differential vulnerability faced by BIPOC women in academia, which are often unaddressed in the pursuit of what is seen to be an egalitarian or colorblind merit review. Bearing in mind our reflexivity on our positionalities, we share personal narratives regarding our own marginalization within White spaces and the emotional labor that we are often asked to carry for the institutions within which we work. We will elucidate experiences of tokenization or assumed intellectual inferiority by our peers. Given the current sociopolitical moment and the heightened awareness of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts within universities, we also reflect on how institutions of higher education, and particularly schools of social work, can move beyond simply hiring more people of color or conducting diversity trainings to ensuring that BIPOC women are more fully included in their roles within universities as faculty, administrators, staff and students.

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“…For instance, Devine et al (2010) found that women choose to enter sex work judiciously for economic independence, freedom from reliance on a male partner, and the ability to own property. Azhar et al (2020) noted that sex workers actively choose sex work for the higher pay and increased autonomy over their work and bodies in comparison to other options. Many sex workers, for example, operate independently in nonbrothel-based settings without having to give any part of their earnings to pimps, madams, or brokers.…”

Section: Agency Among Sex Workersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Several recent studies on sex work in India highlight the agency of sex workers and challenge the assumptions that reduce all sex work to a form of oppression and victimization (Azhar et al, 2020; Dalla et al, 2019; Kotiswaran, 2019; McCloskey et al, 2020). For instance, Devine et al (2010) found that women choose to enter sex work judiciously for economic independence, freedom from reliance on a male partner, and the ability to own property.…”

Section: Agency Among Sex Workersmentioning

confidence: 99%

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“I Am Almost a Breadwinner for My Family”: Exploring the Manifestation of Agency in Sex Workers’ Personal and Professional Contexts

Karandikar

Casassa

Knight

et al. 2021

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While societal and structural factors often constrain women’s agency in patriarchal settings, women nevertheless find creative ways to manifest and develop agency. Female sex workers (FSWs), in particular, are regularly assumed to have little or no agency, but an important body of literature suggests otherwise. To add to this knowledge, this study sought to answer the question: How do FSWs in Mumbai, India, exert agency in personal and professional contexts? In-depth interviews were conducted with 12 FSWs in the Kamathipura red-light area. Four themes emerged: (a) sex work as a rational and empowering choice, (b) resources and assets, (c) sex work as a means of achievement, and (d) managing violence, retribution, and fear. These themes reveal expressions of agency that illustrate how sex workers are intentional, rational, goal-oriented, and resilient. The findings of this study can contribute to the removal of stigma surrounding sex work and inform service providers working with this population in their efforts to treat sex workers with dignity and respect. Further research is needed in this area, especially which centers on the voices of the agentic sex workers themselves.

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Diversity in Sex Work in India: Challenging Stereotypes Regarding Sex Workers

Cited by 30 publications

References 46 publications

“You’re So Exotic Looking”: An Intersectional Analysis of Asian American and Pacific Islander Stereotypes

“You’re So Exotic Looking”: An Intersectional Analysis of Asian American and Pacific Islander Stereotypes

How Racism Against BIPOC Women Faculty Operates in Social Work Academia

“I Am Almost a Breadwinner for My Family”: Exploring the Manifestation of Agency in Sex Workers’ Personal and Professional Contexts

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