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postgraduate thesis: Re-thinking sex work : a case study of Hong Kong female sex workers in the COVID-19 pandemic

TitleRe-thinking sex work : a case study of Hong Kong female sex workers in the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors
Issue Date2023
PublisherThe University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong)
Citation
Tan, J. X.. (2023). Re-thinking sex work : a case study of Hong Kong female sex workers in the COVID-19 pandemic. (Thesis). University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR.
AbstractThis study attempts to examine the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on female sex workers in Hong Kong by exploring their individual conditions, work-related impacts, and social impacts. The pandemic rendered a timely opportunity for exploring sex workers’ unique challenges and obstacles during the crisis and regarding the experiences of a marginalized and minority population in society during a particularly vulnerable period. The study primarily used qualitative methods for data collection by adopting semi-structured interviews from October 2022 to January 2023 with five sex workers who continue to practice in the one-apartment-one-sex-worker industry before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong. Findings revealed that while no physical impacts were reported, female sex workers (FSWs) endured various impacts from the pandemic, notably reduced incomes, a lack of access to healthcare services, and the inability to make a definitive decision on whether to work and bear the risk of contagion or to stop work and face the consequences of unsupportive living. The data collected also sheds light on the prevalence and exacerbated pre-existing stigmatization and discrimination of sex workers in Hong Kong. Participants agree that they seldom accept visits and assistance from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and social workers for fear of their identities being exposed. Thus, the study asks questions about re-thinking sex work and the relationship between sex workers and stigmatization, as it portrays how stigmatization affected this socially marginalized group of workers who resisted social support and aid, particularly during the pandemic, a time when protection and assistance are paramount and necessary. In the end, the article suggests a comprehensive yet specialized intervention system tailored to the needs of sex workers for both members of the organizations and those who are not to further protect sex workers not only in case of future global disease outbreaks but also from the public and state perceptions about sex work and the people within.
DegreeMaster of Social Sciences
SubjectSex workers - China - Hong Kong
Prostitution - China - Hong Kong
COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020- - Social aspects - China - Hong Kong
Dept/ProgramCriminology
Persistent Identifierhttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/332130

 

DC FieldValueLanguage
dc.contributor.authorTan, Jia Xin-
dc.date.accessioned2023-10-04T04:53:52Z-
dc.date.available2023-10-04T04:53:52Z-
dc.date.issued2023-
dc.identifier.citationTan, J. X.. (2023). Re-thinking sex work : a case study of Hong Kong female sex workers in the COVID-19 pandemic. (Thesis). University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR.-
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/332130-
dc.description.abstractThis study attempts to examine the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on female sex workers in Hong Kong by exploring their individual conditions, work-related impacts, and social impacts. The pandemic rendered a timely opportunity for exploring sex workers’ unique challenges and obstacles during the crisis and regarding the experiences of a marginalized and minority population in society during a particularly vulnerable period. The study primarily used qualitative methods for data collection by adopting semi-structured interviews from October 2022 to January 2023 with five sex workers who continue to practice in the one-apartment-one-sex-worker industry before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong. Findings revealed that while no physical impacts were reported, female sex workers (FSWs) endured various impacts from the pandemic, notably reduced incomes, a lack of access to healthcare services, and the inability to make a definitive decision on whether to work and bear the risk of contagion or to stop work and face the consequences of unsupportive living. The data collected also sheds light on the prevalence and exacerbated pre-existing stigmatization and discrimination of sex workers in Hong Kong. Participants agree that they seldom accept visits and assistance from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and social workers for fear of their identities being exposed. Thus, the study asks questions about re-thinking sex work and the relationship between sex workers and stigmatization, as it portrays how stigmatization affected this socially marginalized group of workers who resisted social support and aid, particularly during the pandemic, a time when protection and assistance are paramount and necessary. In the end, the article suggests a comprehensive yet specialized intervention system tailored to the needs of sex workers for both members of the organizations and those who are not to further protect sex workers not only in case of future global disease outbreaks but also from the public and state perceptions about sex work and the people within. -
dc.languageeng-
dc.publisherThe University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong)-
dc.relation.ispartofHKU Theses Online (HKUTO)-
dc.rightsThe author retains all proprietary rights, (such as patent rights) and the right to use in future works.-
dc.rightsThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.-
dc.subject.lcshSex workers - China - Hong Kong-
dc.subject.lcshProstitution - China - Hong Kong-
dc.subject.lcshCOVID-19 Pandemic, 2020- - Social aspects - China - Hong Kong-
dc.titleRe-thinking sex work : a case study of Hong Kong female sex workers in the COVID-19 pandemic-
dc.typePG_Thesis-
dc.description.thesisnameMaster of Social Sciences-
dc.description.thesislevelMaster-
dc.description.thesisdisciplineCriminology-
dc.description.naturepublished_or_final_version-
dc.date.hkucongregation2023-
dc.identifier.mmsid991044721303803414-

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