Paper short abstract:

At a time when Europe is turning back to repressive measures in relation to sex work, ethnography can bring us sex workers's perspectives contributing to present their claims. Moreover, it might challenge the stereotyped view of sex workers and be a contribution to support their rights.

Paper long abstract:

Sex work is often seen in a stereotyped way and sex workers presented as helpless victims. The discussion of this phenomenon is very biased and underpinned by moral issues. Moreover, people who sell sex are subject to stigma and prejudice which justifies dehumanizing attitudes towards them. Ethnography, to the extent that it tries to obtain an inside view of this phenomenon, shows sex workers' perspectives about themselves and their work.

In Portugal there is not any collective representative of sex workers and of presentation of their claims. But, at a time when several countries in Europe are returning to abolitionism, pursuing customers and restricting the work of those in prostitution, and when anti-prostitution feminist lobbies are campaigning against commercial sex, the view of sex workers about themselves, their work and the legislation can be crucial to the public debate on these issues.

In this way, ethnography can be a reflexive instrument contributing to this debate and to the redefinition of sex work as a work, and not a social problem that must be eliminated. Also, the committed researcher must support labour rights and social respect for sex workers in the public discussion agenda.