Researcher ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0009-0007-3791-6708

Graduation Year

2025

Document Type

Open Access Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Politics and International Relations

Reader 1

Mar Golub

Reader 2

John Seery

Terms of Use & License Information

Terms of Use for work posted in Scholarship@Claremont.

Rights Information

© 2024 Anna E. Peterson

Abstract

This paper explores the feminist debates surrounding prostitution through an analysis of Catharine MacKinnon and Andrea Dworkin’s abolitionist theories, juxtaposed with critiques from Wendy Brown, Janet Halley, Susie Bright, and Marxist feminist abolitionist Esperanza Fonseca. The text examines the systemic forces of patriarchy and capitalism that commodify women’s bodies and the challenges of legislative approaches to the sex trade. While MacKinnon and Dworkin identify the structural inequalities underpinning prostitution, their legislative proposals often fail to address the stigma and systemic conditions that perpetuate the marginalization of prostituted people. Critics like Brown and Halley highlight the limitations of punitive measures, calling for a nuanced understanding of agency, while Fonseca emphasizes the necessity of addressing the material conditions that sustain the sex trade. In considering these perspectives, this thesis advocates for a partial decriminalization legislation paired with comprehensive social services and a basic minimum income that guarantees prostituted individuals with a right to exit. This research contributes to the ongoing discourse on feminist approaches to the sex trade and legislative reform, offering a framework for ethical and effective change.

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