Sex Work in the Times of Anti-Trafficking: From a Global Perspective - Period 5 Social Sciences & Humanities Program Spring 2021 Semester - Amsterdam

Contemporarily, sex work is a subject that frequently captures media attention. More often than not sex work - a term which defines prostitution from a human rights perspective - is conflated with sex trafficking, an illegal activity in which individuals are moved across or within borders to perform sexual activities against their will. However, sex work is far more complex than it is often portrayed. This course is aimed to provide students with both theoretical and empirical knowledge which will illustrate the complexities as well as give insight into relevant issues, including but not limited to identity politics, HIV/AIDS, policy and legislation. Theoretically, it will acquaint students with the different approaches that exist and the implications they have for policy, legislation and in the daily lives of sex workers. The course will train students to discern the different discourses and perspectives used to research and explain sex work. Empirically, it will explore different types of sex work from a global perspective and give insight into the daily conflicts and achievements of sex workers. Guest lectures will be given by individuals working or representing organizations. In its entirety, the course offers an extensive amount of knowledge which on the one hand, will teach students to theoretically think out of the box and on the other hand will broaden their understanding regarding the social, cultural and economic dynamics which contribute to sex workers' stigmatization, vulnerability and marginalization globally.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam) awards credits based on the ECTS system. Contact hours listed under a course description may vary due to the combination of lecture-based and independent work required for each course therefore, CEA's recommended credits are based on the ECTS credits assigned by VU Amsterdam. 1 ECTS equals 28 contact hours assigned by VU Amsterdam.