participant observation in hostess bars
gaining access to a difficult terrain
hugo dias
antónio rodrigues
university of coimbra
trafficking in women for the purpose of sexual
exploitation in portugal
trafficking of human beings
women and sexual exploitation
portuguese context
fieldwork
trafficking of human beings
controversy
illegal migration
trafficking vs. smuggling
consent
coercion; misleading; trickery; unawareness
women and sexual exploitation
study highlights
desperation of poverty in countries of origin
“Amanda, 33 anos, tem 7 irmãos, e quer proteger a sua filha de 12 anos que está em Goiânia, uma vez que o
marido já não é vivo. Volta e meia manda dinheiro para casa porque a sua filha é o seu tesouro”, Guarda, apr
2007
the logic of secrecy and criminality
“apart from our disguised identity some of the illegal women tried to do some questions to see if we were
security agents from the national foreign services.”, apr 2007
fear of State and security forces
”infelizmente levaram duas meninas. É um problema para elas e para o gerente… por cada uma a casa apanha
uma multa de 2500… estavam clandestinas (sussurra)” Paula, Aveiro, apr 2007
prostitution routine and its fears
”havia clientes que se dispunham a ter sexo com ela sem sequer dizerem o seu nome – ela dava alguma
importância a isto”, Diane, Guarda, apr2007
Fieldwork
spaces & places
heterotopie (Foucault, 1984)
place’s fétichism
pure/impure, exotic/regular
Fieldwork
relationship
undercover ethnography
idiosyncrasy in practice to uncover a string of clues
liminarity
performance
language
women and sexual exploitation
portuguese context
sociological camouflage
not included in the typical image of violence mentioned
many women that used to be prostitutes find it difficult to see
themselves as victims
often subject to redefinitions and changes to the rules of the game by those who find
themselves in a position to take advantage of the vulnerabilities and invisibilities
women and sexual exploitation
some conclusions
Looking at their impact on Portuguese society, it could be said that the
information collected in this study seems to indicate that the phenomenon of
trafficking does not, at first glance, appear to reach socially worrying levels. In
this respect, given the underground nature of the phenomenon, and the
manner in which it depends dramatically on the information and the resources
which are directed at it, it seems wise to conclude that there is no other way of
combating it except by tackling the murky underworld in which it hides.
women and sexual exploitation
some recommendations
anthropology as a
disciplinary field
force field
Scheper-Hugues, 2004