‘I’m Not a Bloody Slave, I Get Paid and if I Don’t Get Paid Then Nothing Happens’: Sarah’s Experience of Being a Student Sex Worker

Abstract

Sex work remains a contentious area of debate. Whether or not sex work is considered to be a form of labour is in itself contested. As discussion is often about rather than with sex workers, this article brings Sarah’s experiences of being both a student and a sex worker, in two different areas of the UK, to centre stage. This candid account highlights the precarious and competitive nature of being self-employed within the current neoliberal climate, as well as the similarities sex work shares with other ‘mainstream’ forms of labour particularly within the ‘gig economy’. Existing research has focused on how/why students enter the sex industry leaving a gap in the literature regarding what happens after university in this context. It appears from Sarah’s account that leaving sex work behind may not be as straightforward as she had originally anticipated, for reasons other than just making money.

From University Students and Graduates to Male Sex Workers: The Career Decisions and Decision-Making Processes

“…Although not all students attend private universities in South Korea, living costs in urban and suburban regions have been increasing over the past few years. All participants said that they decided to join and enter the sex work profession due to the high living costs and student loan payments in South Korea, echoing a recent study by Simpson and Smith (2019).…”

Pekerja Seks Berbasis Konten: Monetisasi Estetika Tubuh Melalui Twitter

“…Jasa yang ditawarkan memang tidak selalu layanan fisik, tetapi juga dengan menjual konten diri mereka sendiri. Selain foto, ada pula pekerja seks yang mengunggah videonya saat sedang berhubungan seksual dengan kliennya ke ranah daring (Simpson & Smith, 2019). Para pekerja seks bisa memanfaatkan internet sebagai keperluan penyaluran konten, seperti melakukan aksi masturbasi kepada klien (Jones, 2015).…”

‘It’s My Passion and Not Really Like Work’: Balancing Precarity with the Work–Life of a Volunteer Team Leader in the Conservation Sector

“…Precarity extends beyond low and unpredictable hours and income and is exacerbated when over and under-employment interact. In an earlier OtFL article, Simpson and Smith (2019: 714) coined the phrase ‘precariously (over)working’. They demonstrate a link between income uncertainty and maximisation of opportunity when work is available, pressuring individuals to work excessive hours.…”

“…This echoes Aronson and Neysmith’s (1996: 65) earlier findings about the potential overlap of identities of ‘formal service providers and informal caregivers and of their paid and unpaid work’. In Simpson and Smith (2019), Sarah felt financial pressure to work excessive hours, while Sally’s baseline hours, for a typical week, would be relatively low; she effectively worked unpaid overtime, despite not receiving full-time working hours and pay. This potentially increased her broader precarity, making it more difficult to engage in other paid work.…”

“…The interaction of Sally’s type of underwork and overwork combined with her ethos of volunteering to make it difficult to seek additional work to supplement her precarious income. While she rationalised this as another form of volunteering (easily done, as that was her original EPV role), EPV saw this as part of the all-inclusive ‘gig’ (Simpson and Smith, 2019: 711) of weekend team-leading, although not formally included in her contract and hours of work. This created a challenging employment conundrum; while passionate about her work and employer, she felt there was little chance of a long-term secure career in the field.…”