Monica Butler
Bodies and Labor
4-23-12
The articles this week addressed the global issues that arise from the globalization of labor. The basic theme mulled around how the Western world has increasingly exploited lesser nations for their own capitalist gains. The question that arises is when is this exploitation immoral and when is it just reality? The issues mainly centered on the exploitation of female workers.
Taylor’s article Female Sex Tourism: A Contradiction in Terms? addressed this idea of the double standard between female and male sex tourists. Taylor contrasted the concepts of “romance tourism” and “sex tourism.” Taylor cites ideas of patriarchal power being the cause of this exploitation. From a feminist western perspective she argued the inequality that was evident among female and male workers in the Caribbean countries mentioned. However, she mentioned Kamala Kempadoo’s different perspective, in that we cannot look at this issue with such a Western gaze. While there are many moral issues at hand, sex work can often act as commodity that women chose to trade freely. Many of these women are taking advantage of their own bodies to survive.
Fantasy Island centrally addressed this idea of “otherness” within the sex tourism industry. Western tourists travel for exotic sexual experiences. They want to experience a world that would otherwise be inaccessible. Western tourists have many ways of justifying their participation in sex tourism. Ideals of Western dominance justify their trips. The Western tourist sees black women as sexualized and whores. They could never imagine that in a civilized country like their own would “nice girls” be promoted to go into sex work. Davidson and Taylor (459) mention a quote “For white men, white women are both self and other: they have floating status. They can reinforce a sense of self through common racial identity or threaten and disturb that sense through their sexual Otherness.” These men seek this otherness for something different, unfamiliar, indulgent, and sinful. The tourism is justified through these fantasies.
Similarly to the other articles Taylor also addressed this issue of why Western people seek sex tourism in Female Sex Tourism: A Contradiction in Terms?. She made an interesting point about race. Many of the women who seek out sex tourism are seeking Black partners. Taylor attributed this to a design to break free from their white male oppressor in their own patriarchal society. These women seek sexual partners who they can be in control of. They can control the time, activities, when they leave, and the sex worker then can never come visit them because they generally do not have the means. These women have the control to be sexually liberated but then return home to their less promiscuous routines.
The article by Wonders and Michaloweski addressed the questions of why sex tourism is growing so rapidly? Tourism and travel, in general, are associated with adventure and escapism. These are the same principles behind sex tourism. In an increasingly globalized world, sex tourism has become a globalized commodity. There are more means to travel by tourists and the sex workers have become more mobile. This article made me question what would happen if sex tourism was eliminated. “Imagining localized sex tourism as a consequence of global forces and connections is an important first step toward understanding and responding to this social problem.” (565) In places like Havana and Amsterdam it has been engrained into the local economy. As a global world, in order to compete in the globalized market these cities would find it impossible to eliminate sex tourism from their economies. Pattaya is an example of this. Pattaya recognizes their problems with sex tourism but views it as too large of an economy to eliminate it. Instead the tourism board ignores it and chooses to promote other forms of tourism to develop a positive reputation. In doing so there has been a change in Pattaya. One tourist noted how much more sex oriented it was years a go. I think this is something that Amsterdam will follow suit with the adjustment of some of their laws. Amsterdam already tries to promote their vast collection of fine art, large parks, and beautiful canals. If they continue to promote this their reputation may begin to change like Pattaya.
Another issue of globalization and labor is outlined in the article about the Filipina workers who migrate to other countries for domestic work. What struck me about this article was how the author seemed to describe the issue as inherently Western. That it was Western’s fault that these women were migrating and they were being stereotyped by the “fragility and cleanliness” of female housework. I thought that the problem centrally lied in the social structure of the Philippines and their current patriarchal structure. I think a central question to ask of the West would be how can these Western countries use their resources to help the Philippines develop their own economy and in doing so how can we become a sustainable country without foreign workers? This is a very large question and problem that will not be soon solved. Each of these articles addressed issues of increasing global capitalization. With more money comes less local dependence and more dependence on importation of labor to fulfill positions of lesser stature. A question that we will run around forever is who is suitable for the lowest work in the economy, doesn’t someone have to do it?
You asked: "who is suitable for the lowest work in the economy, doesn’t someone have to do it?"
ReplyDeleteBut I think we need to think about the hierarchy that work is placed on, and who controls and dictates that hierarchy. Why is it that reproductive labor is considered the lowest form of work? Because it's "women's work." Because it doesn't make money. But raising children and cooking and cleaning are all necessary and arguably harder tasks than sitting behind a desk for 8 hours (which is the most valued kind of work).