this post was submitted on 01 Jul 2024
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Sex work would probably be less stigmatized in a currencyless society (lemmy.world)
submitted 4 months ago by Ibaudia@lemmy.world to c/showerthoughts@lemmy.world
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Thinking about this because of a greentext I saw earlier complaining about OF models.

It feels like a lot of the stigma surrounding sex work in the modern day (that doesn't just boil down to misogyny/gender norms/religion) is based on the fact that selling intimate aspects of one's self places a set value on something that many see as sacred; something that shouldn't have monetary value.

Not to say anything about the economic validity of a society without currency, but I think that, hypothetically, if that were to exist, sex work would be less stigmatized since this would no longer be a factor. Those engaged in sex work would be more likely to be seen as doing it because it's something they are good at/enjoy, and less because it's an "easy" way to make money, as some think. It would also eliminate the fear of placing set value on social, non sex-work related intimacy (not that those fears were well-founded to begin with).

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[–] Chainweasel@lemmy.world 51 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

It wouldn't really be "sex work" if they weren't doing it in exchange for something would it?
Yes, we have currency as a placeholder for trading goods directly but people who perform sex acts for other goods like drugs are just as stigmatized and no currency was involved.
And if people are just having sex with a fun of it then it's not sex work either, it's just sex, which is less stigmatized now then it was 30 years ago but it still has a stigma attached to it, otherwise slurs like "skank" and "slut" wouldn't exist.

[–] Ibaudia@lemmy.world -4 points 4 months ago (1 children)

True, but there are more aspects to sex work than just exchanging sex for something else. Creating pornography, for instance, is something some people already choose do just for fun, even without economic incentive.

[–] ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de 12 points 4 months ago

And making porn is stigmatized. That's why 99% of the porn made "just for fun" is intended to never see the light of day by anyone but the people making it.

Really, I'm not directly sure what your argument/belief/whatever is here in this post.

If there's no exchange or barter, then there's no sex work. The stigma behind sex work is that you're selling your body to someone for a price tag, and if you weren't getting paid you otherwise wouldn't be doing it with that particular person. In other words, if you aren't getting compensation out of it, you're just like anyone else with a tinder account.