Live Sex Acts: Women Performing Erotic Labor

by Wendy Chapkis

Book Overview

Drawing on more than fifty interviews in both the US and the Netherlands, Wendy Chapkis captures the wide-ranging experiences of women performing erotic labor and offers a complex, multi-faceted... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0415912881
• ISBN13: 9780415912884
• Release Date: December 1996
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 260 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Realism can hurt

For anyone who hasn't enjoyed this book, all I can say is that you probably haven't met many of the women whose stories are cited in here. I have, and I find them well represented. Chapkis doesn't drown out their voices the way so many other scholars have. She begins by tracing the debates concerning sex work, which is helpful for people new to the topic. She then develops her own argument (see editor's review) and concludes with a personal story on how she discovered her own sexual pleasure. I found it informative and touching, even though I've been doing similar field work on sex workers for the past four years.

Finally, A Book That Represents Both Sides of the Debate

The intro to this book presents a clear, concise account of contemporary feminist perspectives on sex work, ranging from the adamantly anti to the decidedly pro (no pun intended). Likewise, the essays inside represent an equally broad range of views and experiences from women in nearly every facet of the sex industry, proving once and for all that sex work is neither inherently degrading nor inherently empowering.

Sensitive, provocative and fascinating

I LOVED this book! I've been in the sex trade ever since college, and found the book to be absolutely insightful and fascinating. It is NOT a "a suger-coated [sic] way of talking about prostitution", but a very accurate representation of the business--at least for those among us who choose to be empowered rather than exploited. I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone considering entering the sex trade, or to anyone curious about the reality of sex work.

EXCELLENT

I rate this book as excellent for someone who seeks to work in the sex business who also wants to understand the negative and positive attributes of this business - as it relates to adult entertainment. Also excellent as an objective portrait of this business in general.

Expanding the Conceptions of Sex Work

Chapkis in her book "Live Sex Acts: Women Performing Erotic Labour" does an excellent job exploring the often complex experiences of women who perform erotic labor. She gives a careful and sensitive analysis, not falling into the trap of romanticisng their lives or disregarding their experiences. This is a truly excellent book. Which is theoretically complex and includes women's experiences in their own words. I loved it.