A paradox of autonomy and risk: Mexican sexoservidoras (sex workers) on the United State-Mexico border.
Item
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Title
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A paradox of autonomy and risk: Mexican sexoservidoras (sex workers) on the United State-Mexico border.
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Identifier
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AAI3127856
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identifier
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3127856
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Creator
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Cepeda, Alice.
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Contributor
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Adviser: William Kornblum
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Date
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2004
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Sociology, General | Sociology, Ethnic and Racial Studies | Women's Studies
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Abstract
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This dissertation is based upon ethnographic observations and life history interviews with 109 female sex workers in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. By using a conceptual framework of "paradoxical autonomy" this dissertation provides a vivid portrayal of the lives of these Mexican women who for numerous reasons and circumstances entered into the world of prostitution. More importantly, their stories indicate how their economic marginalization, coupled with traditional gender roles and the stigma associated with their occupations are conducive to continual exploitation and degradation. Data examines how larger macro level social, structural and economic factors associated with the U.S.-Mexico border have an influence on the women's decision to enter the profession and subsequently their individual behaviors. Mexican women's participation in the labor force may be contributing to the emergence of new gender roles based on increased autonomy from men and new forms of family life. However, this perceived autonomy is non-celebratory in that it does not relieve the overwhelming burdens associated with the nature of sex work and the stigma associated with a border society that continues to impose clearly defined gender barriers on women. The emergence of this paradoxical autonomy among these Mexican female sex workers is strongly associated with occupational risks that come with the progression of their careers as sex workers: illicit substance use, alcohol abuse, high risk sexual behavior and violence. This dissertation represents a significant contribution in understanding the public health implications in that it has provided an understanding of the nature of sex work within a binational context of a socially and economically marginalized region. Furthermore, findings indicate that choices made by these Mexican female sex workers are understood as the outcome of the social, structural and economic circumstances that are characteristic of their experiences living and working on Mexican border.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
