Social work and prostitution: an approach to educational practices

Abstract

Female prostitution is a diverse, complex reality. And migratory processes are multiple and differ greatly. The conjunction of prostitution and immigration generates new challenges in the professional field of social work; but it is a field that has been able to adapt to the versatility and diversity of this reality. This article sets out to explore the educational dimension developed by social work in this context and to highlight its contents and characteristics: a dimension that takes shape in practices and tasks that enable women who engage in prostitution to realise their capability to manage their life in the way they would like.

La prostitución femenina es una realidad diversa y compleja. A su vez, los procesos migratorios son La prostitución femenina es una realidad diversa y compleja. También los procesos migratorios son múltiples y distintos entre sí. La conjunción de prostitución e inmigración genera nuevos retos en el ámbito profesional del trabajo social. Un ámbito que ha sabido adaptarse a la versatilidad y heterogeneidad de esta realidad. Con el presente artículo queremos dar a conocer la dimensión educativa que el trabajo social desarrolla en este contexto y poner de relieve sus contenidos y características. Una dimensión educativa que cristaliza en prácticas y tareas que posibilitan que las mujeres que ejercen la prostitución tomen conciencia de sus capacidades para gobernar su vida en la dirección que deseen.

Keywords:

• female prostitution
• social work
• social education

Palabras clave:

• prostitución femenina
• trabajo social
• educación social

Acknowledgements

The research team would like to thank the participants, people and associations, for sharing their experiences and making this study possible. The research project ‘Mujer, migración y prostitución: claves para la intervención (Women, Migration and Prostitution: Keys to Intervention)’ (EDU2008-04724-I) falls within the Programme of Complementary Actions of the 6th National Programme for Scientific Research (Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Ana Ayuste is a teacher at the Faculty of Education (University of Barcelona, Spain). Ph. D. in Education. Member of Consolidate Research Group on Moral Education. Her areas of interest are Women and Social Inclusion and Adult Education.

Mónica Gijón is a teacher at the Faculty of Education (University of Barcelona, Spain). Ph. D. in Education. Member of Consolidate Research Group on Moral Education. Her areas of interest are Women and Social Inclusion and Female Prostitution.

Montserrat Payá is a teacher at the Faculty of Education (University of Barcelona, Spain). Ph. D. in Education. Member of Consolidate Research Group on Moral Education. Her areas of interest are Women and Social Inclusion and Education in Values.

Laura Rubio is a teacher at the Faculty of Education (University of Barcelona, Spain). Ph. D. in Education. Member of Consolidate Research Group on Moral Education. Her areas of interest are Women and Social Inclusion and Service Learning.

Notes

1. Though the article refers to social workers, in Spain this task is also carried out by professionals from other disciplines (Psychology, Pedagogy, Social Education, Law…).

2. We employ the feminine gender since the vast majority of professionals who work in this field in Spain are women.