Il discorso mass mediale sul lavoro sessuale. Analisi comparativa su due corpora di testi giornalistici

This study examines the representation of sex workers in the national press of Italy and Belgium. The term "sex work" has been part of Italian public discourse for only two decades (Garofalo Geymonat, Selmi, 2022), despite its origin in the 1970s by activist Carol Leigh. In Italy, the abolitionist model established by the Merlin Law (1958) defines prostitution as oppression rather than labor (Weitzer, 2009), making its legal recognition as work impossible. Additionally, various offenses related to sex work further limit its practice. The definition of sex work has evolved over time. The World Health Organization (WHO) describes sex workers as individuals receiving money or goods for consensual sexual services (Berg, 2014). Consent is crucial in differentiating sex work from trafficking and sexual slavery (Doezema, 2002). The growing diversification of the industry has led to a broad definition, with Harcourt and Donovan (2005) identifying 25 types of sex work, including both direct (involving physical contact) and indirect forms. The rise of digital platforms like OnlyFans and webcamming has further expanded the scope of sex work within the gig economy (Van Doorn, Velthius, 2017). This study compares Italy and Belgium, the latter being the first EU country to fully decriminalize sex work in 2022. The analysis is rooted in post-structuralist theories by Foucault (1972) and Butler (1999), which view discourse as shaping both subjectivity and power structures. Media play a key role in shaping public perception, with language contributing to social dominance, often unconsciously (Fairclough, 2001). Thus, analyzing media discourse is essential to understanding the societal positioning of sex workers. The study employs Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) on two corpora of 20 articles each from Italian and Belgian newspapers. The research is structured into two sections: a theoretical framework covering sociology of sexuality, feminist movements, and media representation (Bell, 1991), and an empirical study analyzing media narratives. The analysis identifies three dominant themes: "Interviews with Sex Workers," "Crime and Sex Work," and "Risks for Youth." Findings reveal three key representations: "visible sex workers," "grievable and ungrievable victims," and "youth at risk through digital platforms." By contrasting Italy’s abolitionist stance with Belgium’s decriminalization, this study highlights how legal and cultural contexts shape media portrayals of sex work, contributing to broader debates on labor rights, media discourse, and digital-age transformations.