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Women and Sex Tourism Landscapes

Sanders-McDonagh, Erin (2016) Women and Sex Tourism Landscapes. Contemporary Geographies of Leisure, Tourism and Mobility . Routledge, London, UK, 180 pp. ISBN 978-1-138-81454-7. E-ISBN 978-1-315-74738-5. (doi:10.4324/9781315747385) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:57746)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315747385

Abstract

Sexual spaces, normally inhabited by (mostly) female sex workers, are understood as masculine spaces, and positioned for and around male consumers. However, red light zones and public sex performances in both Thailand and Holland are being explored and visually consumed by female tourists in significant numbers. Their presence in red light districts and sexual venues is at odds with the ways in which sexual spaces have normally been positioned. Woman and Sex Tourism Landscapes explores female tourists' interactions with highly sexualized spaces and places in two very different contexts: the Netherlands and Thailand. Addressing this incongruence, this text explores the ways in which these spaces are constructed, and examines the different relations that govern the management of, and female tourist interactions with these liminal,sexual zones. Ethnographic data collected in both countries suggests that far from being male-centred spaces, the red light districts and associated sexual entertainment venues are very much open to female tourists. Drawing on this research the author argues that some women are indeed interested in exploring sexualized zones, challenging assumptions about women’s involvements with sexual space. Thinking specifically about the visual nature of women's sexualized experiences, the analysis draws on a range of different theoretical understandings that address power, privilege, and the gaze.

Item Type: Book
DOI/Identification number: 10.4324/9781315747385
Subjects: H Social Sciences
H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Divisions: Divisions > Division for the Study of Law, Society and Social Justice > School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research
Depositing User: Lucie Patch
Date Deposited: 06 Oct 2016 11:21 UTC
Last Modified: 17 Aug 2022 12:21 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/57746 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Sanders-McDonagh, Erin.

Creator's ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6955-3955
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