A Comparison Of The Views Of Liberal And Radical Feminists On Prostitution

1. Describe the key jurisprudential theories that address whether there is a necessary relationship between laws and moral rules.  Which theory is most convincing and why?

2. In the context of affecting legal change to what extent does popular culture give a voice to those who would otherwise not be heard?

3. People shouldn’t be afraid of their governments, governments should be afraid of their people” – V in V for Vendetta

4. Explain what V means by this quote and examine whether he is correct.

5. “the refusal to take public note of race actually allows people to ignore manifestations of persistent discrimination.”  (Adia Harvey Wingfield, Color-Blindness is Counterproductive, The Atlantic Sep 13 2015 [online] available at: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/09/color-blindness-is-counterproductive/405037/)    

If justice is blind to race how far does this advance discrimination?

5. Compare and contrast how liberal feminists and radical feminists answer the question of whether a woman should be allowed to choose to prostitute herself.  Which answer do you think is most convincing?  Give reasons for your answer.

6. Queer theorists criticise the law for being ‘heteronormative’.  Examine the validity of this criticism.  

Liberal and Radical Feminist Comparison and Contrast

The prostitution is the business or has been practiced that engages in sexual activity for the money or in exchange of some payment. Sometimes prostitution has been described as sexual services, hooking, colloquially or commercial sex. There are diverse views on the prostitution. Either someone stand with the prostitution or someone has a negative effect that is both on the prostitutes as well as on the society. In this report, it will be discussed about the views of radical and legal feminists. The radical feminists are a perspective that calls for a radical reordering in the society in that supremacy of male has been eliminated in all economic and social contexts. They see the society as the male dominating society and the women has been suppressed. Liberal feminism is the individualistic form of feminist theory that focuses on the ability of women to maintain their equality through their own actions and choices. The arguments of both liberal and radical will be compared and it will be analysed that what is the best suitable answer for the question that whether a woman choose to prostitute herself.

The comparison will be based on may points that whether the prostitution should been prohibited, abolition and legalisation of Prostitution that has been discussed in the case. It is always the question that what should we do about the prostitution and whether the women should be allowed to sell their bodies and it should been legalised.

The radical feminists such as Sheila Jeffreys, Angela Dworkin, Julie Bindeland  Catherine Mackinnon, states that prostitute has been called a abusive word sated by Jeffery.

Legal feminists have been considered such as Norma Jean Almodova, Kamala Kempadoo, Laura Maria Agustin, Carol Leigh, Margo St. James and Audacia Ray. It has been stated by these that women shall be empowered who are not involved in the tradition sex worker. It is required to create a helpful environment for the sex workers.

It will be discussed based on these points:-

Radical Feminist states that it is a male sexual violence against women. It is stated that there is no difference between voluntary and forced prostitution. It has been seen that all prostitution is coerced that is been either ideologically or physically. The woman who thinks that they must been given right to freely sell their bodies are suffering from false consciousness. The predominant attitude has been considered as disgust. It was delicately put by Hoigard and Finstad that no one wants to sell or rent her vagina as garbage that is for the anonymous individual’s ejaculations.

However all Radical feminists does not have the same views for example  Camille Paglia argued that prostitute are the victim of men but rather their conqueror but an outlaw that control the channel between the nature and the culture. The view is characteristically proactive is that there is the presumption that prostitutes are inevitable victimhood.

The legal feminist and radical feminist does not share the same views that has been evaluated. It has been considered as the case

Male Sexual Violence Against Women

Radical Feminist sates that it has been well understood that prostitution is not been a conscious and a calculated choice. It has been said that the most women do because they are forced or by human trafficking. It has been generally due to the result of extreme level of poverty and there are lack of opportunities or of serious problems that are past trauma and addiction of drugs. It has been pointed out by the feminists that the women are from the smallest socio-economic classes that are impoverished women, women with low education and the women that are from the disadvantaged ethnic and racial minorities. These are the mostly women that are overrepresented in the service of prostitution around the world. The prostitution has been considered as the free choice that why the women with so many less choices are has been mostly been found in doing this. There has been a large number of prostitutes has been polled in one study that there are 475 people are involved in the prostitution that has stated that they has been forced and not doing with their will. The money is a form of force and it is not as been measured for consent. Prostitution been considered an act like the physical force involved  in a rape.

Whereas liberal feminist thinks that the poverty and coercion has been removed by doing these and it gives economic stability to the sex workers and prostitution.

The abolitionists of prostitution have been understood by the power relations that have been involved in prostitution. It has been seen that prostitution has been compelled as the oppressive social power and not just been considered as sexism against the women. The raced and classed of women that has been forced in the prostitution must been considered it as wrong.

Legal Feminist has the view that it empowers women by having greater opportunities for financial advancement. It has been considered by Liberal feminists that the sale of body is solely for the purpose of economic gain. The selling of sex has been ultimately consisting of seller and buyer that has been negotiate at the best deal. One does not have the right to interfere in the deal and if someone interferes in this deal will be considered, interference in the rights of the buyer. Liberal Feminist sees however, prostitution is not the ideal job for many women but it gives the prosperity and way of life to many of the women. The sex work has been seen as a better alternative for working for the minimum money or has been considered as working for the benefit of women.

Whereas Radical Feminist does not think that the women has to choose the sex work as for the economic gain and there are certain ways that they can ear and there are always the positive and negative ways to get prosperity and it is a negative way to get prosperity.

It has been analysed that all sex women’s comes into the profession because of oppression, sexual abuse and due to lack of opportunity and therefore it creates a division between the feminism and equality. However, it can also not been ignored that the women who comes into this profession is due to oppression but also due to the sex love and also for the desire of power.

Coercion and Poverty

The work of sex can creates the sense of independence for the women. They do not have to rely on their partner or their husband. The women in the society has to hide their feeling for sex and cannot been exposed to the society, whereas the sex worker can easily exposed herself in the society. The sex workers have the right where they are in the streets, roads and the parks as the can either accept or reject the clients. They must have the right to choose the advance from the client.

Whereas the radical feminists consider the prostitution, are the victims of false consciousness and due to some circumstances. Whereas the liberal feminist does not consider the prostitutes or sex workers are the victims in any sense.  It has been considered by them that their actions has been liberating them and providing them with a sense of control.  

The prostitution and the sex work have often been compared to marriage, male has been considered as the person who earns for the food and the women takes care of him and his family and home. There is not seen a difference between a woman who sells her body and take care of his needs as promised as in the view of Liberal feminist there is no difference between the married women and sex worker they both sell their bodies for the money.

However the radical feminist considered that the selling of body for money and selling the body for partner or husband is a lot of difference. The marriage is a contract and it does not provide a dominance of men over the women.

Liberal feminist states that the moralistic and patriarchal is an ultimate expression of women’s love. It has been view that the women has been engaged in sex that is not in love but only sex. The society must accept the sexuality of the women than criticising the sex work.

Whereas radical feminist has the oppose views and they do not find it relevant that it can be accepted by the society as it promotes the prostitution rather than to decrease the prostitution. The radical feminist has been considered as the main cause that it is against the ethic and culture of the society. These types of activities will finish the society and does not make an ethical sense.

The radical and liberal both argues and the main point of debate to legalize prostitutes. The radical feminism always argues against the legalization of the prostitutes and liberal will support in legalization of prostitutes.

Liberal feminist think that legalization of prostitutes will help in decreasing the crimes such as rape, will improve the health of public and have the generation of tax. It will also help in decreasing the poverty.,

Whereas Radical Feminist has a view that legalization will increase the sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS. It will increase the human trafficking globally and there will be more crimes.

It can be said from analysing both the views of Radical Feminist and Liberal Feminist as the radical view is more sensible and been more practical than the liberal view. However liberal view was also correct on some points that it given women a economic stability and other benefits in the system. The most suitable answer can be said as the report it was reviewed that maximum of women in this profession was due to oppression and been forced to work. The radical has made the arguments that the selling of body cannot be considered as the business at all and cannot been supported that it is purely a business. It has ben considered as the amle dominance over the women and it can been compared with the marriage that is a contract between the men and women. The sale of body due to poverty is the amin reason and therefore radical views are more prominent than the liberal feminist views.

Conclusion:

It can be said from the debate that the both radical and liberal feminist has views over the selling of bodies of the prostitution. The view of radical considered to be more suitable than the liberal. The radical view has been analysed as more practical and that has been much accepted by the society. The radical argument has more support with the reviews that most of the women has been forced or coerced into the profession. The liberal feminist states that sex workers and prostitution has ben powered by the this profession as their economic stability has ben increased due to this profession. It has been analysed that most of the women was forced to do this job than their person will and pleasure and therefore it has been concluded that radical feminist view was much better than  the view of liberal feminist.

The Guardian, We need to face the hatred of the prostitution (The Guardian, 2018) https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/mar/05/hatred-prostitutes-feminists-brutality

The Guardian, Why prostitution is never been legalized (The Guardian, 2018) We need to face the hatred of the prostitution (The Guardian, 2018)

Discovery Society, Prostitution in the UK today: Radical feminism and the marginalisation of sex workers voices (Discovery Society, 2018) https://discoversociety.org/2016/07/05/prostitution-in-the-uk-today-radical-feminism-and-the-marginalisation-of-sex-workers-voices/

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