Sex industry in Slovenia on the web: between oligopoles of organizers and powerlesness of sex workers

• Published in: Annales. Series historia et sociologia Vol. 24; no. 1; pp. 143 - 156
• Main Authors: Pajnik, Mojca, Sori, Iztok
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Slovenian
• Published: 01.01.2014
• Subjects: Internet; Marketing; Networks; Oligopoly; Prostitution; Sex industry; Sex workers; Sexuality; Slovenia; Stereotypes; Websites
• ISSN: 1408-5348

ABSTRACT IN SLOVENE: V clanku preucujemo seksualno industrijo v spletnem okolju v Sloveniji, kar se ni bilo predmet raziskav. Analiziramo trzenjske strategije in njihove ucinke na seksualno industrijo, se posebej na seksualne delavke in delavce ter mrezenje organizatorjev, klientov in klientk ter seksualnih delavk in delavcev. Preucujemo vloge informacijskih in komunikacijskih tehnologij pri organizaciji in reprezentaciji seksualnega dela, pri cemer nas posebej zanima, kako se v tem kontekstu oblikujejo odnosi med spoloma, kaksne so neenakosti in distribucija moci in kdo ima od njih najvec koristi. Analiza vkljucuje obravnavo znacilnosti 44 spletnih strani, ki smo jih pridobili z metodo spletnega rudarjenja, in podrobnejso obravnavo mrezenja, organiziranja, delovanja, vsebin in reprezentacijskih strategij dveh vidnejsih spletnih akterjev na tem podrocju v Sloveniji (Sloescort in Zavod 69). Rezultati kazejo oligopolne pozicije organizatorjev in klientov ter stereotipne reprezentacije in nemoc seksualnih delavk in delavcev. // ABSTRACT IN ENGLISH: This article examines the sex industry in the online environment in Slovenia, which has not yet been the subject of research. The complexity of the sex industry is recognized as an intersection of various forms of sex work, from prostitution to dance, striptease, escort services, erotic massage, Internet services. Marketing strategies and their effects on the sex industry, especially on sex workers, and networking of organizers, clients and sex workers are analyzed. We study the role of information and communication technologies in the organization and representation of sex work, and consider particularly the questions of gender relations, inequalities and power distribution. Findings are based on the analysis of 44 websites, obtained with the method of web crawling, which comprises the majority of Slovenian sex industry on the web. Features of the sex industry are also examined with a more detailed analysis of two prominent online actors in this field in Slovenia (Sloescort and Zavod 69), above all of their networking with other actors, but also organization, functioning, content and representational strategies. The analysis shows that the organizers and clients of the sex industry in Slovenia use a variety of online tools for marketing and promotional purposes, and that their use and representational strategies reinforce commodification and stereotypization of sexuality and women working in the sex industry. Also, the analysis reveals oligopolistic positions of power held by the organizers and clients in relation to (especially female) sex workers.