Laura María Agustín

Laura María Agustín is a sociologist who studies migrant sex workers. In her writings, she is critical of the conflation of the terms "human trafficking" with "prostitution" and "migration", arguing that what she calls the "rescue industry" often ascribes victim status to and thereby objectifies women who have made conscious and rational decisions to migrate. She advocates for a more nuanced study of migrant sex workers without pre-conceived notions. [Laura María Agustín and Jo Weldon, [http://www.nswp.org/mobility/agustin-sector.html The Sex Sector: A victory for diversity] "Global Reproductive Rights Newsletter" 66/67, no. 2/3] Kerry Howley, [http://www.reason.com/news/show/124093.html The Myth of the Migrant] , "Reason Magazine", 26 December 2007]

Agustín worked with sex workers in NGOs and social projects on the Mexico/US Border, the Caribbean, and in South America. She then received a Ph.D. in Cultural Studies and Sociology from the Open University, United Kingdom, in 2004; her advisor there was Tony Bennett.She researched workers in the sex industry in Spain, as well as social programmes trying to help them. [Laura María Agustín (2005), [http://www.nodo50.org/Laura_Agustin/LAgustin_CulStudySex.pdf The Cultural Study of Commercial Sex] , "Sexualities", Vol 8(5): 681–694]

Her first book, "Trabajar en la industria del sexo, y otros tópicos migratorios", was published in Spain in 2004 (Gakoa, ISBN 848730379X). In 2007 she published her second book, "Sex at the Margins: Migration, Labour Markets and the Rescue Industry" (Zed Books, ISBN 1842778609). In this book she argued that contemporary anti-trafficking 'crusades' have the effect of restricting international freedom of movement, and she compared today's anti-trafficking feminists with the "bourgeois women" of the 19th century who felt the need to save poor prostitutes, seeing women as weak, easily victimized and in need of guidance. Agustín does not deny human trafficking or forced prostitution takes place, but rather argues that the ‘rescue industry’ overestimates figures. [Brendan O'Neill, [http://www.newstatesman.com/200803270046 The myth of trafficking] , "New Statesman", 27 March 2008]

References

External links

* [http://www.nodo50.org/Laura_Agustin/ Website and Blog with publications]
* [http://www.leftbusinessobserver.com/Radio.html#071115 Radio interview with Agustin] , 15 November 2007
* [http://www.nodo50.org/feminismos/spip.php?article44 Review of "Trabajar en la industria del sexo"] es icon
* Reviews of "Sex at the Margins"
** [http://www.newstatesman.com/200803270046 The myth of trafficking] , "New Statesman", 27 March 2008
** [http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php?/site/reviewofbooks_article/5027/ Exploding the myth of trafficking] , "Spiked Review of Books", April 2008
** [http://www.eroticreviewmagazine.org/issues/article.asp?article=216 All You Need To Know About Sex Trafficking, Harriet] , "The Erotic Review", issue 86, February 2008