Abstract

BRUM, Jaqueline Bilhalva Maicá; CUNICO, Sabrina Daiana  and  GIONGO, Carmem Regina. Voices and executioners: resonance and impact in the research process with female sex workers from a feminist epistemological perspective. Psicol. Conoc. Soc. [online]. 2023, vol.13, n.2, pp.53-67.  Epub Aug 31, 2023. ISSN 1688-7026.  https://doi.org/10.26864/pcs.v13.n2.4.

This article aimed to reflect on the process of a research study conducted with women engaged in sex work, highlighting the reverberations and impacts of the investigation on the researcher from a feminist epistemological perspective. This article is the result of a research which sought to listen to three female sex workers who were interviewed in different settings: a brothel, a café, and a commercial facility. Based on the analysis of field diaries produced throughout the methodological journey, in an effort to present the raised concerns, categories of analysis were identified. The first one, called “The researcher’s (painful) journey”, addresses the reverberations of the research on the researcher, while “How much do you pay?” explores male domination, “She had no one by her side, she was a worthless whore...” examines narratives of resistance, “Your missus is waiting for you!” analyzes overlapping prejudices, and “There is affection, beyond sex” approaches identity and recognition as women, related to experiences and narratives of the interviewed participants. Key findings highlight that the prejudice reproduced in misogynistic discourses reverberates in the segregation of being both a woman and a sex worker. However, in contrast to patriarchal narratives, the narratives of the interviewees also reveal paths of resistance in response to social and cultural challenges imposed by the profession. To sum up, there is a need to create more spaces where women’s voices can resonate, thus enabling the production of science from the power of women’s voices.

Keywords : Women; prostitution; qualitative research; methodology.

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