ABSTRACT
This part introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The part examines the role of third parties in the daily operations of trans-border sex markets to argue that the sex trade’s relational dynamics comprise a fractal system of alliances. It argues that applying a labor lens to the analysis of working conditions and third-party relationships in the sex industry emphasizes how criminalizing sex workers, their workplaces, third parties, and clients intensifies sex workers’ vulnerability to exploitation. The part analyzes relations between sex workers and third parties in the form of police, activists, and community residents to emphasize how these parties’ perspectives directly influence the everyday life and working conditions of those in the sex industry. It focuses on the ethical issues she confronted while working as a counselling psychologist at the International Organization for Migration Rehabilitation Center for survivors of human trafficking, located in Moscow, Russia.
