Spatial Politics and Sex Work : To what extent do differing frames of meaning in national debates on sex work result in spatial exclusion in Sweden and the Netherlands?

Abstract: The purpose of this thesis is to explore the relationship between spatial politics and sex work in order to demonstrate how spatial exclusion can be used to consolidate power imbalances in the public sphere. To achieve this, this thesis explores and compares the situations between two countries with opposing approaches to sex work – abolitionism in Sweden and decriminalisation in the Netherlands. Frame analysis is used to examine how these two states diagnose sex work as a problem and propose and justify solutions. This thesis finds that, despite the differing ideological standpoints towards sex work, the consequences of the differing legislative approaches of these two countries are more similar than might be expected, in relation to spatial politics. Both approaches to sex work result in the spatial exclusion of sex workers, tangibly from the urban environment and normatively from public debate. This result has significant ramifications. By rendering sex work invisible to the public eye, many sex workers are forced into less stable and less secure working conditions. Given that both the Dutch and Swedish approaches to sex work legislation are justified under the guise of promoting women’s rights, this issue is extremely significant and deserves further analytical interest.