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'A woman should not be so cheap' The Prostitute as a Constructed Other in Estonian Post-Soviet Life Stories
- Source :
- European Journal of Life Writing, Vol 6, Pp 197-217 (2017)
- Publication Year :
- 2017
- Publisher :
- University of Groningen Press, 2017.
-
Abstract
- This article discusses the construction of the female prostitute figure in Estonian life stories on love and sexuality that were collected in 1996. As prostitution was mentioned in the questions posed in the call for writings, more than half of the 61 respondents discussed their attitudes as well as experiences concerning prostitution. The writers portray prostitution as a stable phenomenon that is needed in society; one that cannot be eradicated but should be controlled. Additionally, prostitution is connected to the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and particularly to AIDS. The image of prostitution constructed in the writings carries ethicised meanings as it is exoticised as well as portrayed as something inherently Estonian. The main point in this article is that the figure of the female prostitute was constructed as an ‘other’ in the life stories, a sexual outsider who is needed in the society but who is nonetheless perceived as essentially different from the writers themselves. The contributors used this othering in their writing to construct their selves as well as the concept of acceptable heterosexuality.This article was submitted to the European Journal of Life Writing on August 17th 2016, and published on August 28th 2017.
- Subjects :
- education
lcsh:Literature (General)
Female prostitute
5201 Political History
Human sexuality
060104 history
5. Gender equality
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)
Phenomenon
medicine
0601 history and archaeology
Sociology
Gender studies
lcsh:CT21-9999
06 humanities and the arts
lcsh:PN1-6790
16. Peace & justice
medicine.disease
Estonian
language.human_language
sexuality
estonia
Life writing
prostitution
post-socialism
Heterosexuality
lcsh:Biography
language
Construct (philosophy)
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 2211243X
- Volume :
- 6
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- European Journal of Life Writing
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....c0b63657202fb3e3e99bec3156f554aa
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.5463/ejlw.6.199