Social Research, Sex and the Media

The School has recently hit the headlines of both the National and International media with reference to some research which we have yet to start! The University of Leeds has an excellent worldwide reputation and the School of Sociology and Social Policy, where this research will take place, was ranked 2nd in the country for the proportion of its research considered to be world-class. The School researches Disability, Race and Ethnicity, Gender, the Family and Care to name a few . So why the sudden interest in this research project? The answer is that the subject matter is the sex industry.  A  journalist noted that there was an advertisement on the University’s website for a ‘Research Officer’. The research will look into “the rise and regulation of lap dancing and the place of sexual labour and consumption in the night time economy.”

The coverage has been varied in a number of different newspapers, some who appear to treat it as a bit of a joke, (Yorkshire Evening Post), a piece of valid research (Yorkshire Post) or a waste of tax payer’s money (Daily Mirror). In fact the Daily Mirror had a quote from none other than the pressure group the TaxPayers’ Alliance. Susie Squire, political director at the Tax Payers’ Alliance, said: “This is the ultimate non-job and will both anger and bemuse taxpayers. It may be a dream job for some men, but it’s just another nightmare of public sector waste for the ordinary people who pay for it.”

As for ‘public sector waste’ can Susie tell me how many women work in lap dancing clubs? What are the conditions of work like? How many are students paying off debt or funding their studies? Does poverty play a role? Does working in this area lead to other types of sex work? The answer is that we do not have a clear picture of the working conditions of the women working in the industry or what motivates them to work in the bars. The project is also going to look at why lap dancing clubs and bars have become integrated into our social landscape. They can be found in most major cities in the UK alongside shops and restaurants.

At the same time that the media was discussing the research project here at Leeds an article has appeared on the BBC website (Student says she will strip over loan delays)  written by Angela Harrison the BBC News education reporter. The article is based on a discussion with a student who says ‘she is about to start work as a stripper because of debts she has run up while waiting for her student loan to come through.’ She also states that she is ‘desperate after borrowing all the money she can from family and friends’ She does not seem to want to go into the industry willingly saying “I would obviously much prefer to not have to do this, but I don’t have much choice as my parents cannot give me any more money,” This is one indication? why the research project could be of great importance. The research project interview 300 women working in the industry and also use survey data to give more depth to the findings of the project.

The research has the backing of a conservative MP Philip Davies who said in the Yorkshire Post Newspaper that “the area of research was one worth undertaking.” The article goes on to explain that, “ Mr Davies, a member of the Commons culture committee which has previously investigated lap dancing as part of an inquiry into the Licensing Act, said: “I do think better understanding of lap dancing clubs is a worthwhile research project. Philip Davies concluded that, “There is an issue of whether it’s exploitative to women and I wouldn’t decry it as a subject of research.”

It is hoped that by communicating to the media, and a wider public, (using channels such as this blog) we will be in a position to explain the role of our research in covering gaps in knowledge. The research project is original empirical work that is needed to answer questions arising from the growing labour market in the sex industry in Britain.