takis-essays

[takis-essays]

Taboo Language: People should get the fuck over it

Target word count: 500 - 1000 Final word count: 960

Taboo language is a type of speech regarded as inappropriate in most contexts. Examples include speech related to sexual intimacy, swearing or cursing and religious speech. Taboo language has increased in use and popularity over the course of several years, especially among the younger generations. It allows individuals to adopt a group identity and feel included.

The increasing popularity of taboo language can be explained with the S curve model, first presented by sociologist Everett Rogers in 2003. Over time, coinage will take place and the word in question either gains traction or becomes obsolete rather quickly. This is commonly seen with slang and colloquialisms such as "Bruv", which gained traction and became common speech amongst lower-class youths. Some words, like the "Bruv" example, have become so commonplace that they have been added into the Oxford dictionary. Popularity continues to increase until the traction eventually slows and remains static. The word has become popular and doesn't continue to rapidly gain popularity anymore.

There are very divided opinions on taboo language. The tweet presented above argues that swearing in itself isn't offensive. It is the context in which it is used. The language in the above tweet is very casual and relaxed, suggesting that a younger person has posted this on their social media. Use of non-standard syntax (the commas without spaces) is likely a conscious choice, which could be interpreted as purposeful deviation from the norms of language and making a small statement against prescriptivists. This enforces the common view that the younger generations like to rebel against the older generations, and creates a distance between them, furthering their disagreements. This also relates to Vivian De Klerk's theory about young people's speech often challenging linguistic norms in order to seem modern or fashionable. The tweet itself uses taboo language, enforcing the opinion of the tweeter about the only important part of using swearing or cursing is the context of the usage.

This tweet demonstrates a different attitude to swearing, regarding it as unprofessional and diminishing to the points being made by the individual using it. In contrast to the previous tweet, this one uses standard English and correct grammar, punctuation and syntax, suggesting that a person of an older generation has posted it. The language in itself seems quite polite, however it comes off as somewhat demeaning and derogatory through the use of euphemisms. This gives off the impression that older generations believe younger generations are overly sensitive and are incapable of handling harsh criticism. The stereotypical older generation attitude to taboo language likely stems from the fact that this type of language wasn't very popular when they were younger, making them less understanding of the change in language brought on by an increase in popularity. The "Just saying..." at the end is a form of politeness as described in Brown and Levinson's Politeness theory (1978, 1987), in an attempt to adhere to the positive face of the hearer, almost creating a sense of damage control and falsehood.

Link to article: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/nov/12/swear-by-it-why-bad-language-is-good-for-you

Above is an extract from an article about swearing and taboo language being generally good for you. Here, we can see the writer's reasoning behind her statements. She would "rely on it to camouflage [herself] as one of the guys" due to being "a woman in a male-dominated field". The language used is mostly rather casual, with a few more formal-sounding words here and there. This creates a sense of neutrality in terms of age group, which leaves us with the experiences being described. The experiences of code-switching in order to adapt to her surroundings. This can be related to Deborah Tannen's theory on gender language, as men are more likely to be assertive and interrupt, whilst not minding conflict in conversation, whereas women usually talk less and agree more, whilst using indirect requests to avoid possible conflict. Here, one could argue that the writer is consciously rebelling against the norms of gender within language by acting more "masculine" in her speech. She likely does this not only to fit in, but to also maintain her power within her profession and social group.

Her language overall here is very playful and straight-forward, demonstrating her rebellion against female language stereotypes, such as lack of humour and too much figurative language. While there is figurative language in this extract, it is used effectively enough and is balanced out to the point where it doesn't read like a fictional novel, and does convey her points and opinions rather well. She talks about her pride in her "knack for colourful and well-timed profanity"; here the use of the word "colourful" contradicts how people define taboo language: something bad and inappropriate. The juxtaposition creates an effect of humour and allows the reader of the article to relate to the writer, making the article seem more personal. The use of the phrase "well-timed" also highlights that there is a right and wrong time to use taboo, much like the first presented tweet stated. It puts forward the idea that context gives words power or diminishes it, whilst still maintaining the atmosphere of a joke, making the statement more seem more like a conversation and less like a lecture.

Overall, based on the evidence provided, it can be safely concluded that taboo language isn't inherently bad. What gives it a bad meaning is the context in which it is used. It can also be safely assumed that taboo language is a form of expression extremely popular amongst the younger generations as a way to deviate from social norms and be unique and individual, while also attempting to belong in a certain group/groups. While the older generations may not enjoy this "trend", in the end language change is inevitable and it is just another form of expression and self-representation.

Notes: Jesus Christ I tried this so many times... I lost progress at some point and just gave up, but here it is in the end. It didn't take that long, I managed to do it in one day. Hopefully I get a good mark.

Also the criminology essay is still unmarked damn it. I might email the teacher about it once he comes back, since he's off sick at the moment.

#english language #essay

[takis-essays]

Jesus Christ the prostitution essay killed me.

I think I unknowingly had to sell the remaining half of my soul in order to finish it or something.

[takis-essays]

Is Prostitution a Victimless Crime?

Target word count: 2000 Final word count: 1944

Prostitution is considered a moral crime. Moral crimes don't necessarily involve breaking any major laws, or prosecution for any laws that do get broken. They involve the breaking of common morals or deviation from societal norms, meaning that they can differ depending on the cultural beliefs and common views in a specific location. An example of moral crime (asides from prostitution) is begging. While it doesn't land you any jail time, it is still actually a crime. In the UK, the exchange of sexual services for money is legal, but things like soliciting, kerb crawling, owning or managing a brothel and pimping are considered to be crimes. While they may often be seen as simple subcategories of prostitution, they are looked at as separate offences within the legal system and will land you with different charges.

Prostitution falls under moral crime, because it deviates from the norm. The majority of people don't perform sexual acts to receive a payment. Many people see it as morally wrong, because they believe it represents violence against women, or that it requires loss of dignity. It is most often strongly disliked by those with religious backgrounds, as religion plays a great part in shaping morals. There is also an overlap between prostitution and trafficking, as many prostitutes are, or have been, trafficked; however, sex workers have said it is important to distinguish the two from each other, as they are not the same thing. Whereas trafficking is always done against the will of the person being transported, prostitution can involve consenting adults

As stated in the above paragraph, a common argument siding with the opinion that there are victims within prostitution, is that it endorses violence against women. There have been many accounts of sex workers who have been assaulted and beaten, often having things done to them against their will. There is a belief that women who work as prostitutes have somehow given up their human rights and are exempt from the rights to protection which are easily given to other citizens. Public discourses concerning female safety often mention the view that women who do not act responsible with how they act are 'asking for it' or should not have the right to public protection, as they put themselves in that situation by choice. However, a person's human rights should still apply no matter what they choose to do with themselves, as it is their own business, especially considering that quite a lot of prostitutes have been forced into the field through trafficking, fraud and such other ways, which I will discuss next.

There is also the argument talking about trafficking often overlapping with prostitution. It is widely believed that prostitution must involve trafficking in every instance, and while that isn't the case, approximately 40% of prostitutes have reported that they were former child prostitutes, meaning they were forced into the industry by either being trafficked or being a teenage runaway. 40%, while not being the majority, is still a very large number. Despite the clear overlap in prostitution and trafficking, there was a study done by two academics, Liz Kelly and Linda Regan, which investigated the extent of the sex trafficking problem within the UK. They concluded that the problem could be anywhere between two to twenty times larger than what we know, however the meaning of the term "trafficking" has been loosened and broadened, making it lose it's rightful impact. People have exaggerated the amount of trafficked prostitutes by making assumptions, and have used it to describe the general movement of all sex workers, even when they have willingly travelled somewhere themselves.

Another argument that sides with those who believe that prostitution is not a victimless crime is that both mental and physical health of the offender are affected by the profession itself. It has been shown that sex workers are under astounding amounts of stress which often lead to many psychological and physical health conditions. The most common psychological diagnosis reported by women who work in the prostitution field is depression with 35.1%, followed by anxiety with 19.9%, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with 12.7% and many others. These conditions on their own are bad enough, but when one considers that they can also lead to physical health complications such as Gastro-oesophageal Reflux Disease (GORD/GERD), a gastrointestinal tract related disease which can cause daily pain, poor sleep and food intolerance; depending on the severity of the symptoms, this condition can be debilitating. This isn't the only physical condition that can be developed. Besides the obvious sexually transmitted infections and diseases, things like peptic ulcers and Disseminated Gonococcal Infections (DGI) can also be developed, not necessarily related to stress, therefore even if the prostitute themselves doesn't find their job stressful at all, they are still at risk of physical health complications.

Another argument that supports the belief that prostitution victimises the very people that work in this field is that it causes substance abuse which in turn leads to a poor headspace, or vice versa. A study was conducted on 200 prostitutes, centred around substance abuse before or after starting their work. 55% of those that were questioned reported that they were addicted prior to starting their work in the field of prostitution. This would suggest that their addiction, leaving them in a vulnerable state, led them to start prostituting themselves due to them viewing it as the only way to get by. 30% reported that they developed an addiction after they started work. This would suggest that they suffered some kind of traumatic experiences during their time in this profession and had to resort to substance abuse in order to cope with it. The last 15% reported beginning to abuse substances concurrently with the beginning of their work. This could mean that they either got addicted around that time due to starting prior, or they began taking substances excessively in order to prevent traumatic experiences from taking over their lives. Overall, the suggestions here are grim and often point back to coping mechanisms or voluntary reality shifting in order to escape how they feel in the moment, which suggests that they are in fact victims of the profession itself.

An argument that agrees with the statement that prostitution is actually a victimless crime is that the criminalisation of prostitution is the main cause of the victimisation of anyone within the scenario, especially the offender. It is thought that criminalisation of prostitution is one of the leading structural factors that create vulnerability within the prostitutes. There is not only a link between criminalisation and violence against the individual providing the service, but also a link between criminalisation and HIV transmissions, further affecting the workers. Committing a crime in itself is seen as irresponsible and risky, meaning that society's generalised view of prostitution is that they are there because they have chosen to enter and stay in their situation. They also think that once someone enters the field of prostitution, they have immediately degraded themselves and they shouldn't complain, since it was their choice. This view in itself victimises sex workers, as now they feel that they are lesser and undeserving of protection rights. This in turn makes them more vulnerable and susceptible to violence. According to statistics, around 40% to 70% of prostitutes have or are experiencing some type of violence due to or within their career. This argument suggests that if prostitution was decriminalised, it would be a victimless activity or service; however, this is opposed by an observation of locations where prostitution is legal. It is shown that places that have made prostitution legal actually experience a larger amount of sex trafficking into the country, as do richer, more advanced countries with higher populations. A good example of this is Germany, which further legalised prostitution in 2002 by allowing third-party involvement. Now, Germany considers prostitution a regular job subject to tax payment and retirements, with about 150,000 people actively working as prostitutes. Despite this, the estimated stock of trafficking victims in 2004 was 32,800, which is about 62 times more than in Sweden, a country which re-criminalised prostitution in 1999.

Another argument which agrees with the claim that there are no victims within prostitution is that the act itself is consensual; both parties are willing to do it, therefore consent is present as long as both of the participants are of legal age. In our current society, we are given the right to freedom of choice, or rather the right to freedom of rational choice. This includes sexual activities. The laws surrounding consent have been put in place to protect people from having unwanted sexual experiences, whether that be outside the home or within it. Danger isn't exclusive to one place, and protection is a must no matter where someone is. However there is the issue of coercion and manipulation of someone into giving verbal consent, or at least not explicitly denying it. Many women in working the field of prostitution have said that they have felt distorted in their thinking, or powerless, unable to say no to sexual activities, no matter how much they were unwanted. The line between consensual and nonconsensual sexual activities within prostitution is purposely blurred by the industry itself. This is done in order to allow as much profit as possible, conditioning women from a young age that they shouldn't say no, because it will bring them a reward of some kind. This kind of treatment is inhuman and morally corrupt; it is the major problem within the field of prostitution. Thusly, the original argument about it being a consensual activity and not really being anyone else's business is invalid. Consent is only truly consent if it's conscious and informed.

To conclude this evaluation, after looking at the evidence presented in the form of statistics, statements from prostitutes themselves, and observational studies, there is a clear victim within the crime of prostitution; the prostitute themselves. They suffer from conditions, both mental and physical, caused by the activities required by their job. They are significantly more likely to be murdered than the average person, often suffering assault of many kinds at the hands of their clients, pimps, and in the case of kerb crawling, at the hands of people who are merely bored and need an easy target. Their vulnerable emotional state and lack of a stable life makes them susceptible to manipulation, extortion, coercion, and many other things that could affect their ability to consciously and honestly consent, without simply having to comply to the wants of their clients or "employers".

The arguments made against the presence of the victim in these deeds are easily disproved with studies, or just common sense. While it seems as though if prostitution was legal, there wouldn't be such an astounding amount of other issues (like trafficking and fraud) surrounding it, that was proven untrue by an observational study. The arguments were misinformed and based on speculation, some of them even disproving themselves whilst trying to make a point for themselves. It was very clear from the beginning that prostitution as an industry victimises those who work within it; more specifically, those who perform the sexual favours and acts. There is a shocking amount of lack of understanding of consent within the industry, leaving a lot of room for rape and other forms of violence.

Overall, while prostitutes themselves shouldn't be criminalised, seeing as they have been proven to be the victims in these scenarios, the actual act of prostitution shouldn't be endorsed or encouraged in any way. It does more harm than good, and it definitely harms a vast amount of people, whether it is knowingly or not doesn't really matter.

Bibliography: Legality of sex work: http://www.mash.org.uk/get-support/the-law/

Opinions on sex work: https://www.globalsistersreport.org/news/trafficking/worldwide-debate-about-sex-work-morality-meets-reality-48216

Opinions for and against: https://prostitution.procon.org/questions/is-prostitution-a-victimless-crime/

Violence against sex workers: http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/26912/1/Phipps_VAWchapter.pdf https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.0141-9889.2004.00405.x

Trafficking and prostitution: https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2009/oct/20/trafficking-numbers-women-exaggerated https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305750X12001453#s0030

Criminalisation of sex work: https://d8dev.nswp.org/sites/default/files/impact_of_criminalisation_pb_prf01.pdf

Sex work and mental/physical health: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5735638/ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/349336426_Impact_of_Prostitution_on_Health

Consent within sex work: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-28/jensen-with-prostitution,-when-is-consent-not-consent/7363782

Substance abuse and sex work: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7143150/

General statistics: https://sex-crimes.laws.com/prostitution/prostitution-statistics

Notes: I have slightly changed the structure of this essay as it was kind of a disjointed mess, the arguments were all over the place. I fixed some typos and grammatical mistakes that I noticed. I now have an improved structure and I'm fairly proud of it. I will reblog it when it gets graded, hopefully I'll have some tips and pointers for improvement.

#criminology #essay