Economies of Deviance: Sex Work and the Sport Mega-Event

Canada is in the midst of a 12-month federal debate regarding the constitutionality of prostitution-related activities which has led the Supreme Court of Canada and Government of Canada to seek international expertise to inform future policies and legislation. Parallel to this debate, in preparing for the 2015 Pan/Parapan American event, Toronto must plan for the influx of an international tourist market. The hosting of a sport mega-event of this nature has been said to heighten the demand for sex work and/or sex-related industries. Evidence-based research from former host cities is thus needed to inform the processes undertaken in a globally-recognized, sexually-progressive urban centre such as Toronto. This ethnographic research collaborative, in which I will travel to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and work with Dr. Thaddeus Blanchette to determine the impact of the 2014 FIFA World Cup on local sex economies, will offer data needed to inform our evolving sex economies.

Faculty Supervisor:

Caroline Fusco

Student:

Partner:

Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

University:

University of Toronto

Program:

Globalink Research Award