Ethnographic Research on the Sex Industry: The Ambivalence of Ethical Guidelines

Highly symbolic and stereotypical images of victims of trafficking and ‘voluntary’ sex workers are often at the core of debates about the sex industry. Empirical studies show that such images rarely correspond with lived experiences. Ethnographic research aimed at understanding the experience of people directly involved in the sex industry is, therefore, imperative. However, conducting research in premises where prostitution is taking place raises ethical and safety concerns for both the researcher and respondents. Guiding principles such as ‘do no harm’, informed consent, anonymity, confidentiality and clarity about the role and responsibility of researchers can advise researchers on how to deal with certain situations. Yet, following the general guidelines is no guarantee to a successful research on the sex industry, and imposing these guidelines on researchers, as institutional review boards tend to do, may hamper research progress. The ambivalence in their practical applicability is discussed through concrete examples from ethnographic fieldwork on prostitution and human trafficking in Kosovo and Italy.