VIDEOED INTERVIEW

Videoed Interview: Critical Reflection



Critical Reflection

CASE SCENARIO

I have interviewed a social worker, Jonathan Beckinsale who is associated with the Public Welfare Foundation. Jonathan Beckinsale is among the founder of the foundation and has been acknowledged as the key speaker on the public policy. He is also acknowledged for the work he has been doing for the societal reformation and welfare of the general public. The interview was conducted in Jonathan's office. Jonathan's Public Welfare Foundation is although is working on different thematic areas, but I have asked him about the prevailing issue in Australia, that is prostitution. The act of prostitution violates the prevalent social norms of most cultures and societies. However, in Australia this profession is legal. Prostitution is one particular type of sex work, in which an individual exchanges sex or sexual favors for money, drugs, or other desirable commodities. As one of the world's oldest professions, prostitution can be found across societies worldwide, and is especially prolific in urban areas. This type of work is largely a gendered phenomenon in which women sell and men purchase sex acts. There are different types of prostitutes, including call girls, brothel workers, and street prostitutes, all of whom are affected by the circumstances, environments, and laws in which they work. Jonathan's organization advocates that it is not fair to use people as a commodity.

Legal prostitution broadly refers to the ability of consenting adults to buy and sell sexual intercourse or other sexual services without incurring legal penalty. International legislative approaches to prostitution vary enormously and can be grouped into three broad categories: legalization, with associated state involvement in regulating prostitution; decriminalization, which makes prostitution neither illegal nor legal; and criminalization, in which prostitution is entirely illegal.

Heated debates surrounding legal prostitution can be divided into two primary camps: those opposing prostitution as a public nuisance and/or a form of violence against women and others who recognize that prostitution is an enduring reality and a form of work with associated risks that can be minimized by state regulation of its practice. Given that the vast majority of prostitutes throughout the world are women, it has been suggested that unique socioeconomic issues associated with women's status, vis-à-vis men, must be considered in any discussion of the subject.

PWF argue that prostitutes are victims because they are exploited by a male-dominated society; however proponents of this act assert that they are empowered individuals who capitalize on their sexuality for gain. In response, a third group claims that the experiences of prostitutes fall along a continuum between these two extremes, depending on personal circumstances and working conditions. Legal prostitution takes many forms throughout the world, and some countries vary even in their national approaches to legislation. One approach to legal prostitution advocates direct state regulation, which usually involves the construction of areas specifically designated for prostitution, or tolerance zones. These regulated areas feature a police presence to maintain order and mandate regular health checks such as screening of prostitutes for sexually transmitted ...