FOCUS
Street-based sex work is a criminalized and highly-stigmatized form of sexual labor. Women of color, particularly Black women, are overrepresented in street-based sex work because of their inferior status and diminished power in broader society. They are consistently offered less than white erotic workers for the same service, and constitute more than half of juvenile prostitution arrests. Much of the attention given to sexual labor has focused on anti-trafficking and empowering sex workers. Aliyah’s research focuses on the relationship between race, sexuality, and experiences in street-based work. Her goal is to address how institutional inequality manifests in marginalized groups. Aliyah will use her research to develop culturally-competent social services for erotic laborers.
MORE ABOUT ALIYAH
As the oldest child of six half-siblings in a single-parent household, Aliyah has been an educator all her life. She is actively involved in the upbringing and mentoring of her siblings. These responsibilities are demanding but contribute to her passion for advocacy and education. Aliyah wants to create research and policy that utilize asset-based approaches for servicing stigmatized populations.
DISSERTATION GRANT AWARDEE — SUMMER 2023
Legal Child Traffickers: Local Businesses and Organizations in Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking
Several theories have been proposed to understand the problem of domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST). Much of this scholarship has focused on runaways and peer relationships. Children’s Receiving Homes and brick and mortar locations are rarely analyzed concerning the problem. This study uses life-course interviews of adult DMST survivors to examine encounters with local businesses and organizations as pathways to underage sex work in the United States.
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