Sex and Selfhood: What Feminist Philosophy Can Learn from Recent Ethnography in Ho Chi Minh City

Authors

Mathew A. Foust

Abstract

This article explores the connection of class dynamics to the moral agency of sex workers and their clients. It revisits the analyses of several contemporary feminist theorists, placing these analyses in dialogue with a recent ethnographic study of the sex work industry in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. In light of this comparative analysis, it is argued that accurate understanding and assessment of the moral agency of sex workers and their clients requires attunement to the complex and evolving class dynamics within which each is situated. Thus, while traditional frameworks for approaching this subject are useful, they are ultimately inadequate.

Author Biography

Mathew A. Foust, Assistant Professor of Philosophy Department of Philosophy, Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, CT.

Recommended Citation

Foust, Mathew A. (2013) "Sex and Selfhood: What Feminist Philosophy Can Learn from Recent Ethnography in Ho Chi Minh City," Journal of International Women's Studies: Vol. 14: Iss. 3, Article 3.
Available at: https://vc.bridgew.edu/jiws/vol14/iss3/3