[Blog Post #5] Vocabulary and Discussion Questions

1. Vocabularies

⇨ Decriminalization : Decriminalization or decriminalization is the abolition of criminal penalties in relation to certain acts, perhaps retroactively, though perhaps regulated permits or fines might still apply (for contrast, see: legalization). The reverse process is criminalization. Decriminalization reflects changing social and moral views. A society may come to the view that an act is not harmful, should no longer be criminalized, or is otherwise not a matter to be addressed by the criminal justice system.

⇨ Prostitution : Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual relations in exchange for payment or some other benefit. Prostitution is sometimes described as commercial sex.

⇨ Hooker Hill: Hooker Hill is a street in the Itaewon-dong Precinct of Seoul Yongsan-gu, where many brothels are located. It is also known as ‘red-light district’. Although it has a reputation for only American servicemen visiting, this area is well-known among men from other countries, including Middle Easterners and Africans. Furthermore, because South Korea is not widely socially accepting of homosexuals, there is an underground gay area in this district as well.

⇨ Mamasan: A "mama-san", or "mamasan" is usually a woman in a position of authority, especially one in charge of a geisha house or bar or nightclub in Japan and East Asia.

⇨ Juice: The term “juice” that is used in military camp town bars refer to what the sex workers have to sell to soldiers. Along with the real juice, they also give minor sexual services for a certain amount of time; based on the price of the juice. The prices of the juice goes up if the soldier wants more time together with the sex workers. Bar owners put certain limits of money sex workers have to earn, and if the sex workers don’t meet the quota, bar owners force them to sell sex to satisfy the demand.

⇨ VISA E-6-2(Art and Entertainer VISA) : Art and Entertainer VISA is for music, art, and literature for earning money. The top limit length of its visit is 2 years. It is somewhat known as the "prostitute visa" because many are hired as "singers", "dancers", etc only to end up performing sexual services at room salons and other shady establishments
⇨ Military camp side town(Gi-Ji-Chon) : a village formed around the foreign military base

 

2. Discussion Questions

⇨ What are some of the stereotypes that you have on sex workers? How did you obtain these stereotypes?

⇨ Were you able to learn something new about this subculture group from our research findings? Did it change the stereotypes that you had of them? 

⇨ How would you react if your spouse confessed to you that he or she was once a sex worker? How about when a family member told you the same thing?

⇨ Amnesty international declared decriminalization of sex work to protect sex workers officially. What is your opinion on this decision?
(There is something called sex volunteering for disabled. It started when the notion that 'disabled people also have sexual rights' got popular. Are you for or against this kind of volunteering?)


⇨ What do think makes people to have stereotypes against this subculture group?