The Traffic in Women: Difference between revisions
Content deleted Content added
add external link to the essay, and other additions |
Aadamwaheed (talk | contribs) mNo edit summary |
||
| (46 intermediate revisions by 22 users not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{short description|Essay by Emma Goldman}} |
|||
<!-- Please do not remove or change this AfD message until the issue is settled --> |
|||
"'''The Traffic in Women'''" is an essay by anarchist writer [[Emma Goldman]] in 1910. It has been circulated in a variety of publications. Namely, ''[[Anarchism and Other Essays]]'' (1910), published by Mother Earth,<ref group=notes>Published within Emma Goldman’s ''Anarchism and Other Essays''. Second Revised Edition. New York & London: Mother Earth Publishing Association, 1911. pp. 183-200, as noted [https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/goldman/works/1910/traffic-women.htm here]</ref> as well as the leading essay of ''The Traffic in Women, and Other Essays on Feminism'' (1971). ''[[Mother Earth (magazine)|Mother Earth]]'' was a monthly anarchist magazine founded by Goldman, [[Max Baginski]], and others in 1906.<ref name="drinnan">{{citation |author=Drinnan |first=Richard |title=A Biographical Sketch |date=1969 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Vj7CAgAAQBAJ&dq=%22Traffic+in+Women%22&pg=PA2 |page=32 |publisher=Dover Publications |isbn=9780486122380}} (introduction to a republishing of 1911 ''Anarchism and Other Essays'')</ref> The essay is one of more than 20 articles that Goldman wrote during 1906 to 1940.<ref name="emma-archive">{{cite web|url = https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/goldman/index.htm|title = Emma Goldman Reference Archive: 1869-1940|publisher = Marxists Internet Archive|access-date = April 15, 2016}}</ref> |
|||
{{Article for deletion/dated|page=Emma Goldman: The Traffic in Women|timestamp=20150324023654|year=2015|month=March|day=24|substed=yes|help=off}} |
|||
<!-- For administrator use only: {{Old AfD multi|page=Emma Goldman: The Traffic in Women|date=24 March 2015|result='''keep'''}} --> |
|||
<!-- End of AfD message, feel free to edit beyond this point --> |
|||
'''The Traffic in Women''' is an essay written by anarchist writer [[Emma Goldman]] in 1910. It has been published in various ways, including within Emma Goldman’s ''Anarchism and Other Essays'' (1911)<ref group=notes>PUblished within Emma Goldman’s ''Anarchism and Other Essays''. Second Revised Edition. New York & London: Mother Earth Publishing Association, 1911. pp. 183-200, as noted [https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/goldman/works/1910/traffic-women.htm here]</ref> |
|||
==Content== |
|||
within a collection of Emma Goldman essays: ''The Traffic in Women, and Other Essays on Feminism'' (1970, Times Change Press, 1971 paperback).<ref>[http://www.amazon.com/Traffic-Women-Other-Essays-Feminism/dp/0878100016 The Traffic in Women and Other Essays on Feminism, at Amazon]</ref> |
|||
The essay was written in response to the actions of contemporary social reformers campaigning against [[Sexual slavery#White slavery|white slavery]], whose legislative campaign Goldman claimed would only serve to create "fat political jobs" for "parasites." |
|||
In the essay she argues that the major cause of white slavery, that has been ignored by these reformers, is capitalist exploitation. Goldman criticizes the role which Christian churches have played in historically encouraging and maintaining prostitution. |
|||
The essay emphasizes how women were forced into slave traffic and prostitution not only physically but also mentally by society. Goldman writes this piece in almost disbelief of how reformers were just realizing the existence of white slave traffic, although it was blatantly visible within society. It was easily demonstrated through the unfair work conditions and privileges. Along with the fact that this practice has been existent for several years and it is almost baffling and unfathomable that it is just being viewed as a wrong doing. It was declared that all man should have equal privileges speaking on the topic of race, but somehow society forgot to include women into this perception as they were receiving significantly fewer privileges than men. Considering prostitution as the leeway and first choice of line of work for woken is inhumane and inconsiderate. Goldman uses this piece to be the voice of the women who are often lead into prostitution or autonomously entered into sex work since society does not seem to see the urgency in hearing them plead and speak about neither their position nor accommodations to make a living. Goldman’s statement is that women are ultimately the victims in the practice of prostitution along with all the difficult conditions they had to suffer through, which can be summed up into trafficking in women. |
|||
Goldman presents marriage as on the same continuum as prostitution, arguing that in both cases women are sold and circulated, and is critical of "moralists" who condemn prostitution, but not marriage for monetary considerations.<ref name=WomenMarket>{{cite journal|last1=Parvulescu|first1=Anca|title=European Kinship: Eastern European Women Go to Market|journal=Critical Inquiry|date=January 2011|volume=37|issue=2|pages=187–213|doi=10.1086/657290|s2cid=159728123|url=https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/wgss/25}}</ref> Goldman claims that double standards surrounding male and female sexuality pressure women who engage in sexual activity outside marriage into a life of prostitution, thereby "society creates the victims that it afterwards vainly attempts to get rid of." |
|||
Prostitution is an act in society is frowned upon and shunned against women. Prostitution is “a widespread evil, yet mankind goes on its business, perfectly indifferent to the sufferings and distress of the victims of prostitution. As indifferent, indeed, as mankind has remained to our industrial system, or to economic prostitution”, Goldman offers a different and unpopular perception of this topic compared to other anarchist of her time. Although society views prostitutes as women who have no respect for their bodies and lack of motivation to find real work, Goldman views prostitution from a different perspective, compared to those at her time. Goldman explains the unfair argument of making assumptions as a significantly better route for the conditions some women are put in. Nonetheless, society and the general public still have the audacity to shame this line of work. Goldman suggests that the mere existence of women trafficking is not a corruption and exploitation of women, but rather their unpaid labor. Goldman writes:<blockquote>Exploitation, of course; the merciless Moloch of capitalism that fattens on underpaid labor, thus driving thousands of women and girls into prostitution...it is altogether the fault of society, the fault of our lack of understanding, of our lack of appreciation of life in the making; especially is it the criminal fault of our moralists, who condemn a girl for all eternity, because she has gone from the "path of virtue"; that is, because her first sex experience has taken place without the sanction of the Church<ref name=thetraffic>{{cite|author=Emma Goldman |title=The Traffic in Women|date=1910}}</ref></blockquote> |
|||
Goldman suggests the existences of prostitution overall has women from a younger age not understanding the significance and importance with having sex and the emotional attributes that follow. Young women use prostitution as a way to make money for a living rather than taking on cliché female positions. As it is much easier and pays better than a yearly wage of $280 compared to the tedious, violent, hazardous factory work. Had society provided better alternatives for women to make an affordable living, they would have turned to other positions of work than selling their bodies for a living. Child labor has opened a path into prostitution since young girls were not having a solid foundation at home, which leads girls to the path of prostitution to rebel against parents as well as gain control of themselves. Men and the pleasure of having a mistress keep the prostitution business alive. Goldman’s perspective of prostitution is more blaming institutions and sees women as the victim behind the concept of sex workers. |
|||
==Reception and legacy== |
|||
By taking the risky path and portraying the concept of prostitution from the feminist point of view and showing how women are the victims Emma Goldman successfully was able to demonstrate her frustration upon the entire concept. As she had reason to because women were constantly being blamed for something they were simply born and raised into, and had no choice in choosing to live the life they did. On top of this, no one would take the time to listen to them and began making illogical assumptions. During Goldman’s day and age the inequality of job privileges made sex work the best line of work and also in several cases as she mentions in her piece, the only line. Some girls from a very young age and the entirety of their childhood view this line of work and know no different way to make a sufficient living as it is the only thing they know, and society has the audacity to judge them in doing so. |
|||
American [[radical feminist]] writer [[Alix Kates Shulman]] strongly endorsed the essay, reading the entirety of it into the record of a legislative hearing on prostitution in [[New York (state)|New York]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Frankel|first1=Oz|title=Whatever Happened to "Red Emma"? Emma Goldman, from Alien Rebel to American Icon|journal=[[The Journal of American History]]|date=December 1996|volume=83|issue=3 |page=920|doi=10.2307/2945644|jstor=2945644}}</ref> She argues that Goldman's sympathy for prostitutes was due to identifying with them, "because of their class and because they defied the sexual hypocrisy of Puritanism."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Goldman |first1=Emma |title=Red Emma speaks: an Emma Goldman reader |date=1998 |publisher=Humanity Books |isbn=1573924644 |editor-last=Shulman |editor-first=Alix Kates |edition=3rd |location=Amherst, New York |page=16}}</ref> |
|||
The essay served as an inspiration for anthropologist [[Gayle Rubin]]'s 1975 essay "[[The Traffic in Women: Notes on the Political Economy of Sex|The Traffic in Women: Notes on the 'Political Economy' of Sex]]." While Rubin follows Goldman in arguing that prostitution is part of the same spectrum as marriage, she also builds off of the ideas of [[Claude Levi-Strauss]] and [[Sigmund Freud]], to describe a "sex/gender system" through which such transactions can occur.<ref name=WomenMarket/> |
|||
Miriam Schneir also included this text in her anthology ''[[Feminism: The Essential Historical Writings]]'', labelling it as one of the essential works of feminism.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Schneir|first=Miriam|title=Feminism: The Essential Historical Writings|publisher=Vintage Books|year=1972}}</ref> |
|||
==Notes== |
==Notes== |
||
| Line 21: | Line 23: | ||
==External links== |
==External links== |
||
*[https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/goldman/works/1910/traffic-women.htm "The Traffic in Women"], full test of essay, at [[https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/goldman/index.htm The Emma Goldman Reference Archive] |
|||
* {{wikisource-inline|single=true}} |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
* [http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2162/2162-h/2162-h.htm#traffic "The Traffic in Women"], at [[The Project Gutenberg]], within [http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2162/2162-h/2162-h.htm ''Anarchism and Other Essays''] |
|||
[[Category:Feminist essays]] |
|||
[[Category:Human trafficking]] |
[[Category:Human trafficking]] |
||
| ⚫ | |||
[[Category:Emma Goldman]] |
|||
Latest revision as of 19:22, 6 March 2024
"The Traffic in Women" is an essay by anarchist writer Emma Goldman in 1910. It has been circulated in a variety of publications. Namely, Anarchism and Other Essays (1910), published by Mother Earth,[notes 1] as well as the leading essay of The Traffic in Women, and Other Essays on Feminism (1971). Mother Earth was a monthly anarchist magazine founded by Goldman, Max Baginski, and others in 1906.[1] The essay is one of more than 20 articles that Goldman wrote during 1906 to 1940.[2]
Content
[edit]The essay was written in response to the actions of contemporary social reformers campaigning against white slavery, whose legislative campaign Goldman claimed would only serve to create "fat political jobs" for "parasites."
In the essay she argues that the major cause of white slavery, that has been ignored by these reformers, is capitalist exploitation. Goldman criticizes the role which Christian churches have played in historically encouraging and maintaining prostitution.
Goldman presents marriage as on the same continuum as prostitution, arguing that in both cases women are sold and circulated, and is critical of "moralists" who condemn prostitution, but not marriage for monetary considerations.[3] Goldman claims that double standards surrounding male and female sexuality pressure women who engage in sexual activity outside marriage into a life of prostitution, thereby "society creates the victims that it afterwards vainly attempts to get rid of."
Reception and legacy
[edit]American radical feminist writer Alix Kates Shulman strongly endorsed the essay, reading the entirety of it into the record of a legislative hearing on prostitution in New York.[4] She argues that Goldman's sympathy for prostitutes was due to identifying with them, "because of their class and because they defied the sexual hypocrisy of Puritanism."[5]
The essay served as an inspiration for anthropologist Gayle Rubin's 1975 essay "The Traffic in Women: Notes on the 'Political Economy' of Sex." While Rubin follows Goldman in arguing that prostitution is part of the same spectrum as marriage, she also builds off of the ideas of Claude Levi-Strauss and Sigmund Freud, to describe a "sex/gender system" through which such transactions can occur.[3]
Miriam Schneir also included this text in her anthology Feminism: The Essential Historical Writings, labelling it as one of the essential works of feminism.[6]
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Drinnan, Richard (1969), A Biographical Sketch, Dover Publications, p. 32, ISBN 9780486122380 (introduction to a republishing of 1911 Anarchism and Other Essays)
- ^ "Emma Goldman Reference Archive: 1869-1940". Marxists Internet Archive. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
- ^ a b Parvulescu, Anca (January 2011). "European Kinship: Eastern European Women Go to Market". Critical Inquiry. 37 (2): 187–213. doi:10.1086/657290. S2CID 159728123.
- ^ Frankel, Oz (December 1996). "Whatever Happened to "Red Emma"? Emma Goldman, from Alien Rebel to American Icon". The Journal of American History. 83 (3): 920. doi:10.2307/2945644. JSTOR 2945644.
- ^ Goldman, Emma (1998). Shulman, Alix Kates (ed.). Red Emma speaks: an Emma Goldman reader (3rd ed.). Amherst, New York: Humanity Books. p. 16. ISBN 1573924644.
- ^ Schneir, Miriam (1972). Feminism: The Essential Historical Writings. Vintage Books.
External links
[edit]
The full text of The Traffic in Women at Wikisource- "The Traffic in Women", at The Project Gutenberg, within Anarchism and Other Essays
