Conscious and unconscious coping with the effects of being labeled deviant: A study with female sex workers

Many studies exploring individuals labeled deviant approach the subject's deviance as a foregone conclusion. This dissertation, however, is interested in how those individuals initially received the label of deviance, how they experienced the effects of this characterization, and how they coped with pejorative stereotyping in their lives.; Sex workers are individuals who participate in an unconventional occupation. This includes workers in exotic dance clubs, the adult film industry, escort services, and various types of prostitution. For this study, thirty female sex workers were recruited from a sex club in the San Francisco Bay Area. While some of the participants worked at other locations as well, at the time of this study, the participants were employed at a single club. Participants completed the Life Style Index (LSI), a 102 item self-report instrument designed to assess unconscious defenses, the Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WCQ) which assesses the thoughts and actions individuals use to cope with stress and, lastly, the Effects of Being Labeled Deviant Questionnaire (EDQ). I designed the EDQ measure to identify (a) if participants noticed negative effects of labeling in their lives, (b) how the effects were experienced, and (c) how the sex worker coped with these negative effects. Participation in the study was voluntary and anonymous.; Results from the assessment instruments showed that the participants predominantly used displacement as an unconscious defense. Also, this defense correlated significantly and positively with years of service in the sex industry. The participants significantly noticed the negative effects of labeling in their lives. Conscious ways of coping ranged from avoiding conversations regarding their occupation to allowing only those individuals with an understanding of the sex industry into their social circles. Results demonstrate a need to further review the origins of sexual morals, evaluate their impact on culture's views on sexuality, and for more tolerance towards those who wish to exist outside of culturally accepted norms.