Sexualised violence, global linkages and policy discourses

This project examines the changing and globalising social, economic, political and policy contexts in which sexualised violence in Finland is produced, reproduced and socially constructed. These are increasingly subject to the effects of globalisation, globalising change and global linkages. These global linkages are social, geographical and technological. Sexualised violence in Finland is also produced, reproduced and socially constructed within a complex network of national and international organisational and policy frameworks, instruments and discourses. The focus of this project is the analysis of contemporary policy discourses in Finland on globalising forms of sexualised violence. Two major arenas are examined: i. the commercial sex trade: transnational trafficking in women and children, and (’mail order’) bride purchase; (transnational) prostitution; and telephone/virtual sex lines; and ii. information and communications technologies (ICTs): their use in the direct sex trade; their virtual use in downloading sexualised violent material; and internet and ICT harassment and abuse in workplaces and other organisations. In addition, because of the close linkages between different kinds of sexualised violence, it is inevitable that some attention is also directed to two further policy arenas: (transnational) pornography; and (transnational) sex entertainment and sex tourism. It is unlikely that national policies will be able to resolve the contradictions raised by these changing conditions. To analyse this rapidly changing field demands a multi-method approach. The project addresses the following research questions: • what are the major changing and globalising social, economic and political forces on the sexualised violence in Finland? • what are the organisational and policy discourses of key organisational policy collective actors, and, above all, the interconnections, contradictions and tensions within these webs of discourses? • how do national and transnational governmental policies compare with the broader range of social constructions of the contemporary sexualised violence, including those of business, third sector, and producers of commercial sex? • what are the current and likely future impacts of ICTs on the production, reproduction and social construction of sexualised violence?