Emotional Histories in the Fight to End Prostitution: Emotional Communities, 1869 to Today

This book explores the historical emotional communities that have fought against prostitution, tracing their origins, interactions, and evolutions across different time periods and regions. It highlights the nuanced view of the movement's history and shows how emotional styles and practices have influenced the evolution of the fight against prostitution. Michele Greer historicizes emotions and studies them as dynamic forms of situated knowledge, shedding light on how womens lived experiences have been transformed and politicized. The book also offers new perspectives on the history of emotions and the links between past and present forms of abolitionism.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 232 pages
Publication date: 18 April 2024
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

This book provides a fresh perspective on the ongoing battle to eradicate prostitution by delving into its historical emotional communities. A topic that has sparked intense debate among feminists, governments, and communities, the history of the fight to end prostitution holds significant relevance in feminist politics today. Through a comprehensive analysis, this book identifies crucial abolitionist emotional communities, tracing their origins, interactions, and evolution alongside various historical and contemporary emotional styles. By highlighting these emotional communities, Emotional Histories in the Fight to End Prostitution offers a more nuanced understanding of the movement's history.

The book explores the influence of emotional styles and practices on the evolution of the fight against prostitution in Britain, the United States, and Western Europe. It demonstrates how emotions such as fear of sin, maternal compassion, survivor shame, and loss have shaped the movement over time. Michele Greer, the author, historicizes emotions and examines them as dynamic forms of situated knowledge, shedding light on how women's lived experiences have been transformed and politicized. She raises important questions about how feminist emotions in social protest can challenge and unknowingly defend existing socio-political conventions and inequalities.

The book also highlights the connections between past and present forms of abolitionism, revealing that this relationship is more complex and far-reaching than previously assumed. It offers new perspectives on the history of emotions, challenging our understanding of how emotions have influenced social movements and activism throughout history. By examining the emotional communities involved in the fight to end prostitution, Emotional Histories in the Fight to End Prostitution contributes to our understanding of the complex dynamics between emotions, social change, and feminist politics.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350275591