Talk:Sex work in Shanghai in the 19th and 20th centuries

'Consensual sex trafficking'

'At the time, most of the sex trafficking that occurred was consensual.'

Isn't sex trafficking non-consensual by definition, though? I was under the impression that if it is consensual, it is not called trafficking. The article Sex trafficking defines it as 'human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation' and goes on to state that 'it has been called a form of modern slavery because of the way victims are forced into sexual acts non-consensually, in a form of sexual slavery'. This seems to suggest that it is non-consensual. Furthermore, the article about Human trafficking defines it as 'the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation', where the latter links to Forced prostitution. Thus, each of the three purposes of human trafficking mentioned appears to be non-consensual. 62.73.72.3 (talk) 01:05, 22 November 2024 (UTC)

'Male homosexual sex work'

'Male homosexual sex work was commonly expressed through art and plays despite its suppression during the Maoist period.'

Wasn't female sex work also 'commonly expressed through art and plays despite its suppression during the Maoist period'? The wording would make you think that this attitude only applied to male homosexual sex work, whereas female sex work was ignored in art and plays and/or promoted and encouraged during the Maoist period. It seems odd that one of only two images in the article - i.e. 50 % of the images - focuses on male homosexual sex work, given that homosexuals and thus, probably, homosexual prostitutes must have been only about 10 % of the population.

Also, 'sex work was expressed' sounds odd. I'd say sex work can be depicted in art and plays.

Also, I am no expert, but I wonder how the author could tell that the intercourse depicted in the picture is sex work.

Also, plays, really? No expert, but citation needed. 62.73.72.3 (talk) 01:16, 22 November 2024 (UTC)

I just saw that the image is called 'Woman spying on male lovers'. The description of the males involved as 'lovers' entails that the image is not of sex work.--62.73.72.3 (talk) 01:21, 22 November 2024 (UTC)

Another contradiction

'Despite Shanghai's reputation as one of the largest cities for sex work at the time, sex work was completely shunned. Especially during the Maoist period, sex work was met with retribution and damnation.'

'During the Maoist period, the use of brothels was commonly seen. Children of sex workers were brought up in these brothels and were even trained to do work especially young girls.'

Huh? So which is it? The article even explains how Maoism tried to eradicate all prostitution and claimed to have achieved that, and yet it is claimed that 'the use of brothels was commonly seen' during it. I suspect this was true of the imperial and possibly the early republican period, not of the Maoist one. 62.73.72.3 (talk) 01:26, 22 November 2024 (UTC)

Communist revolutionary brothel owners?

'Between 1950-1951, there was a movement that sought out to eradicate all revolutionaries that went against the ban on prostitution. 200 people were put to death and over 7,000 people were on suspended death sentences or life sentences by the People's Court of Shanghai. Many of these people were brothels owners which led to the shutdown of most brothels around the nation.'

The way this is formulated, it seems to be saying that thousands of communist revolutionaries were tried and that many of these communist revolutionaries were brothel owners. This seems implausible and I wonder if it was even the author's intention to say that. I can't bother to check the sources right now, but this should be checked. 62.73.72.3 (talk) 01:30, 22 November 2024 (UTC)

'No pimps'

'Within China, there are no pimps who oversee the sex workers. Rather there are "managers" who work the venues that these sex workers work typically in bars, clubs, and karaoke bars. Despite helping protecting the sex workers, they nearly enslave them not letting them leave their location of work.'

Sure sounds like pimps to me. But whatever. 62.73.72.3 (talk) 01:35, 22 November 2024 (UTC)

Well, this is awkward. I would have liked to see these comments before I attempted copyediting.

I hope to get to these later today (UTC). My strategy will likely be removing them; interested parties can look through the the edit history and restore a version accurate to the sources cited. Rotideypoc41352 (talk · contribs) 07:14, 22 November 2024 (UTC)

Put into place temporary workarounds for now. Rotideypoc41352 (talk · contribs) 14:31, 22 November 2024 (UTC)