Narratives around sexual colonialism

Interviews with men who pay for prostitution in Spain

Abstract

Introduction. The main aim of this article is to make visible the reproduction of colonialist logics of domination in the configuration of prostitution in Western countries, taking as a case of concrete analysis the discourses of men who have paid for prostitution in the Spain. Objectives. Following the theoretical framework of Rosa Cobo (2017), prostitution appears embedded in the intersection of three systems of domination: the patriarchal system, the capitalist system and the cultural/racist system, focusing the analysis here on the last one. Methodology. For this, the results of qualitative research are presented. This research developed in-depth interviews with men who pay for prostitution in the analyzed context. Results. The perceptions of the interviewees regarding the origin, ethnicity and raze of prostituted women are analyzed, showing the reproduction of ethnosexual stereotypes and the eroticization of otherness. It is argued that these men organize their experiences in prostitution following a framework that is inscribed in sexual colonialism. Conclusions and discussion. This article aims to contribute to providing greater knowledge about the imaginary of men who pay for prostitution, since there is still little research where they are taken as the main object of study.