NCJ Number
227037
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 49 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2009 Pages: 88-105
Date Published
January 2009
Length
18 pages
Annotation
In exploring the political debate over legalization of prostitution in Western Australia, this article provides a unique arena in which to examine the state, or government’s role as a dynamic actor in the process of legislating morality.
Abstract
The Prostitution Amendment Bill of 2007 was passed in the State Parliament in 2008 sparking political debate over this legalization bill in Western Australia. Arguments against the bill were intended to shame the government and to arouse a host of fears in the public arena. Prostitution was defined as sinful and evil, inherently exploitative and abusive of women, and detrimental to society, problems that could not be eliminated by legalization. These charges clashed with the more pragmatic perspective of the governing party, which centered on harm reduction. The intent of this analysis is to draw attention to an under-researched issue in the moral panic and moral crusade literature; the ways in which sociopolitical forces may successfully challenge the claims of moral entrepreneurs or political advocates. For almost four decades, researchers have examined the rise of moral panics and panic-inducing claims advanced by individual moral entrepreneurs, organized moral crusades, or the mass media. However, literature has devoted less attention to the state, namely the government’s role during unfolding panics. The process of legislating morality or decriminalizing some illegal behavior provides a unique opportunity to examine the state as an arena of struggle. References