Justice with Rather Than Justice for: Sex Workers, Epistemic Justice and Creative Research

Abstract Introduction In the UK, sex work stigma and partial criminalisation shapes both structural and epistemological violence. This can result in sex workers facing epistemic injustices, with their knowledge, experiences and perspectives dismissed or undervalued due to dominant narratives shaped around victimisation, deviance and vulnerability. In this paper, we use the concept of epistemic justice to explore the possibilities for creating justice with sex workers in research and consider how community-based participatory methods can challenge and transform epistemic harms. Methods In this paper, we analyse our recent experiences of using creative methods (photo-elicitation and arts-based workshops) in two UK-based projects to explore what doing justice with sex workers looked like in our projects. Results Our analysis shows how epistemic justice for sex workers can be applied in research and reflects on the opportunities creative methods presented for creating justice with sex workers. We argue that without understanding the social power in operation in epistemic interactions, research practices can produce epistemic disadvantage and highlight the ethical and emotional aspects to epistemic practices in sex work research. Conclusion and policy implications Creative methods offer a way to meaningfully involve sex workers in research design and delivery and ensure they have space to freely explore their experiences. They also encourage researchers to take responsibility for accurately representing lived experiences, which is essential in countering epistemic injustice. Creative methods can also inform the design of sex worker-centred policies and programs, leading to more inclusive and informed criminal justice and violence prevention policies and health and social services. By including people directly affected by policies, creative and participatory methods can improve understanding, increase legitimacy and successful implementation.