Should we be thinking about sex robots?

The chapter introduces the edited collection Robot Sex: Social and Ethical Implications. It proposes a definition of the term 'sex robot' and examines some current prototype models. It also considers the three main ethical questions one can ask about sex robots: (i) do they benefit/harm the user? (ii) do they benefit/harm society? or (iii) do they benefit/harm the robot

How do Consumers' Gender and Rational Thinking Affect the Acceptance of Entertainment Social Robots?

In recent years, the rapid ageing of the population, a longer life expectancy and elderly people's desire to live independently are social changes that put pressure on healthcare systems. This context is boosting the demand for companion and entertainment social robots on the market and, consequently, producers and distributors are interested in knowing how these social robots are accepted by consumers. Based on technology acceptance models, a parsimonious model is proposed to estimate the intention to use this new advanced social robot technology and, in addition, an analysis is performed to determine how consumers' gender and rational thinking condition the precedents of the intention to use. The results show that gender differences are more important than suggested by the literature. While women gave greater social influence and perceived enjoyment as the main motives for using a social robot, in contrast, men considered their perceived usefulness to be the principal reason and, as a differential argument, the ease of use. Regarding the reasoning system, the most significant differences occurred between heuristic individuals, who stated social influence as the main reason for using a robot, and the more rational consumers, who gave ease of use as a differential argument

Sex Robots: Negative Impact Towards Society

This paper attempts to discuss how sex robots will negatively impact society by questioning how feminism, pedophilia, and human-robot interactions are involved

Sex Industry and Sex Workers in Nevada

Las Vegas has long been known as the symbolic center of the commercial sex industry. Nevada is host to the only legal system of prostitution in the United States. From the early legalization of quickie divorce and marriage to the marketing of its large resorts, sexuality has been a key component of Nevada’s tourist economy. If trends continue, for good or for ill, the sex industry will be an even larger part of the economy in the future. The sex industry refers to all legal and illegal adult businesses that sell sexual products, sexual services, sexual fantasies, and actual sexual contact for profit in the commercial marketplace. The sex industry encompasses an exceedingly wide range of formal and informal, legal and illegal businesses, as well as a wide range of individuals who work in and around the industry. This report will review the context in which sexually oriented commercial enterprises have flourished, discuss general trends in the Nevada sex industry, and make policy recommendations

Sexual Exploitation : New Challenges, New Answers : 5th Global Report

Based on the analytical work of Observatoire international de l'exploitation sexuelle (International Observatory on Sexual Exploitation), Fondation Scelles' 5th Global report on sexual exploitation around the world aims to provide a clear vision of the current situation, suitable for furthering the awareness-raising on the issues around sexual exploitation and the reflection on the urgent answers needed.It includes reports on 35 countries and 11 main topics from 2016-2018.The work produced comes from a wide range of sources, all of which reflect not only events related to studied issues and that happened over the last three years, but debates and controversies that have left their mark in the news.This study was carried out by an international writing team (USA, France, Argentina, Ukraine, Zambia) from various backgrounds (sociology, political science, international relations, human rights, international law), and by expert practitioners (lawyers, judges, and procurers in particular).Original report is available in French

The World after the Crisis

World economy crisis will outlast. It has not reached the bottom and no efficient policy solution could be seen yet. It is a crisis of global and virtual economy. It is more than a stage of the Kondratiev cycle, it is a structural crisis that tends to turn into a systemic one. But what will the world look like after it? Important changes will come out, changes that the world has not imagined till recently: market fundamentalism will decrease and state capitalism will become the dominant system; financial background will change, financial sector will be reduced and regulated, both nationally and internationally; despite the decrease of global demand, energy, food and commodities cost will rise; a greater but still insufficient attention will be given to the environmental issues; protectionism of all forms will increase; poverty will become endemic in many parts of the world, globalization will persist, as Earth is no longer flat; a technological tsunami is being born in front of us; we will be witnessing the emergence of the feminine principle. Change will become common everywhere, but first of all, we need to embody the change we want for the world.

Lovotics: Human - Robot Love and Sex Relationships

Intimate relationships, such as love and sex, between human and machines, especially robots, has been one of the topics in science fiction. However, this topic has never been treated in the academic area until recently. The topic was first raised and discussed by David Levy in his book titled “Love and Sex with Robotics” published in 2007. As a result, the subject of human-robot romantic and intimate relationships rapidly developed into an academic research discipline in its own right. Since then, researchers have come up with many implementations of robot companions like sex robots, emotional robots, humanoid robots, and artificial intelligent systems that can simulate human emotions. This book chapter presents a summary of significant activity in this field during the recent years, predicts how the field is likely to develop, and its ethical and legal background. We also discuss our research in physical devices for human-robot love and sex communication

New challenges in education

Book description: Dialogue is a privileged method in Luce Irigaray’s work. Covering all the key topics that have been central to her work in the last thirty years, this book offers an essential insight into Irigaray’s career as one of the world’s most important contemporary thinkers. Topics and theorists approached include: philosophy, in particular Hegel, Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty and Deleuze; language as information, communication-between and artistic expression; universality and difference; natural and cultural identities; motherhood and gendered subjectivities; cultivation of desire and love; building houses and sharing lives; being two and being in community; the other and others; relational identity and education; globalisation and ethics; politics and human rights; spirituality and religion; practice and culture of Yoga; and, of course, being and becoming woman. Ideal for students seeking an overview of Irigaray’s thought, as well as those already familiar with her work, this collection brings together for the first time Irigaray’s conversations over the years with the people who have been involved in studying and researching her enormous contribution to Continental Philosophy, Spirituality, Cultural Theory and Feminism

Sex Trafficking and Sex Tourism in a Globalised World

Purpose - This paper explores the dark side of the relationship between gender, mobility, migration and tourism. Specifically the paper looks at one form of human trafficking, the global sex industry and the relationship between sex trafficking and sex tourism. More particularly, the paper examines the global sex industry (Goh 2009; Sassen 2000, 2001); the impact of migration and human rights aspects (Voronova and Radjenovic 2016) of sex trafficking and sex tourism as well as the emotional dimensions of trauma, violence and vulnerability (Author B). Design - The paper is an interdisciplinary discussion paper combining socio-economic perspectives (Goh 2009; Author A), human rights perspectives (Cheah 2006), migration perspectives (Voronova and Radjenovic 2016) tourism perspectives (Carolin et al 2015) and health perspectives (Cary et al. 2016, Matos et al. 2013, Reid and Jones 2011). The contribution of these intersecting perspectives to an understanding of sex trafficking and sex tourism is explored. Findings - The paper highlights the moral and ethical responsibility of the tourist industry to counteract sex trafficking and sex tourism, an issue which tourism studies have failed to fully engage with. In presenting the human costs of trafficking from a gender perspective, the paper considers the ways in which the tourism industries, in some countries are attempting to respond. Originality/Value – In theorising the relationship between gender, migration, sex trafficking and tourism from an interdisciplinary perspective, exploring the societal and individual impact, this paper provides a framework for further empirical research or policy changes with regards to the intersection of sex trafficking and tourism