Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.
This is a mixed methods data collection. This project set out to investigate the rise of lap dancing in the UK and the experiences of women who work in the industry in relation to working conditions and their feelings about work. The project also aimed to explore the role of regulation and governance of the industry and the night time economy in relation to women's experiences as dancers. To do this, the largest English survey so far of dancers/strippers was undertaken (196 responses), and interviews were conducted with 35 dancers across the country and 20 people who worked in clubs as managers, owners, door security, and 'housemums'. A further 15 interviews were conducted with those officials who regulate the industry such as licensing officers and health and safety and police personnel. While 20 clubs across the country were visited during the study, fieldwork was largely concentrated in one city in the North of England and one in the South. Users should note that the UK Data Archive study contains a subset of these data, comprising only the dancers' quantitative survey and seven of the interviews conducted with licensing/health and safety personnel. The project found that many younger women are entering dancing as it offers the benefits of flexible, cash-in-hand work that requires minimal commitment or responsibility. Women generally enjoyed their work and its advantages, although there were regular reports of harassment from customers. Women were using dancing strategically to either further their education or career or position themselves better in the labour market in the future. There were issues raised regarding some clubs' lack of consideration for the welfare of their workers. Most notably, there was evidence of financial exploitation from managers as women would pay high 'house fees' and commission, often earning very little money after a shift. The project found no evidence connecting lap dancing to organised prostitution or trafficking. The project found that lap dancing is a precarious form of work which was ironically enabling women to avoid insecure employment and personal circumstances in the future. Further information about the project and links to publications may be found on the ESRC The Regulatory Dance: Investigating the Structural Integration of Sexual Consumption into the Night Time Economy award webpage and the University of Leeds Social Sciences Institute Regulatory Dance webpage.
Main Topics:
The interviews with local authority/police personnel covered: health and safety legislation applied to clubs, relations with club owners, licencing, inspections and dancers' working conditions. The dancers' survey covered: demographic details, children, marital status, income, educational background and qualifications, employment history in dancing and other occupations, working conditions in clubs, and attitudes to dancing.
Convenience sample
Face-to-face interview
