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March 3rd is International Sex Workers’ Rights Day, and my birthday (which is very fitting!).
My module SOCI349 Crime, Justice and the Sex Industry is the largest third-year module within the University of Liverpool's Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology, with 185 registered students for 2025/26. This is our sixth year running the module, and the module community continues to grow and thrive.
The module is based on my 24 years’ experience of the sex industry and is research-informed by our current ESRC-funded project into the oral health needs of sex workers in Liverpool.
I developed the module as a dyslexic academic, with accessibility and inclusivity as the default position. Anticipatory adjustments remove potential barriers for students with disabilities, chronic illness, caring commitments, commuters, those in paid work and those with placements. Our module homepage features a visual navigation grid, and students are empowered to decide on the pace and direction of their learning through my non-linear pedagogy. You can find out more about this in my research article, 'Case study: Micro-learning and the sex industry'.
We are committed to the slogan of the global sex worker rights movement: "Nothing about us, without us". Students examine and interrogate a wide range of material, from journal articles, books, legal and policy documents, campaign briefings and charity summary reports and bulletins, to podcasts, Reels, TikToks, documentaries, tweets, films and more. We seek to challenge the epistemic violence that sex workers face and recognise the privilege associated with knowledge production. We do not seek to speak over, or for, those in the sex industry.
We learn in different environments, including a guided walk of sexual entertainment venues in Liverpool city centre. As a feminist criminologist, I map the city in terms of gendered violence and harm before heading to a venue where we have private access to deliver a lecture. This is a jewel in the crown of the module and ensures students acknowledge the applied nature of all we discuss in the classroom.
Ultimately, it is the dedication of our students that makes the module such a passionate learning community. It is a privilege and a joy to facilitate such a large research-informed module, and I welcome contact from anyone interested in this topic or approach.
About the author
Dr Gemma Ahearne is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology with 24 years’ experience in the sex industry. Gemma is a member of Liverpool Learning Framework support projects, Widening Participation Lead for the Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology, Departmental Disability Contact, Student Engagement Lead and sits on the QAA Sociology Subject Benchmarks Advisory Group.
Further details can be found on Dr Ahearne's staff profile.