Camming: Money, Power and Pleasure in the Sex Work Industry by Angela Jones is devoted to exploring the online world of “camming” as a form of sex work. Camming is online sex work in the erotic webcam industry. Cammers typically use various online platforms to perform sexual acts in front of customers, or one on one in private rooms. Jones believes in decriminalizing the sex work industry as a whole stating that sex work should be legitimized, and sex workers should be provided legal protection as workers. Jones is also against what she believes is the policing and shaming of bodies and sexuality both in the online and offline arena. According to Jones, decriminalization of sex work does not change sex work from offline platforms to online ones. Instead, it allows for more people who may have been unable or unwilling to participate in sex work to engage online. Jones states that online sex work is safer, it allows for sexual exploration, the ability to make a decent living, connect with others, create friendships and online communities, and that it is pleasurable for sex workers. Jones also describes how the camming industry can still be exploitative, discriminatory and how harassment and stigma is common. 

Jones begins by describing the notion of pleasure as a mode of self-exploration and presents a theory of pleasure that draws from biology, psychology, neuroscience and the social nature of pleasure. Jones research is exploratory, descriptive and both quantitative and qualitative. Through interviews and discussions with sex workers, Jones is able to express to the reader the thoughts and perspectives of the sex workers themselves and does so in a non-judgmental and descriptive way. Jones begins by discussing how camming became popular with the spread of the Internet and how sex work has changed from people going to strip clubs to now being able to access sex online. Jones also notes how sex work is a capitalist industry and as such there are issues concerning wage differences, cissexism, patriarchy, heterosexism and racism. Those who are agents of control over the camming market includes the moral entrepreneurs (law makers), the sex entrepreneurs (those who own the websites, platforms and cam sites, the online studios (who offer training) and the cam models themselves all trying to exercise some control over how the camming industry should operate.

As the first three chapters are more explanatory in nature, covering the history and market ideas of camming, Jones begins by discussing the cam models in chapter 4. Jones notes that typically the motivation to start camming is based on wanting to make decent money, exercising autonomy and freedom, being an independent contractors and escaping discrimination in the traditional workplace (for those who are transgender, have a disability or chronic illness). Another important and crucial reason is that of pleasure, where cam models find sex work pleasurable. There are certainly dangers of online sex work, but according to those who Jones interviews, these dangers can be managed if the work is pleasurable and pays well.

Another important part of camming is the community, networks and friendships that are created where cam models support and acknowledge one another. However, Jones notes that not everyone feels included and there are exclusionary policies affecting trans models disproportionally. Traditional stereotypes, as well as normative discourse concerning gender shapes the camming industry and it is important to perform youthfulness, bisexuality and singleness to attract customers. Gender, race and ability are also important factors as visible identities shape the camming industry. Jones spends some time focusing on white supremacy and sexual racism affecting Black women on camming sites as well as discussions about the embeddedness of cultural sexual racism, structural sexual racism and interactional sexual racism and ways on which cultural stereotypes regarding race are embedded in the industry. In conclusion, Jones notes that contemporary laws and regulations of the sex industry are paternalistic, violates basic human rights and leads to greater policing of sex workers.

Hennie Weiss has a master’s degree in Sociology from CSUS and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Social Work from CSUS. Her academic interests also include women’s studies and feminism.