Travailleur(euse) du sexe : de l’oscillation pragmatique d’un euphémisme

Résumé 0

It is well-known that some themes more than others tend to produce euphemistic language in order to disguise realities that may otherwise be offensive. Prostitution stands out as a special example since it both evokes the taboo subject of sex and makes a commodity out of the body, which is considered demeaning in Western culture.The social discourse on prostitution is three-dimensional. First, it is shaped by such institutions as health service and justice system. Second, it is also shaped by prostitutes themselves who line up to participate in social debates and discussions on matters that concern their activities and their social status. Third, it is moulded by the media in such a way that it both reflects and influences public opinion. The term travailleur/ travailleuse du sexe (along with travail du sexe, commerce du sexe, etc.), as used in these three types of discourse, has been present in French for a relatively short period of time. Euphemistic in all the above-mentioned instances of use, it nevertheless seems not to have the same pragmatic value in each particular communicative situation. Based on the French press corpus, we trace the evolution of the term in the French press as it has occurred in the last twenty years and demonstrate that its axiological weight is not unalterable but depends on its context and co-text.