I’m Dr Gwyn Easterbrook-Smith, a researcher, teacher, commentator and performer based in Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand. My primary research interests are:
- Sex work, specifically under New Zealand’s model of decriminalisation
- News media coverage of sex work
- Constructions of ‘acceptable’ sex work
- Platform and gig-economy analyses of sex work
- Sensory dimensions of transness
I’ve published two books on sex work and the media: Producing the Acceptable Sex Worker, which expanded on some of the key themes from my doctoral thesis, and Sex Work and Covid-19 in the New Zealand Media: Avoid the Moist Breath Zone which looked at how sex work was discussed in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic throughout 2020/2021. Right now I’m working on a project which looks at transgender people’s experiences with scent and smell. I’m currently in the early stages of preparing a book manuscript which reports on what I’ve found from over two dozen interviews with transgender, nonbinary, and gender diverse people on this topic.
I have experience as a lecturer, tutor/teaching assistant, and research assistant. My interest in undertaking research to help destigmatize the sex industry comes from engaging in sex work myself for many years, and I have participated in media interviews which call on my experience and expertise as both an academic and sex worker.
I’m passionate about communicating academic concepts in a clear and compelling way, and I let this inform my media appearances, exhibitions and performances, and my academic work. This also closely hews to my teaching philosophy, where I ensure that when teaching I check students understand why a concept is important and where it fits into the wider discipline before moving on, enabling them to contextualize the ideas being handled and engage with them on a deeper level.
Qualifications:
PhD in Media Studies, Victoria University of Wellington, 2018.
MA in Media Studies, Massey University, 2014.
Post-Graduate Certificate in Business, Massey University, 2011.
BA in Media Studies and Art History, Victoria University of Wellington, 2010.