Constraints and Opportunities of Stigma: Entrepreneurial Emancipation in the Sex Industry

Entrepreneurs work not only in socially accepted and valued domains but also in highly contested, stigmatized industries. Despite the extreme constraints of working in stigmatized domains, entrepreneurs manage to thrive. The fact that entrepreneurs in these industries appear to overcome the constraints of stigma raises questions about the actual impacts of stigma on entrepreneurs and their ventures. Our qualitative study of entrepreneurs in the sex industry in Canada reveals that the many constraints faced by entrepreneurs in stigmatized industries also create opportunities. Actualizing such stigma-based opportunities loosens the constraints of stigma and enables entrepreneurs to experience structural, cognitive, and emotional emancipation. However, such emancipation is confined to the context, and thus threatened by interactions with those outside the industry. Based on our findings, we develop a model of entrepreneurial emancipation in stigmatized industries.