Since 2017, media coverage of the MeToo movement has prompted a resurgence of research on sexual consent in the humanities and social sciences. Whether by tracing the history of consent as a norm (Théry 2022), examining its application in the judicial arena (Pérona 2022; Mornington et al. eds. 2023; Le Meur 2025), or analyzing its place in everyday sexuality (Boucherie 2019; Lévy-Guillain 2024), researchers have tackled the question from multiple angles. However, little attention has been paid to a long-standing subject of debate in feminist theory: sexual transactions. In the 1980s, the question sex workers’ consent – specifically, female sex workers – was hotly debated during the North American sex wars (Rubin 1984; Dworkin 1993; Möser 2022). Since then, prostitution has remained a central topic in feminist political theory, particularly in relation to consent (Fraisse 2007; Serra 2024). However, the modalities and specificity of (non)consent in transactional practices, on a micro-analytical scale, remain largely unexplored.

This conference aims to revisit this topic by examining the role of consent in sexual transactions beyond the sole case of prostitution. Shifting the focus away from theoretical debates on this issue, the purpose of this conference is to describe, document, and analyze the way consent and transactions intersect through historically situated sexual practices. Organized by the ANR ConSent team, it aims to contribute to a study “from below” of the norm of consent from the 18th century to the present day. The call is open to researchers from all disciplines in the humanities and social sciences working in France, Europe, and beyond. Presentations (20 minutes), in French or English, should situate their subject in its specific historical context, regardless of the period and materials used (archives, publications, images, narratives, cinematographic works, testimonies, interviews, observations, etc.). A publication project in the form of a journal issue will be proposed to participants.

Application procedure

Proposals (500 words max.) should be sent by email by May 15, 2026, to the following addresses: romain.jaouen sciencespo fr and caroline.muller univ-rennes2 fr. Authors should indicate their research framework, subject, and methodology. They are invited to specify their approach to the concepts of “transaction” and “consent,” whichever they adopt. An indicative bibliography is requested (max. 10 references). In addition to the proposal, a brief presentation of the authors is expected, limited to 100 words.

• Decisions on acceptance will be made before June 15, 2026.
• Partial funding for accommodation and transportation will be provided for participants.