This paper analyses the mobility patterns and livelihood strategies of young men migrating to, and selling sex in, the EU. Most of the testimonies come from Albanians and Romanians. The analysis focuses on the experiences of 'street' sex workers, rather than on the whole spectrum of jobs available to young men in the sex industry. I draw on French psycho- logical literature on the topic of errance (wandering) and on original ethnographic material gathered over a long period of multi-sited fieldwork in different European cities. Migration is considered as a symbolic and liminal act through which young men negotiate their psychological and economic autonomy away from 'home'. Within this wider context, the article concentrates on specific psychological and migration dynamics characterising the life experiences of young men selling sex in the street. This enables me to analyse the ways the outcome of the negotiation of their transition to adulthood and their migration patterns are influenced by their ability to express their sexual and gendered identities away from home. © 2009 Taylor & Francis.

youth Psychology Migration Subjectivity Male sex work

working conditions mobility young population Eurasia gender issue prostitution fieldwork gender identity Europe population migration psychology