1. Prostitution, Pornography, and the Sex Industry
Chapter 7
Prostitution, Pornography, and the Sex Industry
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2. Sociological Approaches in Studying Deviance
Deviance as objectively given
A deviant is any person who does not conform to established social norms.
Example: Prostitution and pornography are violations of folkways, mores, or laws
Deviance as socially constructed
A behavior, belief, or condition is deviant because it is labeled as such.
Howard Becker’s (1963) labeling theory contributed to this approach
Example: Street prostitutes are more likely to be labeled deviant than are people who work for high-priced escort services
Deviance is rooted in the social structure of society
People in power define as deviant the behaviors they consider immoral, distasteful, or threatening to them.
Example: Prostitutes are more likely to be punished than their customers
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3. Types of Behavior Viewed as Sexually Deviant in the U.S.
Premarital sex or fornication
Sex between unmarried people
Extramarital sex or adultery
Sex between married person and a partner not her or his spouse
Promiscuous sex
Casual sexual relations with many partners
Underage sex or statutory rape
Sexual relations with children below the age of consent
Prostitution crosses several of these behaviors because it involves promiscuous behavior between two (or more) people who may be married to other people, and it sometimes involves underage sex.
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4. Arrests for Prostitution in 2003
Figure 7.1:
Arrests for Prostitution in 2003
Source: FBI, 2004.
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5. Prostitution in Perspective
The sale of sexual services (of oneself or another) for money or goods without emotional attachment
Become industrialized with sex as a product manufactured within the human self
Become normalized as a form of entertainment with no legal impediments to promoting it as a commodity
Prostitution has become a global sex industry
Reflects the economic disparity between rich nations, where the consumers reside and poor nations, where the women and children are sold
Many businesses, such as hotels, bars, and airlines have an economic benefit from the global sex industry
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6. Health Aspects of Prostitution for Women
Women are exploited
Victims of physical and sexual violence
Vulnerable to health risks
HIV/AIDS and other STDs
High risk of chronic gynecological problems
Pelvic pain and pelvic inflammatory disease
Pregnancy related problems
Emotional health
“Combat disorder”
Depression
Alcohol and drug abuse
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7. Levels of Prostitution
1. Escorts, or call girls and call boys, earn higher fees and have more selectivity in working conditions and customers
2. Hustlers, strippers, and table dancers work out of clubs, bars, and strip joints; they negotiate sexual favors with potential customers
3. House girls work in brothels, massage parlors, or other businesses
4. Streetwalkers publicly solicit customers and charge by the “trick”
5. Women addicted to crack cocaine trade sex for crack
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8. Figure 7.2: Percent Distribution of Prostitution Arrests by Race, Sources: FBI, 2004, U.S. Census Bureau, 2004.
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9. Prostitution and Age, Class, and Race
Most prostitutes are young runaways or “throwaways” by parents
Lower income and poverty-level women and men are more likely to enter into prostitution
Sociologist Patricia Hill Collins (1991)
Prostitution is linked to ongoing economic, political, and social exploitation of people of color
African American women are stereotyped as sexually promiscuous and potential prostitutes
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10. Functionalist Perspective on Prostitution
Focus on how deviance, including prostitution, serves important functions in society
Quick, impersonal sexual gratification that does not require a continuing relationship
A sexual outlet for people who do not have ongoing sexual relationships
The opportunity to engage in sexual practices a regular sex partner might view as immoral or distasteful
Protections for the family as a social institution
Jobs for low-skilled people
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11. Symbolic Interactionist Perspective
Prostitution, like other forms of deviance, is socially constructed
A deviant career is similar to other occupations
Public labeling of people in such a career as deviant—and the person’s acceptance or rejection of that label—determines whether he or she stays in that career
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12. Conflicting Perspectives on Prostitution
Conflict theorists
Focus on the intersection of race, class, and gender; believe criminalization discriminates against women, particularly poor women of color
Liberal feminists
A victimless crime that should be decriminalized
Marxist feminists
Linked to the capitalist economy that fosters economic inequality and forces women to use their bodies as commodities
Radical feminists
Trace the roots of prostitution to patriarchy in society
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13. Pornography, Obscenity, and Erotica
Graphic depiction of sexual behavior through pictures or words in a manner intended to be sexually arousing
Obscenity
The legal term for pornographic materials that are offensive by generally accepted standards of decency
Constitutional test of obscenity comes from the US Supreme Court case Miller v. California (1973)
1) Appeals to prurient interests; 2) patently offensive; 3) lacks literary, artistic, political and scientific value
Erotica
Material depicting consensual sexual activities that are sought by and pleasurable to all parties involved
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14. Nature and Extent of Pornography
Hard-core is material that explicitly depicts sexual acts and/or genitals
Soft-core is suggestive but not explicit
Pornography is profitable to many, including investors, film makers, and owners of stores that distribute such materials.
Technological innovations such as digital media have increased the variety of pornographic materials as well as the methods of distribution.
Examples: Movies on “x-rated” cable television channels, dial-a-porn, digitized scans, and private computer bulletin boards.
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15. Research on Pornography and Sexual Violence
1970 U.S. Commission on Pornography and Obscenity found no conclusive links between pornography and sex crimes or antisocial behavior
1986 Attorney General’s Commission on Pornography concluded that pornography is dangerous, causes sex crimes, increases aggression in males, inspires sexism, and encourages pedophilia (adults engaging in sexual intercourse with children)
Most feminist scholars suggest that pornography exploits all women and sometimes men and children
Nevertheless, studies have not established that watching such films and videos contributes to aggressive or violent behavior
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