Transcript Chapter 7
Prostitution, Pornography,
and the Sex Industry
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Chapter 7 Outline
Prostitution
Sociological
Perspectives on
Prostitution
Pornography
Sociological
Perspectives on
Pornography
•
•
•
•
•
Deviant behavior
Global Perspective
Health Aspects
Tiers of prostitution
Age, Class, Race
• Functionalist
• Interactionist
• Conflict/Feminist
•
•
•
•
Pornography, obscenity, erotica
Extent of pornography
Research on Pornography
Age, Class, Race
• Functionalist
• Conflict/Feminist
• Interactionist
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Sociological Approaches in Studying Deviance
Deviance as objectively given:
Any person who does not conform to established social norms is deviant.
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:
Behaviors considered immoral, distasteful, or threatening to are defined as
deviant by those in power.
Example: Prostitutes are more likely to be punished than their customers
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Sexually Deviant Behaviors
4 behaviors identified as sexually deviant:
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
U.S. is one of the few industrialized nations that defines prostitution as a
crime.
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Global Perspective
Prostitution :The sale of sexual services (of oneself or
another) for money or goods without emotional
attachment
Referred to as “world’s oldest profession”
Prostitution has become a global sex industry
Businesses benefit economically from the global sex
industry. (hotels, airlines, bars, brothels)
Demand for prostitution greatest when large numbers of
men are congregated for extended time (ex: military)
In poorest countries women and children are often sold
into the sex trade.
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Health Aspects of Prostitution for Women
Many woman see prostitution as a job or way to make
money, but it is very hazardous to their health.
Problems associated with prostitution:
Physical Violence
• Bruises
• Broken bones
• Black Eyes
Health Risks
• HIV/AIDs or other
STDS
• Pelvic
Inflammatory
Disease
• Pregnancy related
issues
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Emotional Health
• Combat disorder
• Depression
• Drug or Alcohol
Abuse
Levels of Prostitution
Escorts or
Call Girls/Boys
Estimates of 100,00
to 500,000 working
prostitutes in U.S.but hard to estimate
well.
Most
Prestigious
Hustlers, Strippers and Table Dancers
House Girls
Street Walkers
Drug Addicts
Least
Prestigious
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Age, Class, and Race
Age:
Most prostitutes are between 17 and 24
Social Class:
Lower income and poverty-level women and men are more
likely to enter into prostitution
Race:
Wide spread image of black women as promiscuous.
More whites arrested for prostitution than other races.
Typical Customer is middle aged, male, white and
married.
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Insert fig. 7.1
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Perspectives on Prostitution
Functionalist:
Prostitution offers several functions in society:
Offers sexual gratification without a relationship.
Serves as an outlet for those not in an ongoing sexual relationship.
Provides an opportunity to engage in sexual practices a regular sex
partner might be unwilling to engage in.
Provides protection for the family as a social institution by
distinguishing between “good/bad boys”
Provides jobs for low-skilled people
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Perspectives on Prostitution, cont.
Symbolic Interactionist
Prostitution as a career is similar to choosing 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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Perspectives on Prostitution, cont.
Conflict theorists:
People in power define prostitution as illegal because they see it as
immoral.
Liberal feminists:
Prostitution is a victimless crime that should be decriminalized
Marxist and Radical feminists:
Women forced to use their bodies to make money because of
economic inequality
Trace the roots of prostitution to patriarchy in society
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Pornography
Pornography:
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
Erotica :
Material depicting consensual sexual activities that are sought by and
pleasurable to all parties involved
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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.
Porn film industry a $10 billion per year enterprise.
Many formats for porn but computer technology is
most prevalent.
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Research on Pornography
Studied by two presidential commissions with
contradictory conclusions
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)
Sociological studies have not established that watching
such films and videos contributes to aggressive or violent
behavior
Most adults do not support censoring pornographic
materials
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Race, Class, and Age
Men watch more sexually explicit material and are more
favorable toward porn than women.
Women are more vocal in opposing porn than women
Class-based elitism: thought that rejecting pornography is
rejecting all that is vulgar, trashy, and lower class.
White women much more likely to be portrayed in
pornography
Minorities more likely to be portrayed in rape, bondage, and
sadomasochism.
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Solutions to Prostitution and Pornography
Functionalist/Conservative:
Prostitution and pornography need regulation and
control.
Religious conservatives: these are threats to moral values
Conflict/Liberal:
Decriminalize these “victimless crimes” let adults make
their own choices.
Symbolic Interactionist:
Need to find out how people in the industry perceive their
actions and what social meanings they attach to their
experiences.
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