The Mythology of Prostitution: Advocacy Research and Public Policy

Abstract

Over the past decade, public policies on prostitution and other types of sex work have been increasingly contested, both in academia and in popular debates. One perspective, the oppression paradigm, is increasingly reflected in media reporting on the sex industry and is steadily being articulated by government officials in the USA, Europe, and elsewhere. The proliferation of myths based on the oppression paradigm is responsible for the rise of a resurgent mythology of prostitution. This article examines the claims made by organizations, activists, and scholars who embrace the oppression paradigm, evaluates the reasoning and evidence used in support of their claims, and highlights some of the ways in which this perspective has influenced recent legislation and public policy in selected nations. The author presents an alternative perspective, the polymorphous paradigm, and suggests that public policy on prostitution would be better informed by this evidence-based perspective.

Sex Work and the Politics of Space: Case Studies of Sex Workers in Argentina and Ecuador

“…If the goal of filming Montecarlo was to end prostitution and help women, it failed on both accounts; the women continued to sell sex, but they experienced more difficult working conditions and greater social exclusion than before. These findings support Weitzer [9]'s criticisms of "the oppression paradigm. "…”

“…Articles 15 and 17 of Law 12.331 on Profilaxis of Venereal Disease of 1937 prohibit the "establishment of houses or premises where prostitution is practiced, or where it is incited" [60]. 8,9 In 2011, Presidential Decree 936/2011 on the Comprehensive Protection of Women also prohibited "notices that promote offers of sex", on the basis that these advertisements promote the exploitation of women and facilitate human trafficking, and established the Office of Monitoring of Publication of Sex Trade Offer Notices.…”

“…Sex workers who facilitate the sex work of others, for instance by managing a shared apartment, can thus be considered traffickers 8 For a history of this law and other prostitution legislation in Argentina, see Guy's Sex and Danger in Buenos Aires: Prostitution, Family, and Nation in Argentina [61]. 9 All quotes translated from Spanish by the author. under the law [62].…”

Pequeñas conquistas en la adversidad: posibilidades de agencia de mujeres que usan la violencia en Buenos Aires y trabajadoras sexuales en la frontera sur de México

“…Así, dar golpes para resistir o defenderse y defender a otros no es visto como una conducta impropia de las mujeres; se trata de una manera de enfrentar las condiciones presentes en su barrio (Beltrán, 2013 Weitzer, 2007Weitzer, , 2010. Pese a esta carencia, en el discurso público mexicano se suele relacionar el trabajo sexual directamente con el delito de trata de personas, de tal manera que muchas veces se utilizan como sinónimos (Weitzer, 2007(Weitzer, , 2010. Así, aunque la trata 7 tiene diversas expresiones, se ha convertido a la mujer que trabaja en el comercio sexual en la víctima por antonomasia.…”

What’s on Sale? A Discourse Analysis of Four Distinctive Online Escort Advertisement Websites

“…Despite an extensive body of research focusing on the online escort industry, less attention has been directed at male to female, male to male and female to female online escort services, subsections of the sex industry that are experiencing significant growth (Levitt and Venkatesh 2007;Cunningham and Kendall 2009;Sharpe and Earle 2003;Weitzer 2010). As a result, we know relatively little with regards to the complex structural divisions and characteristics of the online escort population, in regards to gender, sexuality, age, education, cultural background and health and safety issues (Bernstein 2007;Ray 2007;Weitzer 2007;Young 2008).…”