Prostitution Case

"Prostitution is one of the more widely known and condemned forms of sexual deviance" (Goode 2011:199). Prostitution is considered to be the act of providing, or rather selling, any form of sexual service in exchange for money. There are many different forms of prostitutes and prostitutes are considered to be a type of sex worker. Society labels a prostitute as being a dirty, sinful person who has no morals and no self worth. In order to understand why prostitution is considered a deviant behavior we must ask ourselves a few key questions. First we must ask ourselves why a person would choose to be a prostitute. Secondly, how does prostitution function in our society? Lastly, we must examine the stigma society places on prostitution and understand why society views prostitution as a form of deviant behavior.

There are several different types of prostitutes and they come from many different social upbringings representing all the social classes. In order to understand prostitution better we must first look more closely at the different types of prostitution. Probably the most commonly known type of prostitution has been coined the term streetwalkers. Streetwalkers literally walk the streets or hang out on street corners or in parks or other public places soliciting clients. Once a financial arrangement is agreed upon then streetwalkers often perform their services in a car or occasionally in nearby hotels. Streetwalkers generally charge a relatively low fee and try to solicit as many clients possible during their working hours. Another commonly known form of prostitution is what is known as an escort service or rather call girls. Call girls are generally contacted by telephone or an answering service to keep discreet. Due to a comparably lower client turnover as compared to streetwalkers, call girls generally charge more per session. Clients often call upon an escort service and arrange a meeting with a call girl at an undisclosed location such as a hotel or even at a client's home (Procon.org).

Now that we have reviewed the more common types of prostitution we must also look closely at the less commonly heard of types of prostitution. A major are of prostitution that takes place daily but is rarely spoken about is considered to be CB radio prostitution or more commonly nicknamed as "lot lizards". Lot lizards generally solicit their services to truck drivers at truck stops. Once a deal is made with a truck driver then they perform their services for an agreed upon fee in the cab of the trucks at the truck stops. Another form of prostitution that is not heard of often is what is considered a brothel. A brothel is a premise similar to a boarding house that is strictly operated on the basis of prostitution. Often a brothel is run by a manager also sometimes called a madam who runs the place and creates a secure safer place for girls to prostitute themselves with a small fee paid to the madam of course. Brothels are generally operated legally and obtain a form of licensure to sell sexual services. There are few other all male venues in which prostitution takes place such as massage parlors and strip clubs and bars. Generally these are public places in which anyone can attend but is often male directed. Men generally go to these places with the intentions of receiving some form of sexual service in exchange for a fee. Strippers often meet men in private rooms for lap dances for a set price and once the curtain is closed perform many more services for more money. Massage parlors generally screen their customers and then send the men to certain women who will perform different sexual acts based upon a set fee. Bar girls generally hang out at bars and let men buy their drinks and often negotiate certain arrangements of sexual conduct for a certain price as well (Procon.org).

Now that we understand a little more about the different types of prostitution I think we need to also examine the reasoning behind why a woman might choose such a profession.The backgrounds of many women in prostitution are not necessarily that much different from the average woman. Most women in prostitution are considered conventional women who come from traditional families and have the same desires as most other women on the average. Probably the biggest factor behind a woman choosing to be a prostitute is for economic reasons. Many women in the profession of prostitution are single mothers wanting to make more money to support their families while being able to have some control over their work schedule and how much money they make. Many women choose to go into prostitution at a young age due to the lack of relational support or financial support in the prospects of being able to find a decent job with decent wages in order to support themselves. Other women may choose to go into prostitution as way to support their drug habits and to be able to get that next quick fix. Many women have a distorted reality of love that may stem from childhood sexual abuse and will prostitute themselves because that's what men want from them. Still other women may be tangled up in an abusive relationship with a pimp who threatens them with violence and other security concerns to perform tricks for men in exchange for money (Kennedy).

Now that we have fully examined what prostitution is and why an individual would choose this as a profession, we must look at how prostitution functions in our society. Society's view as a whole on prostitution is extremely negative. Prostitution is considered an immoral profession that is illegal almost everywhere with a few exceptions. When looking at how prostitution functions in society and how society views prostitution we will use different theories to guide us.

The functionalist perspective views the function of prostitution in our society. According to the functionalist theory, "If certain deviant practices and institutions exist in societies everywhere and for all of recorded history, they must be functional" (Goode 2008:67). "Functionalists argue that deviance is a necessary part of all societies, and that it performs positive functions for the social system. After all deviance break the norms and values of society. With the functionalist's emphasis on the importance of shared norms and values as the basis of social order it would appear that deviance is a threat to social order, and therefore should be seen as a threat to society. A limited amount of crime is necessary and beneficial to society, so much so that society could not exist without some form of deviance." (sociology.org) Society has deemed prostitution