Benoit, C., Smith, M., Jansson, M., Healey, P., & Magnuson, D. (2019). “The prostitution problem”: Claims, evidence, and policy outcomes. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 48(7), 1905-1923. Web.
In this article, the authors aim to identify the reasons for how inequality can influence the existence of sex work. They suggest that the two leading causes behind it are the predominance of the patriarchy and the unethical labor that appeared from the social inequality as well. Those factors such as race, ethnicity, and belonging to a particular social class can be directly connected to the existence of prostitution. The way this scholarly article can benefit the further research of the topic is in its initial image of prostitution not as deviant behavior but the consequences of the social issues that have existed for hundreds of years.
Since sex work is predominantly is an outcome of the gender inequality in the hierarchal structure and the results from the capitalistic phenomenon, these statements can serve as the proofs of the research theme. Regarding that position is a non-deviant behavior, the authors of the study suggest providing sex workers with protection, penalizing the consumers, and preventing the reasons for women to get involved in prostitution. That eventually illustrates that prostitution is not the problem itself but only an outcome of the more significant issues that need to be solved in the first place.
Pruitt, M. (2018). The social implications of prostitution. Sociology Class Publications. Web.
This research complements the study conducted by Benoit et al. and raises the question of the social role of prostitution, specifically in women’s lives. It supports the idea of prostitution as a non-deviant type of behavior and illustrates issues that appear in the field of sex work, such as sex trafficking and slavery. In addition, Pruitt claims that prostitution initially cannot be considered as a deviant behavior because women nowadays willingly choose to work selling sex services. Still, it does not refer to those women who were forced into prostitution or started it because it seemed like the only way to earn mean for a living. Nowadays, sex work is transforming from a socially unaccepted act to the image of a legit kind of job. However, prostitution still remains a representation of male dominance over women and deprives them of power and control over their lives and bodies. Consequently, it means that sex work is not the problem itself but rather the demand and consumption of the services can be viewed as deviant.
McKinley, J. (2019). Could prostitution be next to be decriminalized? The New York Times. Web.
As an additional source used to support the point of the paper, the authoritative newspaper discusses whether prostitution should be legalized to realize democratic values fully. The article’s author shows the arguments for and against the decriminalization of prostitution from social activists and politicians. Precisely the information in the resources correlates with the study conducted by Pruitt and intersect with some points from her research. Specifically, the becoming of prostitution as an acceptable way for people of earning money. Undoubtedly several measures should be taken in the first place to protect the rights of sex workers and take control over the consumption and limit the permissiveness of buyers. Sexual services are something that always will be in demand since sex is one of the central biological and physiological needs.
Therefore, if there are low chances to eliminate prostitution at all, the least that can be done for women and sex workers is to decriminalize their job. If prostitution is no longer considered a non-deviant behavior, women will have an opportunity to perform their job safely, and the customer will be controlled much more than the workers. Eventually, it might lead to the reduction of prostitution in general.
Prostitution in America: How to bring sex work out of the shadows. (2021). The Economist. Web.
The Economist debates on several ways of how to transform sex work into a non-deviant behavior and provide safety for women who are involved in this kind of job. The article proposes two approaches: to penalize the clients without restricting prostitution and prohibit both actions. The benefits of full decriminalization are connected with a better attitude towards sex workers and opportunities for affordable phycological and medical help. In the countries where prostitution is wholly prohibited, some women are afraid of reporting to the police about the sexual assault or forced intimate performance out of the fear of being arrested. While in the places where prostitution became legal, police officers started to behave better than before and the cases of assaults and abuse from the police decreased. It results in the image of a non-deviant behavior when the public and especially the constabulary are no longer can allow themselves to misbehave towards sex workers. It is due to the fact that they are under the protection of the government and the law.
North, A. (2019). The movement to decriminalize sex work explained. Vox. Web.
North analyzes the movement for social recognition of sex work. Former sex workers share their experiences on the harassment from the police and the measures that should be taken to decriminalize prostitution and advocate for human rights. The ideas observed in the article complement the main points that have been mentioned in The Economist about the decriminalization of sex work. Since in the majority of places, it is illegal, and sex workers are scared of the police, they usually try to avoid contact with law forces. They can rarely turn to them for help in case of any dangerous incidents.
Also, women might practice the work in distant areas that are unsafe and increase the possibility for women of being harmed or trafficked. The realization that the performance of prostitution is illegal, and the sex workers cannot turn to the police and get justice in case of sexual assault is harmful. It makes the consumers more powerful and the women involved in the job more helpless. Thus, the article supports the opinion that the perception of prostitution as a non-deviance behavior will help to prevent criminal acts and provide safety and support for female sex workers involved in it.
Clinard, M. B., & Meier, R. F. (2015). Sociology of deviant behavior. Cengage Learning.
Clinard & Meier examine the initial meaning of deviance and present the factors that influence the definition of a particular type of behavior as deviant. This knowledge is necessary in order to properly study and analyze the phenomena of prostitution as socially unacceptable behavior and prove that it should be considered non-deviant. The authors managed to write a book that has recommended itself as a reliable source for academic studies to research deviant behaviors in society and criminology. This work observes different former deviations, such as the usage of marijuana and same-sex marriages. At the same time, it raises the topic of the deviant behavior justification and discusses how to identify if some particular phenomena are truly deviant or just a social construct. Therefore, this knowledge is beneficial for the research on proving that prostitution should be considered a non-deviant behavior. The more profound understanding of deviant behavior and criminology allows to objectively and critically evaluate the other sources that are used for the study.