Sex work is a profession with a long-standing and turbulent past. Throughout history, prostitution was rarely considered an important topic, with sex workers often being subject to stigmatization, marginalization, criminalization, and even ostracism. Thus, it is crucial to consider the history of sex work and the treatment of workers in the industry to understand the contemporary challenges they face and substantiate the need for unionization.
Social structure can be viewed as an important indicator of society’s stability. Thus, prostitution is often viewed as a necessary profession due to the social structures of the time creating a demand for sexual and erotic services.1 The spread of prostitution, including unregulated prostitution, depends on the development of society as a whole. In the late 19th century, a period of significant economic growth and material influence in France, sex work was in high demand, with bourgeois prostitution becoming extremely popular.2 The dominant culture of the time also affected the social structure and, consequentially, sex work and people’s perception of it. In the 20th century, the Muslim culture of Nairobi led to the establishment of indoor prostitution to allow women in sex work to establish themselves as heads of the household.3
Furthermore, the patriarchy-centered culture and the cult of female modesty led to sex work being marginalized and being relegated to the outskirts of the social structure.4 Thus, the leading culture and social structure of sex work prevented sex workers from unionization because the industry was not considered moral or legitimate.
The gender perspective on sex work suggests that prostitution arose as a response to gender imbalances and the persistent dichotomy of a “good girl” vs. “whore.” Thus, in 19th century France, the influx of male workers to the urban areas and their sexual deprivation led to an increase in prostitution demand.5 Male dominance in society and the violent treatment of women also contributed to sex work being criminalized and sex workers being stigmatized.6
It led to the female modesty being viewed as the desirable norm while revealing too much of a woman’s body was considered to be undesirable and was stigmatized.7 Bodily modesty was promoted as a virtue and a necessity for women to protect themselves, while immodest behavior served as an excuse to abuse women, specifically those in the sex work industry. The cult of modesty reached its peak during the Victorian era and, surprisingly, was continued by the suffragette movement. Stigmatization also prevented the unionization of sex workers and perpetuated their exploitation by pimps and brothel owners.8 Thus, the objectification of a woman’s body by a woman herself was considered immoral, with sex workers being marginalized by society.
The social structure, culture, and stigmatization of sex work resulted in prostitution being illegal in many countries. For example, in Iran, prostitution is outlawed as it is considered sinful and immoral behavior, while in other countries such as the Netherlands and Australia, it is regulated by the government.9 Throughout history, there were many campaigns to end prostitution and demand for sex work due to it being an archaic and damaging practice for female workers. However, these campaigns add to the criminalization of sex work and further stigmatize it, preventing unionization and safe working conditions for sex workers.
In summary, the tumultuous history of the sex work industry led to it facing many challenges today, including the unionization of sex workers being hindered. The social structure that led to increased demand for prostitution and the patriarchal culture that stigmatized female sexuality and body led to sex workers in many countries being stigmatized and their work being criminalized. Today, society displays a similar view of sex work, and many communities refuse to support the right of women to work in the industry and, thus, deny them protection. Therefore, it is imperative for sex workers to unionize to demand fair pay and a safe working environment as out-of-date views should not prevail in modern society.
Bibliography
Bateman, Victoria. “How Decriminalisation Reduces Harm Within and Beyond Sex Work: Sex Work Abolitionism as the “Cult of Female Modesty” in Feminist Form.” Sexuality Research and Social Policy 18, no. 4 (2021): 819–836. Web.
Dasgupta, Satarupa. “Violence in Commercial Sex Work: A Case Study on the Impact of Violence Among Commercial Female Sex Workers in India and Strategies to Combat Violence.” Violence Against Women 27, no. 15–16 (2020): 3056–3073. Web.
Gilfoyle, Timothy J. “Prostitutes in History: From Parables of Pornography to Metaphors of Modernity.” The American Historical Review 104, no. 1 (1999): 117–141. Web.
Rostamzadeh, Ehsan, Rohani Abdul Rahim, and Farid Mohseni. “Historical Background of Prostitution and Typology: A Social-Legal Perspective.” Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences 7, no. 5 (2016): 232–240. Web.
Footnotes
- Timothy J. Gilfoyle, “Prostitutes in History: From Parables of Pornography to Metaphors of Modernity,” The American Historical Review 104, no. 1 (1999): 131. Web.
- Gilfoyle, “Prostitutes in History,” 121.
- Gilfoyle, “Prostitutes in History,” 125.
- Victoria Bateman, “How Decriminalisation Reduces Harm Within and Beyond Sex Work: Sex Work Abolitionism as the “Cult of Female Modesty” in Feminist Form,” Sexuality Research and Social Policy 18, no. 4 (2021): 829. Web.
- Gilfoyle, “Prostitutes in History,” 131.
- Ehsan Rostamzadeh, Rohani Abdul Rahim, and Farid Mohseni, “Historical Background of Prostitution and Typology: A Social-Legal Perspective,” Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences 7, no. 5 (2016): 238. Web.
- Bateman, “How Decriminalisation Reduces Harm Within and Beyond Sex Work,” 829.
- Satarupa Dasgupta, “Violence in Commercial Sex Work: A Case Study on the Impact of Violence Among Commercial Female Sex Workers in India and Strategies to Combat Violence,” Violence Against Women 27, no. 15-16 (2020): 3060. Web.
- Rostamzadeh, Abdul Rahim, and Mohseni, “Historical Background of Prostitution and Typology,” 232.