Today's blog topic was given to me by Greggster
The History of Prostitution
When thinking about trades that have been around for centuries prostitution is not one that normally comes to mind yet it is claimed to be one of the oldest of professions. People have very different views on the subject of prostitution. Since Mesopotamian times, attitudes surrounding prostitution have evolved and changed many times from a celebrated necessity to a cultural evil. The United States Victorian era (1840-1900) experienced the same evolution of thoughts as their prostitutes experienced empathy in the beginning of the century then utter rejection towards the end. The twentieth century on through to the twenty-first has kept the ideals of the latter Victorians. American societys outlook towards prostitution has not changed in over a century and a half because the societal views and the debate over a solution remain the same.
It is important to note what came out of the movement to abolish prostitution in the 1800s.The Victorian area was known for their strict moral people who looked down on anything or anyone that deviated from the social norm; most of society was against prostitution. A new outlook surfaced among women towards their own position in life, which lead to new organizations and strong women leaders that are still looked up to today.
Research on prostitution was developing during the nineteenth century, and Dr. William Sanger was one of the foremost researchers on prostitution during this period; his work is still highly esteemed due to its accuracy and depth.
Sanger examined the identity of the average prostitute and sought to understand why she had turned to that lifestyle. He found that the majority of prostitutes were in their late teens or early twenties; they were usually illiterate, poor and from broken families (Bullough 243).
Economic poverty, societal disgrace, and lack of education were also causes of girls turning towards prostitution; they had a limited number of options available to them.
they gave a number of different reasons. For instance, some women had either been expelled from their homes or deserted by their parents and found prostitution the only way to support themselves. Other girls were forced into prostitution in order for their families to survive. Similarly, girls who had worked in domestics or servants were forced into prostitution because they had been seduced by their masters and then abandoned.
Many of the girls expected to remain prostitutes only until something better became available. Immigrant women who had arrived to the country without money or were brought into the country forcibly had only prostitution open to them (Bullough 243). The conditions for women in the Victorian period caused many young teenagers and women to turn towards prostitution as a means of survival.
Prostitution evolved into a highly visible, industrialized business with economic development, industrialization, and urbanization in [the] mid-nineteenth century United States. (Barry 96) The industrialization increased the market demand for prostitution because of an increased standard of living that came with the new prosperity of the business classes. Women were commercialized as sexed bodies for hire and business stood to profit from the rental of their properties for prostitution, and illicit sex increasingly became an attractive form of capital investment. (Barry 97)
Several factors were involved in finding a solution to the rising popularity of prostitution but all solutions tended to raise just as many problems. There were two groups that dominated the solution to prostitution: the abolitionists and the regulationists. The abolitionists who consisted of reformers and Christians wanted to completely wipe out prostitution and educate children to steer clear of it. The abolitionists looked to moral traditions and social concern, believing that prostitution was the ultimate social evil (Pivar 33).
Although the military and medical community wanted to regulate prostitution supposedly because of the diseases, they did not deal with them very effectively. Police abuse was already an issue and to regulate prostitution would only give them more power (Bullough 245).
In the twenty-first century (1980-2001), women are prostitutes for many different reasons and these roots of prostitution are similar to the reasons women became prostitutes in the Victorian age. Some women move into prostitution due to economic needs like poverty, emotional neediness and susceptibility to pressure from friends; few women listed only one main reason for entering into the profession (Scambler 7). Some prostitutes explanation for becoming involved in prostitution include having a history of sexual abuse, having grown up without love from the significant adults in their lives, being enticed by a male of female friend or by peer pressure from a group of friends, and needing money. Those who used drugs prior to their involvement in prostitution activities mention their addiction as a major reason for trading sex for money or drugs. (Sterk 35)
Prostitution is still seen by contemporary society as a crime against morality (Scambler 7). Many people today still have an extremely negative connotation when the words hooker, prostitute, and whore are applied to women who sell sex for money.
Although these perceptions are held by many educated, scientific and government minds, the public has conflicting views about prostitutes because of the importance the media plays into everyday life. The prostitute has been portrayed to society in many alternative forms: as a symbol of cultural and moral decline, an innocent victim of male lust, a public health nuisance and even a cinematic heroine. (Stolba 2000) There are numerous opinions and attitudes about prostitutes and the industry remains in business because society has allowed the institution.
To legalize or not to legalize continues to be the question at hand in the modern era. Abolitionists and regulationists are still debating which solution is better for the government, society and the women of the business.
For generations if not centuries, the causes and consequences of prostitution have rested on women. However, as there would be no prostitution without market demand, there would be no industrialization of sex without commodity consumption. (Barry 162) In the Victorian period, women were blamed for prostitution because it was not the mens fault they were being seduced by the evil temptresses but the women were to blame. Victorians ideals of social purity and morality contrasted with "dire economic poverty for working class and underclass women involved in a prolific sex-for-sale market." (Scambler 3) In the twenty-first century, prostitution and other sex work is one of the most thriving industries internationally. Although still viewed morally wrong, women who sell sex are still allowed to continue their trade. The fact is sex work is an exceptionally lucrative market and prostitution will only continue to grow internationally. Why has prostitution been allowed to continue? The answer is simple: men.
ALL THIS INFO WAS FOUND ON: http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~ulrich/femhist/sex_work.shtml) I JUST COPIED AND PASTED WHAT I FOUND INTERESTING. THIS IS A REALLY CONTROVERSIAL TOPIC AND I THOUGHT I WOULD SHARE IT WITH YOU. WELL THAT AND I NEEDED A TOPIC TO ENTERTAIN AND KEEP ALL OF YOU INTERESTED. HAHAHAHAH
OK NOW SINCE THAT WAS KINDA A WHOA TOPIC... I HAVE TO LEAVE YOU WITH SOME FUNNY STUFF BEFORE YOU GO ON YOUR MERRY WAYS!
The History of Prostitution
When thinking about trades that have been around for centuries prostitution is not one that normally comes to mind yet it is claimed to be one of the oldest of professions. People have very different views on the subject of prostitution. Since Mesopotamian times, attitudes surrounding prostitution have evolved and changed many times from a celebrated necessity to a cultural evil. The United States Victorian era (1840-1900) experienced the same evolution of thoughts as their prostitutes experienced empathy in the beginning of the century then utter rejection towards the end. The twentieth century on through to the twenty-first has kept the ideals of the latter Victorians. American societys outlook towards prostitution has not changed in over a century and a half because the societal views and the debate over a solution remain the same.
It is important to note what came out of the movement to abolish prostitution in the 1800s.The Victorian area was known for their strict moral people who looked down on anything or anyone that deviated from the social norm; most of society was against prostitution. A new outlook surfaced among women towards their own position in life, which lead to new organizations and strong women leaders that are still looked up to today.
Research on prostitution was developing during the nineteenth century, and Dr. William Sanger was one of the foremost researchers on prostitution during this period; his work is still highly esteemed due to its accuracy and depth.
Sanger examined the identity of the average prostitute and sought to understand why she had turned to that lifestyle. He found that the majority of prostitutes were in their late teens or early twenties; they were usually illiterate, poor and from broken families (Bullough 243).
Economic poverty, societal disgrace, and lack of education were also causes of girls turning towards prostitution; they had a limited number of options available to them.
they gave a number of different reasons. For instance, some women had either been expelled from their homes or deserted by their parents and found prostitution the only way to support themselves. Other girls were forced into prostitution in order for their families to survive. Similarly, girls who had worked in domestics or servants were forced into prostitution because they had been seduced by their masters and then abandoned.
Many of the girls expected to remain prostitutes only until something better became available. Immigrant women who had arrived to the country without money or were brought into the country forcibly had only prostitution open to them (Bullough 243). The conditions for women in the Victorian period caused many young teenagers and women to turn towards prostitution as a means of survival.
Prostitution evolved into a highly visible, industrialized business with economic development, industrialization, and urbanization in [the] mid-nineteenth century United States. (Barry 96) The industrialization increased the market demand for prostitution because of an increased standard of living that came with the new prosperity of the business classes. Women were commercialized as sexed bodies for hire and business stood to profit from the rental of their properties for prostitution, and illicit sex increasingly became an attractive form of capital investment. (Barry 97)
Several factors were involved in finding a solution to the rising popularity of prostitution but all solutions tended to raise just as many problems. There were two groups that dominated the solution to prostitution: the abolitionists and the regulationists. The abolitionists who consisted of reformers and Christians wanted to completely wipe out prostitution and educate children to steer clear of it. The abolitionists looked to moral traditions and social concern, believing that prostitution was the ultimate social evil (Pivar 33).
Although the military and medical community wanted to regulate prostitution supposedly because of the diseases, they did not deal with them very effectively. Police abuse was already an issue and to regulate prostitution would only give them more power (Bullough 245).
In the twenty-first century (1980-2001), women are prostitutes for many different reasons and these roots of prostitution are similar to the reasons women became prostitutes in the Victorian age. Some women move into prostitution due to economic needs like poverty, emotional neediness and susceptibility to pressure from friends; few women listed only one main reason for entering into the profession (Scambler 7). Some prostitutes explanation for becoming involved in prostitution include having a history of sexual abuse, having grown up without love from the significant adults in their lives, being enticed by a male of female friend or by peer pressure from a group of friends, and needing money. Those who used drugs prior to their involvement in prostitution activities mention their addiction as a major reason for trading sex for money or drugs. (Sterk 35)
Prostitution is still seen by contemporary society as a crime against morality (Scambler 7). Many people today still have an extremely negative connotation when the words hooker, prostitute, and whore are applied to women who sell sex for money.
Although these perceptions are held by many educated, scientific and government minds, the public has conflicting views about prostitutes because of the importance the media plays into everyday life. The prostitute has been portrayed to society in many alternative forms: as a symbol of cultural and moral decline, an innocent victim of male lust, a public health nuisance and even a cinematic heroine. (Stolba 2000) There are numerous opinions and attitudes about prostitutes and the industry remains in business because society has allowed the institution.
To legalize or not to legalize continues to be the question at hand in the modern era. Abolitionists and regulationists are still debating which solution is better for the government, society and the women of the business.
For generations if not centuries, the causes and consequences of prostitution have rested on women. However, as there would be no prostitution without market demand, there would be no industrialization of sex without commodity consumption. (Barry 162) In the Victorian period, women were blamed for prostitution because it was not the mens fault they were being seduced by the evil temptresses but the women were to blame. Victorians ideals of social purity and morality contrasted with "dire economic poverty for working class and underclass women involved in a prolific sex-for-sale market." (Scambler 3) In the twenty-first century, prostitution and other sex work is one of the most thriving industries internationally. Although still viewed morally wrong, women who sell sex are still allowed to continue their trade. The fact is sex work is an exceptionally lucrative market and prostitution will only continue to grow internationally. Why has prostitution been allowed to continue? The answer is simple: men.
ALL THIS INFO WAS FOUND ON: http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~ulrich/femhist/sex_work.shtml) I JUST COPIED AND PASTED WHAT I FOUND INTERESTING. THIS IS A REALLY CONTROVERSIAL TOPIC AND I THOUGHT I WOULD SHARE IT WITH YOU. WELL THAT AND I NEEDED A TOPIC TO ENTERTAIN AND KEEP ALL OF YOU INTERESTED. HAHAHAHAH
OK NOW SINCE THAT WAS KINDA A WHOA TOPIC... I HAVE TO LEAVE YOU WITH SOME FUNNY STUFF BEFORE YOU GO ON YOUR MERRY WAYS!
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-edit- maybe I should have read your tag line first lol I'm glad you're headache has calmed.