Business women exchanging sex for money

Prostitution theories can be considered deterministic because of their emphasis on background or environmental factors. Recent studies have criticized these theories on the ground that women are not necessarily ‘driven’ into prostitution as a result of their dire background, but rather that they often voluntarily choose prostitution as an occupation. By adopting an occupational perspective, this paper provides a more voluntaristic view on sex-for-money in South Africa. A qualitative methodological approach is employed and with the aid of in-depth interviews, autobiographical sketches and observation, information is gathered about 114 prostitutes and other people involved in prostitution communities in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Cape Town and surrounding areas. Valuable insights have been gained concerning how prostitutes learn their trade; ply it; deal with both the client and certain occupational hazards and resist the stigma attached to it. In spite of shortcomings in this paper it would seem that some of these findings may, together with findings from other studies and certain concepts (e.g., Miller's work roles), act as important points of departure for further prostitution research in South Africa. Furthermore, the occupational perspective and particularly Miller's approach shows great promise in bringing about a greater understanding of sex-for-money and of general deviance

Criminology · Miller · Qualitative research · Sex work · Social science · Sociology · Gender Studies · Legal Issues in South Africa · Medicine · Psychology · Sex work and related issues · Social Psychology

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