Legalizing Prostitution: Book Review
Debates on the legality of prostitution have most likely existed since the onset of the profession. The concept of prostitution itself is simultaneously disdained and regarded with a seductive, edgy mystique. In fact out of all the vices within modern society, prostitution seems to have found the widest audience, spanning even the most definitive cultural boundaries. In his book Legalizing Prostitution: From Illicit Vice to Lawful Business Ronald Weitzer takes a comprehensive look at prostitution in a variety of contexts specifically examining the legal structures which make it legal or illegal. Weitzer also works to highlight some of the key paradigms through which prostitution is addressed as well as to explain the mechanics of the profession overall.
Before really explaining my thoughts on the book, I suppose it’s best to address why you should read the book at all. As a practicing planner, I found it really interesting because it got at the roots of how we conceptualize the use of space in urban areas. I’m not sure you could come up with a more controversial use if you tried. Weitzer uses a variety of real locations to show how prostitution is currently regulated and the ups and downs to those regulations. He also explores how regulation can create black markets and other deleterious and unregulated scenarios. Oddly, I found the discussion to provide a great deal of insight as to how land uses which are traditionally considered to be incompatible might be located in close proximity to one another. Even if you aren’t directly interested in the academic study of prostitution, the land use theories presented provide particularly interesting reading.
Weitzer presents his findings in three major sections: “Sex Work”, “Policies: America and Beyond”, “Case Studies: Three Red-Light Cities”. The “Sex Work” section frames what is included under the umbrella of prostitution as well as explaining the major distinctions between “outdoor” and “indoor” prostitution. It also looks at popular paradigms through which prostitution is condemned or praised as a profession. “Policies: America and Beyond” examines what policies are in place currently and how they are enforced. This section also looks at a number of common myths and realities associated with prostitution (including its association with human trafficking and the manner in which police conduct prostitution stings). “Case Studies: Three Red-Light Cities” provides a detailed ethnography of prostitution in Antwerp, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam.
Red Light District - Courtest of Valdiney Pimenta (http://www.flickr.com/photos/valdiney/)
Legalizing Prostitution is an academic offering from New York University press. Weighing in at 284 pages, it offers an authoritative and scholarly glance into the subject of prostitution. Weitzer manages to address the politics of prostitution without delving deep enough into the morality of the issue to confuse the subject. Simply put, Weitzer addresses the legal frameworks of prostitution and offers potential scenarios where higher degrees of freedom and equity can be achieved. The book provides insights into other issues which have typically involved the same amount of controversy such as gaming, adult businesses, and drug use establishments. I recommend it to anyone interested in the topic of sex work as well as those interested in land use planning concepts. From my other reading on the subject, I found it to be an interesting compliment to Patty Kelly’s Lydia’s Open Door: Inside Mexico’s Most Modern Brothel.
Josh O’Conner is a Planner/Zoning Administrator in Asheville, North Carolina. You can find him on the web at triggerhippie.com, localplan.org, or twitter.com/joshoconner. Contact Josh via e-mail (josh -at-localplan.org).
[...] // 原文) Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like this [...]
[...] to take risks that might ultimately benefit them. PSY’AVIAH have been causing quite a stir in Antwerp since the launching of this project and have interviews lined up with the likes of the Mayor of [...]