Prostitution: World's Oldest Profession

Prostitution, sometimes referred to as “the world’s oldest profession” (Henslin, pg. 54), is defined by James M. Henslin as “the renting of one’s body for sexual purposes” (pg. 54). This arrangement, though illegal and socially deviant in most parts of the world, exists universally in many different forms (pg. 54). As a matter of fact, types of prostitutes range greatly in variety from call girls – who are said to be “the elite of prostitutes” (pg. 58), to streetwalkers – “who have the lowest status among prostitutes” (pg. 58), to sugar babies -young, physically attractive women who provide “rich, older men” (Kitchener, par.4) “…with attention (and sex) in exchange for the finer things in life” (par. 4).

In order to answer this question, it is important to first understand the histories of both prostitution and human trafficking. Often dubbed “the world’s oldest profession”, prostitution can be found in the records of most major civilizations throughout human history. The first known reference to

Prostitution: arguably the world’s oldest professions, with roots to ancient and modern times, it has been a means for people to trade goods for adult services. Up until the last 100 years, prostitution was widely occurring legally in the United States until White Slave Traffic Act put a stop on its legality and further prevented adultery and polygamy due to immoral reasons. If consenting adults wish to involve themselves in an un-violent act, what is causing the criminalization? To most, a prostitute is seen as a un-educated, and often times drug-addicted person who believes the only way to survive is through selling sex whereas, others see the industry to be taken advantage of. In order to make the industry safer and

A nineteenth century San Francisco song reads, “The miners came in forty-nine, the whores in fifty-one; and when they got together they produced the native son.” This sheds some light as to how long prostitution has been a part of America. Prostitution dates back to the beginning of colonization in the United States, but wasn’t considered a legal act. At the time the laws just didn’t acknowledge what a prostitute or the act of prostitution itself was. In 1721, the French government shipped eighty women to the colony of New Orleans that housed seven hundred men to promote marriage. Also, as a means to detour the men from having relations with the Native American women. However, the women sent were previous prostitution offenders in France,

(Jacobin, 2013). Prostitution is then commonly labelled amongst the low-lifes of society, such as alcoholics and thieves. It is ironic that prostitution, an act of consent from both parties involved, are categorized with those who actually harm and steal from others. Criminalizing sex workers in the United States was implemented at the same time there was the prohibition of alcohol in the 1920’s (Grant, 2013). Both industries faced legal battles and underground operations to continue to boom today, but unlike alcohol, prostitution was never legalized. The laws for prostitution has hardly changed since then, and these outdated laws reflect an impermeable pattern of controlling what a woman can do with her body, despite changing times that are supposed to promote acceptance of liberal sexuality. How people view prostitution as a crime (but not

Prostitution has underlyingly lingered in the history of the United States from the beginning of English settlements. In the industrial times, five percent of the population of women working were prostitutes. During the migration to the West, prostitutes were the majority- if not the only women in boom towns. Not until 1875, were there any laws officially banning prostitution. The Page law was created when Chinese immigrant women become prostitutes or second wives to European men. The law banned immigrant women from immoral purposes. Moving further in time, in 1949, a United Nations convention met in the purpose for the decriminalization of prostitution. Forty-eight countries decided to endorse it, the United States voted against it.

The vision of society for women or specifically prostitutes was totally inadmissible back in mid-1800’s. Due to the low economic background and pitiful situations, young girls were compelled to join the darkest part of society, a place where there’s no turning back, a place where she will be treated as a puppet, an evil part of a society called prostitution. Going to school and having a good outdoor job was for men, for women, it was none other than household jobs. The critical condition in the poor family made young girls walk towards hell. Back in time, there was a one-sided

Prostitution occurs in the earliest list of professions and can be dated all the way to 2400 BC with Cult of Ishtar in Sumeria. In 1158, the Holy Roman Empire punished any prostitutes by having their nose cut off an attempt to make them look attractive or soldiers caught in the act had a finger cut off or an eye removed. But, laws against prostitution in America are fairly new and just about 100 years old. Women in 1721, who were shipped to America to become wives with free men said that prostitution provided them more independence than arranged marriages to settlers. On February 24, 1911, The US Supreme Court in Hoke v. United States held that regulating prostitution was strictly the province of the states but that Congress could regulate

In “Violence and Legalized Brothel Prostitution in Nevada” the authors make it a point to argue that although legalized brothels do provide a safer environment for prostitutes there are still fears of violence to bodies and health in the industry. The article first points out that a lot of the reason why prostitution has become legal is because society does not want people to disregard the law, they want to control where these activities are occurring (preference for poorer communities), and they fear that if they do not control prostitutes promiscuity they will aid in the spread of diseases. Secondly, they point out that brothel owners justify a lot of their control of prostitutes lives under the premise of safety. However, a lot of the motivation

The industry of beating and slavery is the business of sex trafficking. This is not your typical everyday business. The drugging and selling of women for male sexual pleasure are two of many horrific explanations of the industry of sex trafficking. Millions of girls will be forced into this terrible money making trade every year. People around the world must be educated about the disgusting occupation of sex trafficking, and for many appalling reasons, this industry must be controlled and stopped for good.

The participants for this sample will consist of all genders who have a strong idea in prostitution, and sex trafficking. The participants will all consent to a contract to show that they are over the age of 18 given the explicit context of the sincerity of the research, and adhere to the regulations, and policies that will follow. Next, a focused group will be used with all genders to see how each gender is conflicted with the topic at hand. However, to get a better understanding of all participants especially children within this study I will ask parents if they have ever seen children be bought, and sold in sex work.

Prostitution is considered the world’s “oldest occupation” in history; and yet, there is little to no work done exploring the lifestyles of prostitutes since it is such a controversial role. However, Pasolini embraced the controversy and produced movies about the day in the life of pimps and prostitutes. He explores the dynamics between pimps, prostitutes, and the rest of civilization whom are not part of this risqué subculture. He also has the ability to shed a new light on this occupation and the people who run in the same circle with a nostalgia of the way things used to be instead of the way that things are headed. Pasolini shows the life of the prostitutes and pimps in his movies in order to express his disdain and ill- feelings

Prostitution is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as the practice of engaging in sexual acts for money. It is currently illegal in most of the world. The question of whether or not it should be legalized is one that draws divides between many people. Knowing the history of prostitution is essential to understanding the issue today. Prostitution has been prevalent all over the world for thousands of years. Known as the world's oldest profession, the first evidence of prostitution dates back to 2400 BC in Mesopotamia (Carrasquillo 699). Although Mesopotamian society did not endorse prostitution they did recognize it. The code of Hammurabi which originated in Mesopotamia named prostitution as a female occupation but prostitutes still held a status lower than that of slaves (Carrasquillo 699). Prostitution was also very prevalent in ancient Rome and Greece. In ancient Rome even high ranking men used prostitute’s services (Carrasquillo 701).Both of these ancient governments used registration and brothels to regulate prostitution. They also restricted what prostitutes could wear and where

(Massing, 1989) Young women that fall under the spell of the drug are being affected as well. It leads to prostitution in order to fulfill the drug craving, and females giving birth to “crack babies”. These “crack-addicted mothers and fathers unlikely to provide nurturing home environments for their children (and often ended up incarcerated), leading to the relinquishment of parental rights.” (Fryer, 2013) This spread of drug use has continued to ruin the lives of many minorities.

Prostitution is famously known as “the world’s oldest profession.” Lots of scholars like to nitpick this and say that hunting or gathering actually deserves that title, but the fact remains that it is currently and historically ubiquitous: all ancient and modern cultures have had their own form of prostitution, from ancient Greece and the Aztecs to modern-day America. For example, the ancient Greek historian Herodotus in his Histories talks about ancient Mesopotamians practicing sacred or “temple prostitution,” a worship practice that enacts symbolic marriage between a god and a goddess with humans representing the deities. In ancient Rome, prostitutes were often foreign slaves or people of the poor, lower class. In ancient Greece,