The Prostitution Prism

This collection of essays spans ten years (1984-1994) of theoretical and activist work on prostitution. Hypocrisies and mystifications attached to prostitution are closely examined in an attempt to reveal their underlying political logic. What are the realities of sex work and what exactly do laws outlaw, tolerate and / or require? Most centrally, what does sex work mean to women and how does it illustrate the balance of power between women and men? Together these essays elaborate a critique of the categories 'prostitute' and 'prostitution' as constructed both in scientific research and in international policy-making. That critique touches especially the stigma attached to being a 'whore' as an official and traditional mechanism of social control.