Prostitution in Thailand - Research Proposal Example

?Prostitution in Thailand Prostitution has been a major concern for the international community, with the consideration of the crimes related to the subject. This research concentrates on the prostitution in Thailand. I give a special concentration on the policies that have been made concerning the subject by the legislature. In, many parts of the world, prostitution is illegal, and so is the case in Thailand. However, there is a gap that has been left open in the Thais constitution, making it possible for the concentration of this trade in the country. In this research, I choose to focus on this specific aspect, with the intentions of finding a solution for the prevailing crime. Introduction The prostitution industry has been growing in Thailand for many years. The concentration for the industry has been on the city centers and in particular, the Bangkok and Pattaya (Van et al, 1993). The girls who have been directly involved in prostitution has been innumerable, and it is estimated that prostitution accounts for more than 3% of the total GDP in Thailand. A survey done in 2007and 2008 indicated that at least the industry yields in an annuals basis is 5 billion dollars (Elizabeth and Charlie, 2009). Another survey indicated that at least four thousand prostitutes are concentrated in Bangkok area alone. Clearly, the industry is huge, earning the country a lot of income. The girls have also benefited d from the business, which explains why they have continually increased in number every year. It is important to note that prostitution is illegal in Thailand. According to Bales, (1999) the criminalization of the act has been known to exist since 1960. It sis therefore puzzling to see the numbers growing every year, suggesting that the law is not being effected as it ought. Prostitution is always packaged with other related crimes, something that raises concerns in the global front. Many girls have been known to engage in human trafficking and child prostitution. Further, there are so many people within the population that have been recorded to be affected with HIV and AIDS. Whenever crime occurs, it is natural to turn to the policy makers for a solution. Therefore, it is possible that the issue of prostitution and related problems can be dealt with through effective policy by the government and its related bodies. The law making process and the people charged with the role of its implementation must concentrate on the subject of prostitution (Chambliss & Schutt, 2007). The law in Thailand bans prostitution but leaves certain gaps that lead to serious consequences amongst its citizens. Further, the implementation process tends to be overlooked, which has led to more problems surrounding the issue This research concentrates on the gaps that have been left during the policy making process as pertains to the subject. The study further suggests change in policy by the concerned bodies to deal with the problem Literature review According to Hantrakul, (1984) prostitution does not occur in places where the government has made a lot of effort to develop the correct policy against the acts and the related crimes. However, in Thailand, n implementation of those policies has been ineffective. While prostitution is on hand said to be illegal, the government has passed bills that have left big gaps for it to thrive. The law implementation process is hindered mainly because of viewing the act as a national resource. Since the year 1960, the government has continued to pass bills that have been indicative that prostitution is illegal (Rhodes, 1999) However, many other bills have left big gaps for the business to continue being practiced in the region. For example, in the year 1966, a law was passed to allow for service provision to the American servicemen. The rest and recreation facilities were provided for the soldiers. This was a period when the Vietnamese war called for soldiers to be deployed in the region for protection and peace keeping. In 1996, a law was passed to provide for a legal procedure that would prohibit prostitution (Bales, 1999). However, it left a chance of legalizing prostitution, where it stated that this act would be illegal if it was performed in a promiscuous manner. The law did not define what a promiscuous manner is, which is vague enough to allow for the chances of prostitution. The penalty charged to any person who is found to act openly and shamelessly is given constituted at 1,000 (Bales, 1999). The person is also supposed to have caused a certain amount of nuisance before they are charged. Rhodes (1999) indicates that while referring to the facilities, the soldiers coined the words- I& I (intercourse and intoxication).the government responded by endorsing the deeds, reasoning that they needed the money and this was one easy way of making it. This clearly indicated that commitment towards outlawing the deed was simply not there. Up to date, the laws remain permissive; maybe to allow for foreign exchange and the revenue that comes from the trade. Prostitution is directly related to the cultural values of a specific region (Elizabeth and Charlie, 2009). This will normally dictate the way in which laws are made in the government. Therefore, if the culture of a specific region is permissive of prostitution and the related crimes, there is possibility that the bills and policies will be passed in the light of these factors. In Thailand, the political class and those who practice prostitution have allowed the cultural values to include these acts. The men, the majority in parliament, do not see the bigger picture on why prostitution should be outlawed. Their cultural values are slowly being liberalized to allow for the deeds. According to the surveys, more than thirty thousand children are involved in prostitution, and the number is bound to increase if no stern measures are taken (Bales, 1999). Further, a great number of people have been subjected top sex slavery. The women and men alike have been sold to agents who subject them to slave trade and prostitution. This calls for a more serious approach to the subject and a deliberate move to deal with the problem extensively The purpose of the study This study is meant to evaluate the policies that have been made to deal with the prostitution related problems. The analysis of the policy would help understand why prostitution is so prevalent in Thailand. Any crime that happens in a specific region can be avoided if only the correct policies are applied in the government and all the institutions (Bales, 1999). Unfortunately for Thailand prostitution has been increasing by the day because the policies are not right. The need to make the right policies is not yet conceptualized in the minds of the legislature and the executive arms of the government. Prostitution is not regarded as a serious crime as it is really is, and therefore no substantive policies have been made so far. The implementation of the policies has been slow; at most minimal (Elizabeth and Charlie, 2009). This is because the people who are directly involved either have interests on the trade, or sometimes because they do not see how grave the situation is. The policies leave the gaps that allow for more prostitution and related crimes more than they help deal with the problem. Many researches concentrate on description of the situation on the ground, leaving the need to research more on the policies that stand as the solution for the problem at hand. The purpose of this research is to find out the gaps that the policies have left over time, leading to the aggregation of the problem. With this information at hand, it is possible to forge the way forward so that the related consequences of prostitution are averted. Related Theory The development of women by providing them with the necessary opportunities for growth has been known to eliminate the chances of crime amongst them (Allan, 2006). In the centuries past, the market place is characterized with growth in every area. However, women have remained disregarded in their development, paving way for them to engage in prostitution. Thailand is known for booming business in tourism and hence gains in the foreign exchange. While this is the case, women are known to face oppression based on their gender. The policy makers fail to recognize their role in the development process, pushing a majority of them in prostitution. Feminist movement is strongly opposed to prostitution, especially the radical form of it (Bales, 1999). The argument is that it is degrading to women and encourages men to have more control over the women. The support of the sex workers is given, but prostitution is greatly opposed in this regard. However, feminism is broad, and each of the forms may hold a different stand on prostitution. Key theories include Marxist theory, socialist and radical feminist theories. Further, each of them is divided into radical and liberal feminism theories. The radical feminist explains prostitution in terms of abuse and violence. In this theory, women are seen as objects of oppression, even though men do not necessarily see fit this way. Men dominate the places of economic growth and development, while women on the other hand have little to gain from such worlds (Allan, 2006). Further, men have grown being told that their sexual desire must be met despite unwillingness of the partner. Women will on the hand be socialized that they must meet the demands of these men. According to Rhodes, (1991) the radical feminism further explains that men are always looking for the chance to assert their view of woman, as weak being. This therefore pushes them to uses prostitution to prove this particular point. It is therefore clear why many women engage in Thailand are engaged in prostitution. They have been specialized into fulfilling sexual desires of the men. Men on the hand, being the majority in parliament will not be quick to form policies to condemn prostitution In construction of the radical feminism, various explanations are given on the reasons why women will engage in prostitution (Rhodes, 1991). For one, they explain that women are pushed into prostitution due to poverty. Secondly, they explain that lack of education places these women at a vulnerable position. Thirdly, the abduction of a woman to perform the act may engage a woman in the acts of prostitution. The fourth aspect is that of lack of a good moral background. Women who are not morally sound will mostly engage in prostitution (Bales, 1999). The fifth aspect is that mental and psychological problems which push a woman to try and seal the gaps with prostitution. When children are growing up, they may lack acceptance from the parents, which may be seen to emerge later in life as they engage in crime. These, together with other reasons give an explanation as to why the international community condemns prostitution in Thailand. On the other hand, the liberal feminist sees the positive aspect in the whole subject (Rhodes, 1991). The theory explains that prostitution is beneficial. The liberal feminist will see the end result of the prostitution rather than the reason why women engage in prostitution in the first place. This is the view in which most men in Thailand will see prostitution. Therefore, the policies made reflect this view, leaving gaps that allow prostitution. There are girls who have admitted to have chosen deliberately to engage in prostitution, choosing this as their only career path. Some have admitted to be engaged in prostitution without their choice being connected to poverty or economic reasons. Therefore, policy development may be slow, and the implementation of the same even more difficult. Methodology This research will mainly concentrate on analyzing the policies that have been put developed to deal with prostitution and the related crimes. The research will go into the depths of looking into the acts that have been passed by the legislature and the gaps that they left in the times past. Having looked at this, the research will give direction towards the solutions that could deal with this problem. Research design One of the research designs that will be applied to collect data will be longitudinal. I have chosen this design so that I would compare the policies that are made and the outcome of the same. The reason why I will use this method is because the policies have changed over time, and periods need to be tested more than one time before conclusion is drawn from the study. I will therefore collect data on the policies from the related sources and compare the data will the expected outcomes. Further, the research design will be descriptive, where I will be looking at the correlation between the two variables; policies and prostitution related crimes. The nature of the research is explanatory, which means that I will have to use secondary data to obtain the information. Description of the situation will help me analyses the information at the end of the research, helping me to come up with good conclusions and recommendations on the topic Hypothesis The hypothesis that I purpose to test in this study are: the gaps that have been left by the policy makers have been the major cause of prostitution and the related crime The second hypothesis is that the implementation process of the policies developed has accelerated the levels of prostitution in Thailand. This hypothesis will help me while I try to obtain the required information from the secondary data. Measurement Issues The key variable for this study are: the policies that have been developed in the past concerning prostitution. The second variable is the rate of crime after the policies have been developed. The third variable is the implementation of the policies in various places within the country. These variables will be measured through conceptualization. In this kind of measurement tool, the researcher is guided by theoretical materials. In my research, I will use theories from the journals and books to measure the rates of crimes in relationship with the policies made by the government. Therefore, this method fits perfectly well with the kind of research I have chosen to do. Subjects for the Study This study will have its subjects as the people engaging in prostitution and the government policies. I will mainly obtain the information from the secondary data, which means that the information will be already available for analysis. The information may affect the subjects through behavioral change and better polices on the side of the government. The integrity of the research will be protected through ensuring that public figures are not quoted, and if so, from credible sources. This will ensure that no names are tarnished while ate the same time obtaining the needed information. Data Collection Methods I will collect data using the secondary data in the internet sources, journal and books. This is majorly because the information on policies is already documented and the crime rate has been analyzed for along time in many surveys. This will help me to obtain the data with ease and is less costly that other methods that are used to collect data. I will also collect data from the governmental and non-governmental sources. These sources will enable me to obtain all the information that is required for this study. The internet sources will also help me to understand what other people views are on the given topic of discussion Data The nature of the data in this research is quantitive. This will mean that I will have to obtain a lot information form the secondary data to draw my conclusions. I will be guided by several questions, which will help me navigate through the journals and the books that are related to the topic. The questions will for one seek to understand if there are policies that have been made in the past concerning the topic of discussion. The second question will be the impact of the policies on the crime rate and whether there is a correlation in the first place. The third aspect will be critical evaluation of the topic in the light of the loopholes that the policies may have left, making it impossible to eliminate the crime rate. Data Management Having gathered the data, I will arrange it in the order in which the policies have been made, starting from the years past to the most recent developments. Further, the data will be arranged according to the number of crime that has happened before to the most recent crimes. Having done this, a conclusive analysis will be made to draw the needed information from the research Analysis The analysis of the data will be guided through the hypothetical questions. I will reflect on the various topics that guided the research, with the intention of drawing conclusions from the study. Reflection is important in research because it always helps one to be sincere with the research that they have done. The research will be analyzed in such a manner that it will give room for more questions, calling for further research. It will be drawing interests from the people who will read it, giving a chance for them to find out more on the topic of discussion. Ethical Concerns Any research conducted should address the ethical issues that may arise from the participants and any other concerned parties. By the addressing the research ethical issues, the researcher is able to protect the rights of the participants. One of the ethical concerns for this specific topic is the protection of the identity of the persons from whom the information is obtained from. Since this research used secondary data, it will be possible to conceal the identity through indirect reference to their names. The important government documents will have to be obtained through the correct channels. Therefore, permission will be sought for before research is conducted and conclusions drawn from it. Limitations As it is in every research project, it is possible to be limited based on various factors. For one, the information obtained may not be accurate since I will be using secondary data. Secondary data is subject to manipulation and inaccuracy. The government documentaries may not also be available to draw conclusive statements on the policies that have been made in the times this research is conducted. Further, the topic of discussion is sensitive enough to the point where the people may not be willing to volunteer the information to researchers in the past. This will lead to the issues of trying to obtain all the necessary information from the journals and the documentaries. Conclusion This research intends to give comprehensive and detailed information on prostitution in Thailand. The topic under discussion has raised concerns from the international community due to the intensity of the crime in Thailand. By doing this research, I intend to highlight the places where policy making should be improved. The need to save the country for further crime and deaths related pushes me to find out how the situation can be changed for the better. The future generation must indeed find a country that is free from crime and where security is guaranteed. Thailand is a representative of many other countries who have adopted wrong polices, leading to further crime. This research seeks to give light on the way forward, not only for Thailand, but also for many other countries through policy making References Allan, G. (2006). Privilege, Power, and Difference. New York: McGraw Hill  Bales, K. (1999). Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy. Los Angeles: University of California Press. Elizabeth, M and Charlie, T (2009). ‘Subjective Well-being among Those Who Exchange Sex and Money, Yunnan, China and Thailand’, Social Indicators Research volume 99, number 13. Hantrakul, S. (1984). ‘Dutiful daughters on society's lower rungs’. Far eastern economic review. Volume 123: pages 39-40 Malcolm, M, (2002). ‘The structural relationships of Support from male sex workers in Pattaya to rural parents’ in, Thailand, Culture, Health & Sexuality. vol. 4, no. 3, 297-315 Rhodes, R. (1991). ‘Death in the Candy Store’. Rolling Stone. Pages 62-70, 105, 113-4 Sara P., John K., Chanpen, S (1998). "Can Prostitutes Marry? Thai Attitude toward Female Sex Workers", Social Science and Medicine volume 47, number 2, page 255–267 Van L., Mark J., Suprasert, Samboon, Sittitrai, Weasit, Vaddhanaphuti, Chayan, Grandjean, Nancy (1993). ‘Sexual Activity among Never-Married Men in Northern Thailand’. Demography. volume 30, number 3, page 297-313. References Read More