Legalization of Prostitution - Research Proposal Example

Submitted: Legalization of Prostitution The issue of prostitution has continued to enlist mixed reactions and controversy throughout the history of time. It is uncommon for one to be met with a series of arguments whenever this topic is brought to the fore. To some, prostitution should be legalized as one way of making legitimate and thus provide a framework for its contribution to the national economic development. At the same time, others are of the opinion that legalization of prostitution shall not make it legitimate. However, despite the heated debate regarding this issue of prostitution in our society, there is the general consensus across all sides that it is indeed a deep rooted problem. This is attributed to the fact that it carries with it grave social and economic ramifications to the wider community. Individuals have lost lives due to sexually transmitted diseases; families have been shattered while others have lost their professional careers due to involvement in this practice. That prostitution is a serious problem in the modern-day society is a fact. In this regard, all those involved in this practice shall not be spared from stigma within the wider society. With particular reference to the quote on SuperFreakonomics from the New York Times, I strongly disagree with the view that legalizing prostitution would help to reduce the stigma associated with it. The concept of legalizing prostitution as one way of reducing stigma to those individuals, who have chosen to be involved, does not hold. It is imperative to note that from the onset, prostitution is an illegitimate act irrespective of the reasons that might be presented by an individual for their involvement in the practice. This is further complicated by the fact that it is a behavior-related act which would thus make it extremely difficult for people to avoid being stigmatized. Hence, an act which is considered an abomination by the society can not simply gain erasure of stigmatization just because it is legalized. In the same breath for instance, legalizing the use and sale of illicit substances would not shield those who are involved in the act from being stigmatized by the society. Of importance to note is the fact that making an illegal act legal due to the stigma that is associated with it does not in any way make it possible for the society to accept it in the long run. According to Sanders, Jane and Maggie (117), norms are shaped by the culture of that particular community or society. Against this backdrop, certain forms of behaviors are considered to be an abomination based on whether they are against the society norms and principles. Currently, the American culture, though liberal, does not consider prostitution to be in conformity with its culture. Therefore, by simply making prostitution legal shall not stop the society from considering it to be a violation of its norms and ethics. At the same time, legalization of prostitution shall make it possible for the sex workers to be exploited by multi-national companies due to their vulnerability and strong financial powers respectively. As noted by Sanders, Jane and Maggie (83) prostitution has been with us since time immemorial. Biblical evidence indicates that prostitution is perhaps as old as the Earth itself. Most notably, throughout time, this act has always been considered to be a direct violation of moral principles and is thus often regarded to be a sign of moral decadence. Up to date, prostitution has been caused by a range of factors both within and without. One of the major causes of increased human participation in this practice is poverty. In the American context poverty in form of debts, lack of funds for education and low wage payments have been cited to be providing an impetus to this rapid spread of this practice. The sustained economic demands and hardships in the recent past have not made things any easier and thus more people especially the youth have opted to engage in this practice. Closely related to this factor is the issue of drug abuse and related addiction. According to Dworkin (2), there is a positive correlation between drug abuse and prostitution since it increases one’s predisposition to risky sexual behaviors. Coercion in all its forms is the third cause of prostitution in the United States of America. In some cases, individuals might be forced or pressured by their partners to engage in prostitution as a means of securing livelihoods for their households. Others are forced through the modern idea of pimping, an aspect which is common among the youth due to their vulnerability coupled with poverty. Thus the older people usually take advantage of this to force them into prostitution under the disguise of improving their economic status. In some cases others are tricked into it especially under the influence of peer pressure. Recent studies also show that child abuse and neglect increase the likelihood of one to take up prostitution later on. Also, family history has been noted to perpetuate prostitution through the theory of learned behavior. The need for love and acceptance by the opposite sex and desire to make quick money is the other cause of prostitution in the country. On a positive rejoinder, Farley (179) notes that it is the ever increasing demand for commercial sex services and lack of alternatives which have provided a solid platform for this practice. Human trafficking cases especially from Asian and African regions have further aggravated this challenge. In an attempt to address this issue, the American government has in the past tried to come up with stringent laws against prostitution. Though still in force, it is obvious that such laws have not been able to address this issue conclusively. Yet still, the government had come up with a range of economic and social support mechanism but with not much success. Such measures have only served to reduce the impact of prostitution without however seeking to address the problem exhaustively. As of today, one can not ignore the open fact that the country is witnessing an increase in the rates of prostitution in almost all of its States. Perhaps it is for this reason that other European countries such as Germany and Netherlands opted to legalize this practice. In an apparent move towards this direction, Nevada Brothels, in Las Vegas asked the government to tax them as is reported by Friess from the New York Times. Proponents of the idea of legalization of prostitution in America argue that the industry would contribute to the overall economy due to its higher profit turnover. To this end, they are of the opinion that the concept of commercial sex work is a service type of business just as any other. In support of their view, they ask for the difference between commercial sex and jobs such as plumbing or carpentry. In addition, they also argue that the country is currently faced with a remarkable increase in casual sex as well as extra-marital affairs which thus make the laws against prostitution irrelevant. This attributed to the fact that these laws were instituted when there were strong sentiments against the aforementioned sexual behavior. Lastly, they argue that legalization would help to reduce the spread of diseases since it would set a conventional standard and ethics of operation. In conclusion, the issue of prostitution needs holistic and proactive measures to be addressed. The idea of simply legalizing it as one way of reducing stigma attached to it would only serve to promote for its rapid growth. By so doing, the fundamental challenges underlying its existence shall continue to be ignored. To add to that, legalizing prostitution shall not help to reduce stigma associated to it owing to the fact that it is a violation of American culture. There is also the potential risk of such legalization being used for other illegal business activities such as human trafficking and sale of illicit substances as suggested by Sanders, Jane and Maggie, O’Neill (152). Works Cited Dworkin, Andrea. Life and Death: Jan Macleod, Challenging Demand conference, 18th May 2006. Retrieved on December 7, 2009 from; http://www.chaste.org.uk/public_documents/causesofprostitution.pdf). Farley, Mellisa. Prostitution, trafficking and traumatic stress. London: Routledge, 2003. New York Times; Opinion: SuperFreakonomics. Retrieved on December 7, 2009 from; http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/01/superfreakonomics-book-club-sudhir-venkatesh-answers-your-prostitution-questions/). Sanders, Teela, Jane, P. and Maggie, O’Neill. Prostitution: Sex Work, Policy and Politics New York: SAGE Publications Ltd, 2009. Steve Friess, Brothels Ask to Be Taxed, but Official Sees a Catch. The New York Times, January 2009. Retrieved on December 7, 2009 from; http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/26/us/26brothel.html?_r=1). Read More