Is Prostitution a Social Problem Why - Essay Example

Your Is Prostitution a Social Problem? Why? Deviance is any behavior that violates the norms in any society. It usually warrants disapproval in that society will be sanctioned. It can be criminal or non-criminal. Anything from disapproval to punishment is a social sanction. Prostitution is a form of deviance since it disobeys the norm that sex should be sacred and should only be performed out of love, not for the money. Inasmuch as deviance is subjective as to the community it rules, there are universally deviant acts. Heinous crimes such as murder and rape are accepted as deviant behavior in all cultures. Is prostitution one of those heinous crimes that most people detest? There are three fundamental perspectives in sociology. These paradigms provide an insight as to what a specific phenomenon will be all about. These are: structural-functionalism, conflict, and symbolic-interactionism. We will examine prostitution under these perspectives. Structural-functionalism uses a macro-level of analysis. It is adaptive and looks at the relationship of the “parts” of the society. Conflict theory is another macro-level of analysis. It uses the premise that the rich/elite control the poor/weak. It is also about the competition of the social classes for resources. The other perspective is the symbolic interactionism. This uses a micro level of analysis and talks about symbols that are used in a society, as well as the face to face and nonverbal actions of people. Structural functionalism sees that each aspect of a society is an independent aspect and contributes to the society so that it functions as a whole. In a functionalist society, the government pays for the poor people’s housing and education but the poor people should, in turn, pay for their taxes (Schaefer). Now the children will grow up and then they will become a functioning member of the society and will continue to be law-abiding, tax-paying citizens. In a perfect society, all the parts/aspects of the society go well together to form a productive and sustainable society. The believers of this perspective believe that functionalist society is held by social consensus, which means that the members of society belief and unite together on a single goal and they work together to achieve that goal. Conflict theory, on the other hand, believes that change is necessary to improve a society (Schaefer). They propose that there is tension in every society and that there are people who may not like some things in a society. Unlike the structural-functionalism, conflict perspective does not believe in maintaining a status quo but rather encourage social change. Conflict theory believes that the rich control the society while the poor suffer for their actions that are generally primed to generate more wealth for themselves. This is because conflict theory is derived from Marxist values. Symbolic interactionism on the other hand is analyzed on the micro level (Schaefer). It views human beings as creatures that live in a society full of meaningful objects that signify meaning. These objects can be material or abstract: they can be cars, schools, relationships, actions and even symbols. For the symbolic interactionist, everyday behavior of a person is the key to understanding a society. Using symbols, one may know one’s values. For example, a clenched fist may be interpreted as aggression in the United States but not so in other parts of the globe since it may even convey respect. In the United States, a finger pointing at the head may mean suicide but in Japan, bringing a fist to the stomach means suicide. These behaviors are learned in every society, and for the interactionists, deviant behavior is learned. Using these perspectives, let’s examine prostitution. Under functionalism, prostitution would probably legal so that it can become a helpful arm of the society. It would have to be taxed. If it would be taxed like in socialist countries, it would definitely help the society since, well, sex sells, and having more people pay for these taxes means more resources for the government. This would also help the people appreciate their sexuality and would be more secure about their sexualities. This would help them fine-tuning their personalities, and thus, would make them better persons, and more productive citizens that would pay taxes. Conflict theory, on the other hand, will work on change. Change on the part of society that deems the concept of prostitution as being deviant. The conflict will also arise from the fact that the women (and men) become prostitutes because they are too poor; thus they use their bodies and expose themselves to diseases just to get money. Thus, to promote change, they point these differences out. When most people agree on that, then revolution will ensue, toppling the ones in power, creating change in the values and in the society. Symbolic interactionism puts a prime on small objects and their significance (Schaefer). Symbolically prostitution is poverty since most people do not really resort to prostitution unless they are really in need of money. Thus, when one says “prostitution is rampant” in an area, then that area becomes associated with poverty. Other words and ideas are also associated with prostitution, like AIDS and other sexually-transmitted diseases; exploitation and objectification of women (even if there are also men prostitutes). All of these words have negative connotations. Objectively speaking as in objective condition, prostitution is the act of doing sexual acts in exchange for money. It is simple as that. It is not right, it is not wrong. However, for some people, it is wrong – even immoral. However, suggesting that it is immoral does not immediately make it immoral, as immorality is just an opinion held by most people in a certain population. It is highly subjective as in subjective concern. What is immoral on this side of the country may not be immoral on the other side. Legality is also another aspect of the idea. What is immoral (or moral) can be legal. Case in point: Slavery in the United States was legal before, and it is moral. Is prostitution moral, or will it ever be moral? Right now, prostitution is almost always considered immoral because it suggests hedonism. In most societies, this is shunned, even if prostitution is the oldest profession ever. It is legal in some countries, like Netherlands. Under functionalism, it works, even in conflict perspective, because it changes people’s opinions and all that. Like religion, it serves its purposes to the society well, but not everyone agrees with its points. The subject of prostitution is highly relative. Like the good and the bad of it, the relativity of prostitution totally depends on the person who is involved. Of course, for the person who does not have any more means to earn but to use her body, prostitution is a good thing, even a boon. For the person who has been infected with a disease borne from promiscuity, specifically from a prostitute, then prostitution is never an answer to a problem, and will perhaps condemn it. Prostitution will never be right or wrong, but it can always be moral or immoral. It can also always be legal or illegal. It depends on the popularity of the society’s opinions on the matter. However, when one judges right or wrong through utilitarianism, then perhaps, one can view prostitution through the results that it gives a society. According to Utilitarianism (Fetzer), an action is right when it brings happiness in a group. Will prostitution bring happiness in a group? For the prostitutes, maybe, because they get paid, but then again they may suffer from self-esteem issues. For the clients, yes, probably, but then they may suffer from diseases and also self-esteem issues. It is all double sided but I guess we can safely say that it does bring happiness to most people. So since it does brings happiness to most people, is it the right thing to do? Right or wrong is not defined by happiness by the people along. So is morality. However, one should know that prostitution and other ambiguous ideas that are dismissed negatively cannot be dismissed just because the public has had negative opinions. One should weigh its pros and cons to know if it has merits or not. For me, prostitution is not a social problem. Objectively, it is an exchange of goods and services. Why could not it be like other services like manicure or dental jobs? However, because of the influence of society, many people have developed negative ideas about it, prompting it to become a problem in their own definition, as in their own definition of morality too. References: Fetzer, Jim. What About Jesse’s Views on Prostitution? The Twin Ports People. 2000. Web. Retrieved: December 2, 2011. Henslin, James and Fowler, Lori Ann. Social Problems: A Down-to-Earth Approach. Boston: Pearson Publishing Inc. 2011. Print. Schaefer, Richard. Sociology. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2005. Print. Read More