Imagining Others: Sex, Race, and Power in Transnational Sex Tourism - Article Example

Sex Tourism For many decades travelling for sex has become common in different countries in the world. Nevertheless, legalization of prostitution in some countries e.g. Costa Rica has made the areas as preferred destinations. Imagined others play an important role in making sex tourism successful. Travellers move from north to different parts of the world to look for sexual satisfaction and with no support from these individuals the business cannot thrive. These tourists have had an impact in the economies and societies of different parts of the world (Pattman, 1997).
Race has been determining factor in sex tourism. Tourists are said to choose their destination according to the race of the people in that region. Imagined others are also main participants in sex tourisms. Some of these include bar and hotel owners, taxi drivers, tourisms operators and airline companies (Ryan, 2000).
When categorizing women on whether they are exploited by men or have power of command, women from south have been found to be exploited by sex tourists. They are mainly oppressed and do not have power to command as they are interested in money rather than pleasure (Gunther, 1998). This is not the case with white women who have the power to negotiate with sex tourists an aspect that enable them to gain pleasure in their sex work.
Sex workers give varying reasons for venturing in sex work. Mainly they say that they prefer foreign men because of their machismo but, this is not the case. The genuine reason is because foreign men have more money than local men (ACME, 2011). This notion that men from a foreign country are more powerful encourages different men to take sex vacation in these countries. Women also do this through racializing their men in order to make foreign men to feel treasured (ACME, 2011).
In conclusion, transnational tourists and sex workers give varying reasons to justifying with every group blaming their opposite gender. These blames has made sex tourism a thriving business with some economies such as Costa Rican economy earning a lot of revenue from the business.
References
ACME (2011). Imagining Others: Sex, Race, and Power in Transnational Sex Tourism. An International E-Journal for Critical Geographies, 10(3), 392-411.
Gunther, A. (1998). Sex Tourism without Sex Tourists. (pp. 71-80). New York: Cognizant.
Pattman, J. J. (1997). Body Politics: International sex tourism. Third World Quarterly, 18(1), 93-108.
Ryan, C. (2000). Sex Tourism: paradigms of confusion? In, Clift, S. and S. Carter
(eds.), Tourism and Sex: Culture, Commerce and Coercion, London: Pinter,
pp. 23-40. Read More