Why Men Buy Sex: Examining sex worker clients

Description

Sex work has been a contentious issue in a variety of ways throughout history – socially, morally, ethically, religiously and politically. Traditionally noted as one of the oldest professions in the world, sex work has commonly been demonised and is often viewed as a social disgrace. While sex work involves both providers of sexual services, most commonly women, and purchasers of sexual services, most commonly men, providers have attracted the most social commentary. Recent research shows that a limited number of studies have been conducted since 1990 concerning men who procure sexual services. This book aims to help reset this balance. In this book, Philip Birch examines the procurement of female sexual services with a focus on the personal and social aspects of men who procure such exchanges and offers insight into the demographics amongst men who purchase sexual services, alongside an analysis of the reasons why they purchase sex. This book brings together existing literature with analyses of new data to develop a multi-factor model reflecting men’s procurement of sexual services and demonstrates the complexities surrounding the procuration of these sexual services in exchange for money. The book considers what contribution the understanding of the personal and social aspects of men who procure sexual services has on re-theorising the purchasing of sex in the 21st Century and will be of interest to academics and students involved in the study of criminology, criminal justice, social policy, law, sociology, sexuality and gender studies. Cover......Page 1 Half Title......Page 4 Title Page......Page 8 Copyright Page......Page 9 Dedication......Page 10 Table of Contents......Page 12 List of figures......Page 16 List of tables......Page 17 Acknowledgements......Page 18 List of abbreviations......Page 19 Part I Theorising sex work and the procurement of sexual services......Page 20 Introduction......Page 22 Understanding why humans have sex......Page 23 Current theorising in men who procure sexual services: a brief introduction......Page 24 Aim of this study......Page 25 The organisation of the book......Page 27 Conclusion......Page 30 1 Deconstructing sexuality and understanding the procurement of sex......Page 31 Evolutionary psychology and sex......Page 34 Understanding the influence of culture on sex......Page 36 Masculinity and understanding men who procure sexual services......Page 38 Conclusion......Page 41 Deviance and its origins......Page 43 Applying deviancy and immorality to contemporary understanding of men's procurement of sexual services......Page 48 Feminism, sex work, deviancy and immorality......Page 51 Law criminalising sex work......Page 54 Australian law and sex work......Page 55 Understanding the NSW context......Page 56 Conclusion......Page 59 Sex work as 'work'......Page 61 Theories of social exchange and the purchasing of sexual services......Page 65 Applying social exchange to sex work......Page 68 Emotions, intimacy and the procurement of sexual services......Page 69 Theories of intimacy......Page 71 The Internet, intimacy and sex work......Page 72 Sexual scripts and the procurement of sexual services......Page 73 Sex work as a normative function of society?......Page 75 Making sense of men’s procurement of sexual services: introducing the SAPSS model......Page 76 Conclusion......Page 78 Part II Examining men who procure sexual services......Page 80 The empirical research underpinning this volume......Page 82 The organisation of Part II......Page 83 4 Contextualising the cohort: the personal and social characteristics of men who procure sexual services......Page 85 The demographics of men who procure sexual services......Page 86 Disclosing the procurement of sexual services: a qualitative understanding......Page 92 Public perception of men who procure sexual services: a qualitative understanding......Page 95 Criminalising sex work in NSW, Australia: a qualitative understanding......Page 97 Conclusion......Page 100 The logistics of men's procurement of sexual services......Page 103 Men's reasons for procuring sexual services – the fifth what......Page 109 Defining and examining the reasons for procuring sexual services......Page 112 Conclusion......Page 117 6 Examining why men procure sexual services......Page 120 Early life experiences and the impact on procurement......Page 121 Why men procure sexual services for the first time: the men's perspective......Page 124 Male bonding and the expression of masculinity......Page 125 Sex as a commodity?......Page 126 First time reasons for the procurement of sexual services: the sex worker perspective......Page 127 The need to seek affection, regardless of age, regardless of circumstance......Page 128 First time reasons for the procurement of sexual services: the interest groups' perspectives......Page 129 Multi-factorial reasons for first time procurement......Page 130 Summarising why men procure sexual services for the first time......Page 132 A desire for intimacy, a 'girlfriend experience'......Page 134 The commodification of intimacy......Page 136 Minimal commitment, maximum benefits......Page 137 Lack of sex in marriage and the continuation of procurement......Page 138 Summarising why men continue to procure......Page 139 The reasons concerning the continuation of procurement: the sex worker perspective......Page 140 The ease of the transaction recognised by female sex workers......Page 141 Desensitisation and the procurement of sexual services......Page 142 It is just about having fun......Page 143 To dominate and control: no difference from why men first purchase sex......Page 144 Who, what and why: summarising the data in order to make sense of men's procurement of sexual service......Page 145 7 Making sense of men's procurement of sexual services: a new understanding of this social phenomenon......Page 149 Revisiting 'deviancy' as a label for men who procure sexual services......Page 150 Criminalising the 'John', is it evidence based?......Page 151 Radical feminism and the criminalisation of purchasing sexual services......Page 152 Legitimate work, mutuality and relationship building through the procurement of sexual services......Page 154 Being a 'man': the emotional and intimacy needs of procurers......Page 155 Human sexuality and the context of procurement......Page 157 Why do people have sex?......Page 159 Sexual health, sexual rights and 'well being'......Page 161 Well being and the procurement of sexual services......Page 163 Positive psychology as applied to men who procure sexual services......Page 164 Rethinking the SAPSS model: introducing the MAPSS model......Page 167 Conclusion......Page 169 The contribution of this work: a new understanding of men who procure sexual services......Page 174 Limitations of the study and implications for further study......Page 176 Final reflections......Page 178 References......Page 179 Glossary of terms......Page 190 Index......Page 192