The Five Schools of Thought Application Social Issue: Prostitution

Introduction You were asked to read the handout on the different perspectives that sociologists can have about the same issue. The case study focused upon Prostitution. Three of the five perspectives we are considering were covered in the article. Please keep in mind that the article clearly focuses only on female prostitution. Please contribute to the class discussion- don’t worry about being right or wrong…this is new to everyone!

Functionalist (Reminder… society is like the human body) Focus on stability, consensus and shared values in society. Change is disruptive when it is rapid. If one system in society does not function the rest of society is impacted. Balance in society is ideal (equilibrium and harmony). Function vs dysfunction.

What were your ideas? Discuss as a class!

A Functionalist View of Prostitution Institutions exist to benefit their participants. Harmony is the natural state for society and therefore prostitution will exist so long as it contributes to this state. People may become prostitutes because they are unskilled and it allows them to earn money, meet daily needs. Also serves a purpose for the client. A functionalist would argue that as long as the participants practice safe sex, society should seek to regulate it as it has a function.

Conflict Theory (Prompt…society is like a tug of war) Groups in society are engaged in a continuous power struggle for scarce resources. Focuses on opposed interest groups/social groups and their attempts to gain power and use it to their advantage at the expense of others. Dominant groups impose their views through force. Conflict between classes leads to social change. Social consensus is limited and inequality is widespread. Conflict is seen as universal, inevitable. Change is viewed as inevitable and positive although it can be violent.

What were your ideas? Discuss as a class!

A Conflict Theorist View of Prostitution Society is not harmonious…always in conflict, people are always struggling for power. Prostitutes who have no power are being exploited by those who do have power. In general women in Canada have less power and money than men and are therefore more women than men are prostitutes. The law has historically punished prostitutes by fining and jailing them whereas the clients get little or no punishment. Reforms must take place to provide more social and economic power to those with little. Legal reform is needed so that not only the prostitutes are punished.

Symbolic Interactionism (Prompt…society is like a play) Focuses on how individuals in society interpret and react to situations. Is the one theory that focuses on microlevel analysis (the individual or small groups). Humans are social animals who require interaction . People can only be understood as individuals and the symbolic importance that they attach to interaction with others- group life takes shape through this interaction. People’s actions and identities are products of past experiences and therefore the same situation does not necessarily evoke the same response in two people. How and why do people act in socially prescribed ways?

What were your ideas? Discuss as a class!

A Symbolic Interactionist View of Prostitution Can only understand a person by looking at them as an individual. Cannot make generalizations and explaining prostitution in relation to society. You need to understand the importance people attach to their individual social interaction. A prostitute might see her life as exiting, enjoy risk-taking and violating rules, or prostitution might simply be a means for earning money. Only the individual can explain the significance of the relationship, a social scientist should not decide this. Laws will likely fail to bring about desired results.

Now onto the last two… please feel free to work with a partner! There is no description of a Feminist perspective on prostitution in the article so it is time to extend your thinking. The following slide is on a handout that you received last week. Use the key ideas about each perspective to guide you. Spend 5 -10 minutes on Feminism and then regroup to discuss as a class. My notes will follow!

Feminism (Prompt…society is like an unfinished painting) For many years the study of Sociology focused on men and their experience not the whole population therefore not true social reality. Historically when women were considered, it was from a male perspective. This led to/ perpetuated inequality of women. Focuses on the significance of gender in understanding and explaining inequalities that exist between men and women (culture, law, labor, politics, household). Asserts the belief that women and men are equal, should be equally valued and should have equal rights. This perspective brings the experiences of women to the forefront (violence against women, poverty, reproductive labor.

What were your ideas? Discuss as a class!

A Feminist View of Prostitution A feminist would look at the issue from a female perspective and consider it a gendered issue. In general women in Canada have less power and money than men. Some feminists see prostitution as a means of empowerment for women- independence in the money she earns. Others see it is a form of male domination over women- degradation exploitation and abuse. In some places, female prostitutes like other workers have united to get better working conditions, reduce violence directed at them and decriminalize their work. Society teaches males to dominate females and teaches females to be submissive to males- expectations that carry over into adulthood. Prostitution supports the idea that women can be bought or are less valuable then men.

Postmodernism There is no description of a Postmodern perspective on prostitution in the article so it is time to extend your thinking. The following slide is on a handout that you received last week. Use the key ideas about each perspective to guide you. Spend 5 -10 minutes on Postmodernism and then regroup as a class. Please keep in mind that the article clearly focuses on female prostitution. My notes will follow!

Postmodern (Prompt…society is like a box of mismatched puzzle pieces) Assumes that the existing theories have not been successful in explaining social life in societies that are dealing with post- industrialization, consumerism, global communications. Emerged after WWII (Postmodern = post-industrial). Sharing ideas from different academic disciplines (social science, art, philosophy, literature) will enhance our understanding of society. Asserts that an information explosion characterizes contemporary societies and that economies are based on jobs where people apply information or provide services. Consumer societies and global village are key ideas. Groups cannot be clearly defined and society is not stable. Critics argue that it ignores some social problems like inequality (based on race class and gender and in global political and economic issues).

What were your ideas? Discuss as a class!

A Postmodern View of Prostitution A postmodernist would argue that none of the above theories could explain prostitution fully. A prostitute is objectified and viewed as a commodity to be bought. Focus upon the struggle between the individual and the state. The state (government) wants to impose discipline(rules) that keep it in control vs. individual freedom. Prostitutes are being controlled when their activities are deemed illegal. Critics would say that postmodernists ignore issues of gender, class and economic oppression linked to prostitution- too superficial.

On your own… Please try the assignment page (will be passed out) on your own. Be sure to fill in the chart at the top with key words. Use these words as you form your ideas/arguments about each perspective. This is a formative assessment.