Intro: Building the Market
This exhibit examines how sex work can be seen as a legitimate business form, by existing in a market, and like any other occupation should be regulated accordingly. The exhibit first starts by highlighting how sex workers and their clients come together to form a market for sex work. Then the exhibit moves on to examine why decriminalization is necessary and the benefits that arise from regulating the market for sex work, after decriminalization. These benefits include better business practices for the occupation and a better working environment for the workers. In the end I hope to give a new outlook on the legitimacy of sex work as a business and why it needs to be decriminalized.
The image above details the characteristics of a market economy. The market for sex work fits these characteristics pretty well. For starters, the sex workers own their bodies, this can be seen as private property ownership. The next point is freedom of enterprise and choice, this can be broken down into two segments. Freedom of enterprise, as defined by vocabulary.com, is “a type of economy where products, prices, and services are determined by the market, not the government”, [0] this can be seen in the market for sex work because the prices the workers charge for their services is relative to what other workers are charging for similar services. Freedom of choice, which can be seen more on the client’s page, is present because the demanders (the clients) have the option to choose which worker they want, they aren’t forced into their selection. Another point, motive of self-interest, is present when the women voluntarily enter the market and do so for their own personal gains. Competition is connected with freedom of choice, there are more than one worker for the demanders to choose from. The System of markets and prices point is connected with freedom of enterprise, because a market is present and it determines the prices. And the last point, which is addressed on both the workers and clients pages, is seen through the workers ability to create fantasies, of their self’s, to appeal to the demands of the clients. This was just a quick rundown of how the occupation of sex work has a market economy, hopefully at the end of the exhibit, this point will be solidified.
[0] "Free Enterprise - Dictionary Definition." Vocabulary.com. Accessed May 13, 2016. https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/free enterprise.