Prostitution

被禁止的性行为与性暴力

卖淫

词语卖淫(自拉丁语prostitutio = 展示、提供)一个传统的、大家熟知的术语,现在常常简单地被称为“性工作”。这种生硬而直率的语言风格也许是诚实的表示,不过使用这个词语的人们应该明白,他们正在谈论一件非常特殊的事物。的确,它与其它任何一种工作大不一样

基本的事实是再简单不过了:一些女性和男性为满足他们的主顾的性欲望习惯以交换的方式接受物质报酬(金钱和礼物)。传统上,这会涉及到某种直接的肉体接触,不过现在的电子技术革命同样可以创造新的卖淫方式,从电话性活动telephone sex[1]到经由互联网和移动电话的交互式的视觉接触:女性或男性,单独或与伙伴,在性活动的时候让付钱的主顾听到或看到他们,甚至让单个的观看者决定和引导他们为之付钱的性活动方式

这种新近的发展会提出一些有关性交换种类的新问题。例如,人们早就以充足的理由争论一个问题,那就是妓女总是受到主顾的剥削,但是,当今的电子远程卖淫distance prostitution)”似乎会颠倒这种角色:个人从决不会亲自见面的匿名观看者那里为提供的性服务获得金钱。甚至,性工作者现在能够同时为大量的主顾服务,并且因此从每一次性举动中倍增他们的收入。那么,中立的研究者可能因此自然会问一问如果存在剥削,那么,究竟谁在剥削谁?

答案决不是清晰可辨的。甚至,我们思考这个难题越久,就会认识到卖淫的整个研究课题是多么地越发复杂。这种新技术只是揭示了卖淫现象方方面面的各种因素;这些因素一直存在,但是不一定引起了人们的关注


[1] Telephone sex在民间被翻译成电话做爱,此处翻译为电话性活动则比较中立和专业化,因为做爱一般用于褒义,而且从精确性讲,定义模糊,因而是非专业术语。“电话性活动则涵盖用电话涉及到性的一切交流形式。——译校者注。

Prohibited Sexual Behavior and Sexual Violence

Prostitution

The word “prostitution” (from Lat. prostitutio = display, offer) is a traditional, learned term for what is nowadays often simply called “sex work”. This blunt and direct language may be honest, but people who use it should understand that they are talking about work of a very special kind. Indeed, it is work unlike any other.
The basic facts are simple enough:
Some females and males habitually accept material rewards (money, presents) in exchange for satisfying the sexual wishes of their customers. Traditionally, this involves some direct physical contact, but the present electronic revolution also makes new forms of prostitution possible, from “telephone sex” to interactive visual contact per internet and mobile picture phone: Females or males, alone or with partners, allow paying customers to listen to them or watch them during sexual activity and even let individual viewers determine and guide the kind of activity they pay for.
This recent development raises new questions about the nature of the exchange. For example, it has often been argued – with considerable justification – that a prostitute is always exploited by her customers, but today’s electronic “distance prostitution” seems to reverse the roles: Individuals receive money for their sexual services from anonymous viewers whom they never meet in person. Indeed, sex workers can now service a great number of customers simultaneously and thus multiply their income from each sexual act. A neutral observer may therefore very well ask: “If there is exploitation involved, then who is exploiting whom?”
The answer is by no means obvious. Indeed, the longer one contemplates this puzzle, the more one realizes how complex the entire subject of prostitution is. The new technology merely reveals some of its aspects that have always been present, but have not always been noticed.

[Course 6] [Description] [How to use it] [Introduction] [Development] [Basic Types] [Variations] [Prohibited Behavior] [Sex with Children] [Prostitution] [Sexual Violence] [Additional Reading] [Examination]