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5 - In the Clubs

from Part II - Society

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 December 2024

Margaret L. Boittin
Affiliation:
York University, Toronto
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Summary

This chapter is about middle-tier prostitution. The life of a hostess is exhausting. In addition to selling sex, women in this tier of the sex industry spend hours every evening engaging in their other professional responsibilities, which include drinking, dancing, and singing with clients. They face intense competition from their peers. Their work environment exposes them to health risks not only from HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, but also from the alcohol and tobacco they consume as part of their work. Although these conditions are taxing, they also provide middle-tier sex workers with more agency than their colleagues who work on the streets or in brothels, and lead to these women having more positive perspectives on prostitution than do their lower-tier colleagues. Hostesses tend to be assertive and reject any portrayal of their engagement in the sex industry as a story of victimhood. They also exhibit more trust in government institutions, an attitude that on rare occasions can even lead them to make public demands of the state. This work environment, autonomy and initiative contribute to public perceptions that tend to criticize hostesses as lazy and dishonorable.

Type
Chapter
Information
The Regulation of Prostitution in China
Law in the Everyday Lives of Sex Workers, Police Officers, and Public Health Officials
, pp. 125 - 140
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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  • In the Clubs
  • Margaret L. Boittin, York University, Toronto
  • Book: The Regulation of Prostitution in China
  • Online publication: 05 December 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316831946.005
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To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

  • In the Clubs
  • Margaret L. Boittin, York University, Toronto
  • Book: The Regulation of Prostitution in China
  • Online publication: 05 December 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316831946.005
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • In the Clubs
  • Margaret L. Boittin, York University, Toronto
  • Book: The Regulation of Prostitution in China
  • Online publication: 05 December 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316831946.005
Available formats
×