The Madam as Teacher: The Training of House Prostitutes

Heyl, Barbara Sherman

doi:10.1525/sp.1977.24.5.03a00060

Cited by 12 publications

(7 citation statements)

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“…Some brothel and parlor managers provide extensive training for novice workers (Heyl 1977), whereas others provide none (Bryant & Palmer 1975). One of the few in-depth studies in this area is the participant-observation work of Perez-y-Perez (2003), who managed three New Zealand massage parlors.…”

Section: Managersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(The figures presented above are based on whether pimps ever behaved violently, not how frequently they do so.) Some massage parlor and brothel owners treat their workers very poorly (e.g., Verlarde & Warlick 1973), whereas others have collegial relations with their employees and take pains to ensure safe and healthy working conditions (Brents & Hausbeck 2005, Heyl 1977, Smith et al 2008.…”

Section: Managersmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sociology of Sex Work

2009

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This review examines key dimensions of contemporary sex work, particularly prostitution. Most research focuses exclusively on street prostitution and female workers, with much less attention devoted to indoor prostitution, male and transgender workers, customers, and managers. Furthermore, most of the literature examines prostitution where it is illegal, neglecting contexts where it is legal and regulated by the government. The review demonstrates how research on these topics can enrich our understanding of contemporary sex work.

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Section: Managersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Managersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sociology of Sex Work

2009

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“…A unique study of a gay escort agency revealed the techniques used by the management to camouflage the fact that workers sold sex and to maintain the image of a respectable operation (Salamon 1989). Heyl's (1977) classic study of one brothel focused on the ways in which the madam trained and socialized new workers, including both sexual techniques and other rules of the game. Nevada's legal brothels have only recently been studied.…”

Section: Managersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prostitution as a Form of Work

Weitzer

2007

Sociology Compass

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In recent years, prostitution increasingly has been recast as a form of ‘sex work’, which directs attention to both the work itself and the larger occupational milieu in which it takes place. This article examines several aspects of the work environment, including important variations between different types of workers (on the street and in indoor venues), relations between workers and customers, and what is known about the role of various managers involved in recruitment, socialization, and control over workers. The article highlights areas in which further research will provide a more complete picture of sex work in different kinds of contexts.

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“…Morselli and Savoie-Gargiso (2014) find that most interactions between pimps and FSWs involve management (time, money, and site) or the pimp acquiring goods, services, and information for FSWs. Some brothel owners and managers provide safer working conditions (Brents and Hausbeck 2005), and madams often act as teachers and socializers (Heyl 1977). Furthermore, FSWs often elect to work for brokers to avoid police harassment (Chapkis 2000).…”

Section: Past Research On Brokers In the Informal Economymentioning

confidence: 99%

Brokers and the Earnings of Female Sex Workers in India

2015

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This study examines whether working with a broker increases or reduces the payment received for the last client among female sex workers. Building on research on the informal economy and sex work, we formulate a positive embeddedness hypothesis, expecting a positive association, and an exploitation hypothesis expecting a negative association. We analyze a large survey combined with intensive interview data on female sex workers in Andhra Pradesh, India. These data uniquely distinguish between the amount the sex worker actually received and the amount the client paid. The analyses show that brokers are associated with significantly lower last payment received. Although brokers are associated with a greater number of clients in the past week, this does not result in significantly higher total earnings in the past week. Further analyses suggest that much of the negative relationship with earnings is due to the fact that brokers lead to a lack of control over the amount clients are charged. At the same time, the results fail to show that brokers actually provide services of value. Ultimately, the results support the exploitation hypothesis. We conclude by encouraging the refinement of theories of embeddedness and exploitation and calling for greater research on workers in the informal economy of developing countries.

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The Madam as Teacher: The Training of House Prostitutes

Cited by 12 publications

References 0 publications

Sociology of Sex Work

Sociology of Sex Work

Prostitution as a Form of Work

Brokers and the Earnings of Female Sex Workers in India

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