The Idea of Prostitution

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Sheila Jeffreys

There are (at least) two competing views on prostitution: Prostitution as a legitimate and acceptable form of employment, freely chosen by women; And men’s use of prostitution as a form of degrading the women and causing grave psychological damage.

In The Idea of Prostitution, Sheila Jeffreys explodes the distinction between forced and free prostitution, and documents the expanding international traffic in women. She examines the claims of the prostitutes’ rights movement and the sex industry, while supporting prostituted women. Her argument is threefold: the sex of prostitution is not just sex; the work of prostitution is not ordinary work; and prostitution is a choice not for the prostituted women, but for the men who abuse them.

2008 | ISBN 9781876756673 | Paperback | 217 x 140 mm | 394 pp

Sheila Jeffreys

There are (at least) two competing views on prostitution: Prostitution as a legitimate and acceptable form of employment, freely chosen by women; And men’s use of prostitution as a form of degrading the women and causing grave psychological damage.

In The Idea of Prostitution, Sheila Jeffreys explodes the distinction between forced and free prostitution, and documents the expanding international traffic in women. She examines the claims of the prostitutes’ rights movement and the sex industry, while supporting prostituted women. Her argument is threefold: the sex of prostitution is not just sex; the work of prostitution is not ordinary work; and prostitution is a choice not for the prostituted women, but for the men who abuse them.

2008 | ISBN 9781876756673 | Paperback | 217 x 140 mm | 394 pp

Reviews

This is thought-provoking, courageous and important scholarly work. For any scholar of feminist studies of sexuality, violence and social and political theory, this text is essential reading.

—Anita Harris, Australian Journal of Political Science

The Idea of Prostitution is controversial, yet compelling.  It is for me one of a few seminal works that are truly radical and have left an indelible imprint on my thinking.  the book questions liberal notions about what it means to be a woman in today's society in which certain practices are still tolerated or have been normalised.

—Stieve DeLance, Ciaroscuro

The Idea of Prostitution is invaluable for anyone interested in the historical development of prostitution, who is currently backing the growth of sexual slavery, and why it has become an accepted part of contemporary global culture. But perhaps the most wonderful aspect of Jeffreys' book is the optimism she instills in a new generation of women. She believes that together, we can end the sexual exploitation of women and children by claiming the right to defend ourselves and our communities against the brutal might of the international sex industry.

—Amazon, Reader review