Introduction
This is my topic of preference due to its repugnant aftermaths to the society. It also affects all and sundry members of the society either directly or remotely. I also consider one of the fast spreading evil in the co temporal times and largely grown and evolved into one of the greatest social ills that, plagues the moral fabric of mankind’s social tendencies. Bellow is an all inclusive common sense assumptions that dictate the societal perception on prostitution.
Causes of prostitution
Among the assumptions’ that dictate conventional perception on prostitution are that, prostitution is caused by a number of factors such as poverty, enticement through a luxurious life that is led by some commercial sex workers, permissiveness in society, and the promise nature of the business since there is greater demand from the potential customers that need sex, the communal acceptance of sex tourism as well as a decadent print media and press which is supportive of commercial sex and trickery together with kidnap among others.
Poverty has compelled many into commercial work. For example, there quite a number of ladies that are overburdened by familial pressures such are the need to take care for a sick family member, the need to educate younger siblings, the compelling demand to fend for oneself and members of one’s family.
There are a number of cases in which most ladies that find themselves engaging in prostitution after having been tricked into false job opportunities in town set up or even abroad. Most of them end up in a helpless condition that forces them take part in prostitution activities in order to make ends meet. In addition, there are other categories of ladies who are introduced into prostitution by their guardians or parents as a means of income or in order to have a living. Kara says that, women and ladies are abducted, deceived and seduced in the tune of hundreds and thousands into forced commercial sex work. They are then compelled to ‘serve men after which they are dumped’ (Kara. S. 2009).
There are many ladies who are also lured into prostitution by the promising nature of business. They are moved by a number of role models who have largely profiteered in the business. The desire to get wealthy and acquire luxuries of life propels them to engage in commercial sex work in their pursuit for happiness. Ekejiuba affirms the notion of guardianship that easily facilitates commercial sex work and the high returns that are obtained thereof act as an efficient drive that readily land teenage girls in prostitution. Similarly, lack of a strong moral base makes ‘girls find it difficult to difficult resisting opportunities of temptation that lead to taking part in commercial sex work’ (Ekejuiba 1996: 13)
Along the same line, it is of great emphasis to assert that, some ladies engage in commercial sex as a carrier. They assume the job as a carrier choice.
Permissiveness in society together with a more accommodative culture that tolerates sexual immorality for example, in a communal set up where the national moral fabric is worn out and the law enforcing officers are reluctant to arrest stakeholders of prostitution. Moreover, in nations where it is legalized it is done more freely without restriction.
Prostitution has equally been encouraged by the high demand of the clienteles. The fact that, there are many who desire to engage in sexual activities at whatever cost encourages many to readily offer it to them. Marion asserts that, Men are endowed with certain specified biological needs that can only be fulfilled through sexual engagements. In the unlikely event that they cannot access sex then they are naturally compelled to turn to prostitutes in order to accomplish their raging biological urged. She further affirms that, if the community does not provide sex to them then, they can be easily turned crazy and be propelled to engage in rape. (Marion 2004)
Sex tourism has also been tolerated by most nations and societies. This provides an ample context that tolerates the practice of prostitution.
A rotten and a decadent print media and a polluted press that abhors morality and normalcy has largely, facilitated the practice of prostitution.
Some ladies have been dragged into prostitution after being kidnapped by traffickers to distant nations and towns. Give n their naivety and condition of helplessness, they get arm twisted into being practitioners of prostitution.
Curiosity and the desire to explore also move many people to engage in prostitution acts. For example, there are those who are pushed by excited to do sex with people of different races, different ages, varied statures, divergent tribes among others depending on the nature of the populations diversity.
Lack of sex education curriculum in sex education and conventional tendencies to forbid discussing contentious issues around sex and sexuality has led, to self indulgence.
There are couples that have largely continued to engage prostitution due to broken relations and lack of communication with their partners.
Unemployment has largely contributed to widespread prostitution since; those with acquired skill devoid of opportunities venture into commercial sex work as an alternative option for making their ends meet.
Moreover, lack of sexual partner leaves others with no choice since; they equally consider sex as a fundamental or basic human right they have to fulfill. In the unlikely event of luck then, they are left with the only ready available last best choice of turning into prostitution in their ultimate pursuit of happiness.
Lastly, there are girls who had suffered chronic abuse in their tender twilight age. These ladies turn to prostitution as a way out of psychological imbalances. Those that suffer from attachment disorder turn too, to prostitution a means of getting livelihood.
Strengths and weaknesses of the study
This study is strongly founded on demystification of one of the greatest social evil. It is a bold move towards storing a more responsive society in which sex and human sexuality is highly esteemed.
On the other hand, the study is overly inclined towards the plight of the girl child rather than embracing both the male and the female gender.
These are elucidated by the attempts made by the authors on their attempts to redress the causes of prostitution as a research question.
Findings and conclusion
Findings indicate that girls are trafficked to major cities and abroad in hundreds and thousands across the globe. There are many juvenile girls who are also taken advantage of by senior amoral members of society. Most of them get easily exploited sexually and are later on discarded without care. In addition, there is abject lack of treatise on sex education and information on human sexuality. Lastly, poverty greatly remains the major reason behind girls’ engagement on commercial sex work per se. From this research works it is very evident that, prostitution is a social pandemic that should be redressed with great urgency.
Consequences of prostitution
Prostitution carries with itself several negative aftermaths such as; transmission of sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies, psychological trauma as well as physical assault.
Most prostitutes have to struggle to overcome stigma because most people are not tolerant to the practice. In most cases they are often mocked and many shy off from socializing with them. As a result, they develop low self esteem and largely become unable to take part in major communal projects.
Lastly, engagement in the practice of prostitution can make one begin to brush shoulders with the law enforcing officers. This can in most cases be stressful causing emotional strain and lack a peaceful and a settled lifestyle.
Remedies of prostitution
Prostitution can be curtailed through a number of ways namely; bolstering girl child education; this will help protect the girl child’s basic entitlement such as the right to information through education hence eradicating ignorance and socially empowering them as they get enlightened. Secondly, inculcation of family values will safeguard the society against the continual wearing out of approved and time tested morals of the time.
Facilitating interventions by non-governmental and religious bodies would largely contribute to the holistic restoration of the transcendental virtue on human sexuality as well as positively change the public’s perception on against a permissive civil to a self responsible citizenry.
Moreover, arresting and convicting prostitution patrons can act as a deterrent measure to those who may get tempted into practicing commercial sex work. In addition to the aforementioned recommendations, facilitating the return and rehabilitation of runaway prostitutes from abroad and cities can largely help mitigate this social vice.
There should also be need on finding out motivations on commercial sex work and the concomitant remedies that are relevant. Making sex education an academic subject will enormously enlighten and inform the public challenges that many go through with this absurd business. The government should also enforce high penalties on practitioners of commercial sex.
The policy on girl child rights and education should be safeguarded by the bill of rights. The government can effectively assist in stumping out this social menace.
Lastly, guaranteeing basic provision to the girl child in order to insure them from chronic poverty strain, condemning the pessimism and a tolerant culture to prostitution as well as illegalizing prostitution practices per se.
My reflection on Foucault’s ‘repressive hypothesis’
In the light of this article, Foucault’s assertion that that sexual repression has an historical establishment does hold much credence since prostitution is born and bred by environmental tendencies that can be propagated through acquisition. This is because prostitution is a social evil that emanates from individual personal choice which is greatly dictated by civil psychological drive and a popular pedagogy.
Secondly, Foucault’s postulation that, stricture, monitoring and exercise of restraint are modes of by which power is practiced in albeit most societies are absolutely true because, the culture of tolerance to rampant abuse of sex and human sexuality is a priori in the wide spread of prostitution.
Lastly, this article also elucidates his postulation of rupture between critical analysis and historical rupture. Since repression does exist in different societies at varied levels similarly, the level of enlightenment and the abilities of the human mind are at variance from one society to the other but; the values that are set and upheld by public arise when a mode of repression is questioned by a civilized and critical mind. Moreover, Foucault attempts to define the domains of pleasure, ability and knowledge upon which human sexuality unfolds as a discourse which are the underlying pointers of this article.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, poverty among other causes are the prime underlying factors that coax most ladies and women to take part in commercial sex work in the world over. The consequences that underlie prostitution sometimes very server and can cause lifelong scars to the victims. For example, the infections with terminal sexually related diseases such as HIV/Aids, social trauma that may come with victims of assault and physical abuse, an incremental number of unwanted pregnancies which, in most cases coaxes the girls to engage in dangerous acts like abortion that claims their lives and excreta.
In spite of the sad effects or results of prostitution, there are adequate modes of redress that would effectively halt this fast growing social evil. Some of these are intervention from well accredited bodies such as churches and non governmental bodies that uphold morality and abhor sexual vices that taint the civil moral fabric.
In conclusion, I have learnt that, there are a number of commercial workers who engage in prostitution activities out of choice rather than, being pushed to it by societal necessities albeit, it is a social evil that can be curtailed if recommendations of moral recompense are efficiently executed.
The reading of different scholarly works have served to reaffirm my moral standing rather than changed it as it is socially and historically molded. Future studies can be carried out on ‘Demystification of Human Sexuality’ and ‘Mitigation of consequences of prostitution.’
Work Cited
“Prostitution a Social problem?” Estonian women’s’ Studies and Resource Centre; Marion Pajumets. Tallinn 2004.
Hallgrimsdottir, H.K, Phillips, R, & Benoit, C. Fallen women and rescued girls: social stigma and media narratives of the sex industry in Victoria B.C, from 1980-2005. Canadian review of sociology and Anthropology, 265-280, 2006. Print.
Kara, S. Sex trafficking: Inside the Business of Modern Slavery. Columbia University Press. New York, 2009. Print.
