Article analysis - Tricking and tripping: Fieldwork on prostitution in the era of AIDS
Article analysis - Tricking and tripping: Fieldwork on prostitution in the era of AIDS
Sterk intends to understand the life of the prostitutes from their perspective. It is often found that the interest in the profession of prostitution is only regarding how a woman ended up in the field. However, few people seem to be interested in the lifestyle of the prostitutes and their daily sufferings. Sterk realizes the social stigma and judgments associated with the profession, and she attempts to present a unbiased point of view to the reader armed with the understanding that “prostitutes as well as their customers represent all layers of society” (Sterk, 2007, 24). She was able to differentiate between the different types of prostitutes, such as crack-addicted prostitutes and non-crack-addicted ones. She also came realize the threat of physical violence from casual customers was more.
What is the objective of the research?
Sterk’s objective is to present the “women’s thoughts, feelings, and actions in their own words,” and she has complied a sociological monograph based on her research (Sterk, 2007, 24). She thus intends to show that the women in this profession are not completely to blame for the increase in AIDS, and that the customers and the pimps play a large role in spreading of the disease. She believes that the questions asked by law-enforcement officials regarding the lack of protection measures among the prostitutes can be answered if the women’s perception about their lives is studied and understood.
Identify two major research methods used by Sterk.
Sterk conducts a qualitative research and uses the participant observation method and the in-depth interview method with open-ended questions. Her approach to her research is by inculcating an interactive and reciprocal relationship with her participants. She states in her article that “both parties need to get to know each other, become aware and accepting of each other’s roles, and engage in a reciprocal relationship” (Sterk, 2007, 25). Sterk has sepnd a large amount of time in creating a spent a great deal of time in creating a relation based on trust with her participants. Nevertheless, she does not abide by the norm of entirely absorbing herself into the culture of the prostitution profession. She leaves the field at the end of the day to her home and thus takes some time off from the field. Unlike the anthropologist Malinowski, who conducted detailed participant observation in the study of the kula ring process and lived among his subjects, she does not live with the prostitutes or engage in their profession to gain a clarity into their perceptions of their lifestyles (1989). This is probably owing to the fact that Sterk’s situation is very different from Malinowski. Becoming a prostitute will not fulfill any objective for the anthropologist and not present any extra information or understanding of the prostitute’s lifestyles.
Moreover, in this case there are some special factors to be considered. Strek was not actually interacting with a new culture, but with a subculture that is familiar to her culture, so her observation need not be as detailed as Malinowski’s and she was free to the leave the field. The women she was studying were women like her and she shared several common cultural characteristics with them. She did not face challenges such as language barriers or exceptionally varying cultural traditions. She held an unusual place, where she was familiar with her subjects and yet, separated by several degrees as a researcher from a different stratum of the society. She worked toward developing “an identity that allowed (her) to be both an insider and an outsider” (Sterk, 2007, 26). Often, when she felt overwhelmed by the circumstances, she chose to escape the place and moment to maintain her distance and her role as a researcher. Thus, with this balance of closeness and detachment, she was able to reach a balanced outlook between two cultures that enabled her to study them without bias.
Identify and explain two challenges faced by Sterk.
The two basic challenges faced by Sterk were to overcome her own fears of her study environment and to gain the trust of her subjects. She was in an area that was not frequented by people of her social status, and this caused much speculation among her subjects. This in turn made it difficult for her to approach them. However, her patience and regular presence gradually helped her gain the trust of some of the prostitutes and pimps over a period. However, many times her efforts did not give good results—such as, a subject who trusted her was sent to jail—and she had to start from the very beginning. The second challenge was the fact that she was working in an environment where women were looked as objects. She faced several daunting situations and experiences—such as being chased to her home by a pimp—that threatened her safety. In spite, all these issues she managed to be in control of the situation and befriend several of her subjects. Moreover, she was in an unfamiliar environment by herself and she faced many challenges in recognizing her subjects and the locations they would frequent. She sought the help of professionals familiar with the area, such as law enforcement officials and healthcare providers.
References
Sterk, C. E. Tricking and Tripping: Fieldwork in Prostitution in the Era of AIDS. Anthropology, Annual Editions.
Malinowski, B. A Diary in the Strict Sense of the Term, Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1989.
