Prostitution and Beyond
An Analysis of Sex Workers in India
- Rohini Sahni - Department of Economics, University of Pune
- V. Kalyan Shankar - Department of Economics, University of Pune
- Hemant Apte - Department of Anthropology, University of Pune, India
Gender & Sexuality Studies (General)
The first section explores the space for women in prostitution within mainstream feminist discourse in India, and the way it has evolved over time. The second section emphasizes on the heterogeneity of sex work practices with their historical vestiges, contemporary manifestations and urban-rural contrasts. The third section examines the interface of society and prostitution, tracing economic and social undercurrents, health concerns and legal regulations. The final section focuses on the bearings of prostitution on the cultural spheres of literature, language, cinema, theatre and media.
In addition to rigorous academic research, this volume also pools in case studies, live discussions and interviews, drawing the experience of a wide spectrum of professionals and organizations working with sex workers.
This book is a must-read for professionals and academicians in the fields of Gender Studies, Sociology, Anthropology, Public Health and Social Work.
The book is an extremely significant contribution to the existing body of literature on sexuality that provides useful theoretical perspectives accompanied by impressive empirical detail. The evocative textual and visual accounts along with the starkly graphic facts presented through the selection of case studies, commentaries and interviews reveal nuanced distinctions that are lost in conventional analytical framework or absent from tedious statistical analysis.
The broader aim of the book, which it achieves, is to mitigate the negative image of the sex worker perpetuated by a biased media and culture.
This volume is admirable with a mix of research, literature, discussions, interviews, case studies, examples and illustrations. It appears to have lessened the negativity associated with the mention of sex work and seems to be useful for professionals and academicians working on the subject.
Healthy’ read.
This book asks valuable questions about the ways in which society positions prostitutes beyond its moral and ethical boundaries, simultaneously as sex-work reflects society’s socio-cultural reality.
This book] will take the reader beyond the clichéd definition of a sex worker.
The book is a useful starting point if one wants to get an idea of currently debated issues in field work as well as in theory on prostitution and issues related thereto.
