In , I undertook a dissertation on prostitution examining psychological and social issues and theories of crime. Part of that involved spending time with, and interviewing, three women who worked as call girls. Their contribution was key to my project and I am very grateful and thankful for their honesty and openness.
In addition to those semi-structured interviews, over twenty accounts written by women in prostitution on their working lives were examined. At the time of writing, research on prostitution was lacking, and the few books available on the subject were mainly written by people who were not in the life , and did not utilise interviews or accounts from women working as prostitutes themselves. Due to the scarcity of firsthand accounts, my research used accounts from women in prostitution between the s to the s.
The Business of Prostitution. Prostitution dates back to ancient times. In pagan cultures, the prostitute was known as a sacred whore or high priestess and carried out both religious and sexual duties. The prostitute of this epoch was a highly respected figure in society and prostitution was viewed as a high calling. Today, the class structure within society is echoed in the prostitution business.
At the uppermost level there are call girls or escorts, who work for madams and escort agencies and some work independently. This is the highest paying level in the business. With escorts you can do one or two, and you have to touch.
Massage parlours work in a similar manner by charging additional tips to the fee for a massage depending on the extra sexual services rendered. Brothels are considered lower than call girls and escorts but higher than streetwalking.
