Functionalist Theory Of Prostitution Essay

Prostitution is a situational phenomenon which is existent in many societies. Although prostitution itself has never been illegal in Canada, the activities surrounding prostitution are strictly prohibited. Street prostitution is certainly one of the more visible forms of prostitution in our society, and therefore is particularly scrutinized by the public. There are many different types of prostitutes, but for the purpose of this paper the focus will be on street prostitutes. In addition, prostitution is a major issue in society as it generates a substantial amount of money, creates serious long term and short term effects on the prostitute, and there is always the concern of diseases being transmitted through unsafe sex (Pedersen, 1994: 650). Consequently, there are two dominant sociological theories that attempt to explain this often neglected phenomenon: the functionalist theory and the feminist theory. These two theories are vastly different in how they interpret the act of prostitution and the factors relating to the exchange. The functionalist views prostitution as a contribution to order and maintenance in society whereas the feminist …show more content…
Although prostitution itself is not illegal in Canada, the law states that the actions surrounding it such as discussing for the purpose of prostitution are strictly prohibited. The functionalist theorist views prostitution as an essential function in society, whereas the feminist theorist believes it is sexually objectifying women. In spite of which theory people agree with changes evidently need to be implemented to reduce this activity to protect the prostitutes involved. Ultimately, the feminist theory allows for there to progress made in regards to the conditions in which the prostitute must endure, whereas the functionalist approach simply views these conditions as being acceptable in