REGULATING THE OLDEST PROFESSION: DRIVERS OF PROSTITUTION POLICY OVER SPACE AND TIME

Abstract

As one of the world’s oldest and most controversial professions, prostitution has withstood diverse and ever-changing policy approaches over space and time. In some countries, prostitution is illegal in all forms, while in others the market is left unregulated. The question arises: how can we explain these differences in prostitution policy cross-nationally? Variations in policy are accompanied by a gap in research accounting for the role that different cultural beliefs and socio-economic factors play in the complex web of interactions between prostitution policy, human trafficking, and public attitudes toward the latter. In this paper, we have attempted to use an original data set and modern statistics to begin shedding some systematic light on the subject. We began by raising the question of why prostitution policy varies cross-culturally and cross-nationally. Then, we developed a measure of prostitution policy and set out to identify how those policies developed historically. Finding few clues in current geographic patterns, we identified five broad clusters of influences that historically appear to have driven the development of prostitution policies across the world. These drivers are religion and religiosity; health concerns especially regarding sexually transmitted diseases; modernization, migration, and immigration; democratization and human rights; and female economic and political empowerment. We subsequently collected data to find the effect to which these drivers influence contemporary prostitution policy. Our data demonstrate that religion has played the greatest role historically and in present times in shaping prostitution policies. However, religion has had a complex relationship with prostitution, variously promoting and prohibiting it at different times and in different contexts. Moreover, while religion has historically been a significant factor in shaping prostitution policy, more recent drivers such as democratization and the increasing role of women in policymaking have become increasingly relevant. Our study provides valuable insights into the historical and contemporary drivers of prostitution policy and provides a solid basis for additional, in-depth work to follow. Understanding the impact of these drivers is crucial for shaping effective prostitution policy that addresses the needs and rights of all stakeholders involved.