Abstract

Many feminist approaches to prostitution exist, all with the ultimate goal of eliminating gender inequality as a framework for their theories. Using data on street prostitution in Montreal and San Francisco collected by Frances Shaver and Martin Weinberg, the real lived experiences of sex workers are applied to three traditional feminist theories to test their validity. Limitations of the theories are identified by employing seven areas of examination. They are: (1) the history of the regulation of sexuality in western society; (2) the impact of the history of the regulation of prostitution in the West; (3) violence experienced on and off the job; (4) opportunities for other, more legitimate work; (5) whether or not prostitution is seen as a career; (6) sexual pleasure experienced on and off the job; and (7) sexual orientation. Postmodern Feminist Theory suggests a solution to these limitations. This involves an acknowledgment of the impact of the social context on the practice of prostitution as well as attention to the individual voices of sex workers including the voices of men. As a result, a redefinition of prostitution as sex work is proposed.