Leaving Prostitution: Getting Out and Staying Out of Sex Work By Sharon S. Oselin New York University Press. 2014. 218 pages. $23 paper

Abstract

The scholarly and public debate on sex work remains polarized between those who see sex work as a form of gendered reproductive or intimate labor and those who see sex work as morally unacceptable gendered exploitation. Sharon Oselin's book Leaving Prostitution: Getting Out and Staying Out of Sex Work largely avoids becoming embroiled in these debates. Instead, drawing on Ronald Weitzer's (2009) “polymorphous” perspective on sex work as highly variable, Oselin provides a detailed look at “prostitute-serving organizations,” or PSOs, that work with urban street prostitutes to facilitate their exits from the profession. The role of these organizations in street prostitutes' lives is understudied. One of the book's major contributions is to highlight the interplay of organizational cultures and personal trajectories in shaping street prostitutes' desire to leave sex work, and their ability to do so in the long term. The book draws on participant observation periods of three months each at four PSOs in Chicago, Los Angeles, Minneapolis–St. Paul, and Hartford, as well as 54 semi-structured interviews, 40 with clients of PSOs (all women and former or current urban street prostitutes) and 14 with staff members. Chapter 2 analyzes women's entry into prostitution, arguing that those who enter under age 18 do so to escape abuse and regain control of their sexuality or because they live in environments where sex work is “normalized” and glamorous, while those who enter over age 18 do so to sustain drug addiction or to survive economically. Chapters 3, 4, and 5 then outline the process of leaving prostitution: initial exits due to both individual motivations or turning points and external encouragement from PSOs or other mediators; “role distancing” from the role of prostitute and adoption of a new identity; and longer-term role embracement and identity change. All three stages involve the interplay of organizational dynamics and individual motivations. Oselin shows that PSOs sustain individuals' commitment to leave prostitution through formal rules and controls as well as informal mechanisms—familial bonds among staff and clients, role modeling and mentoring, and peer disapproval of “bad” behavior. The PSOs most effective in facilitating exits from prostitution also celebrate “conversion-like” narratives and public confessions of commitment to transform one's role. In the longer term, former prostitutes complete the transition of roles through new employment or educational endeavors, reestablishing relationships with children, and building new social-support networks distinct from their prior networks.