Two UNLV authors discussed their new book about Nevada
brothels Wednesday.
Dr. Joanne L. Goodwin, director of the Women's Research
Institute of Nevada, introduced Barbara G. Brents and Kate
Hausbeck, associate professors of sociology at UNLV.
They have co-authored a new book, "The State of Sex:
the Nevada Prostitution Industry," that will be
released later this year. Brents and Hausbeck presented
slides alongside the lecture, which represented an overview
of the book.
The authors spent eight years in the field researching the
sex industry in Nevada and conducted interviews at half of
the state's 36 brothels before writing the book.
They said that the sex industry in Las Vegas drives Nevada's
consumer economy. Phone sex, pornography, video sales,
escort services, strip clubs and prostitution are all part
of the sex industry.
Brents and Hausbeck noted three social trends: sex is now a
part of popular culture, sex is an accepted part of
commercial culture and the acceptance of sexual images in
our culture is growing. American culture focuses on images
on television and in print media that are tied to identity.
The products that people choose to consume come to define
them. Images in advertising that were once considered to be
racy or obscene are now commonplace and accepted by the
public.
Hausbeck said that sexuality has been normalized in America
as the sex industry has become mainstream. Strip clubs are
now glitzy establishments rather than sleazy. Housewives
take stripper aerobics classes without thinking that it is
deviant behavior. Porn stars are celebrities supported by
mainstream businesses such as the Vivid nightclub at the
Venetian Resort Hotel and Casino that markets to an upscale
clientele.
They also said that the sex industry reinforces traditional
gender norms. Women try to live up to an ideal body shape
and appearance represented in commercials. Although most of
the images in advertising are of women, male bodies are also
sexualized to appeal to women and gay men.
Men are beginning to worry about their body images in the
same way that women do, according to Brents and Hausbeck.
Although no men work in Nevada brothels, men own and manage
the businesses and control the sex workers. The laws that
regulate the brothels are mostly local, the authors said,
and the state requires regular health tests. Labor laws are
often not enforced because the owners have no public
accountability.
The typical sex worker in Nevada brothels is 33 years old,
divorced, has an average of two children, comes from a
working class family and has previously worked in the sex
industry. Many are college-educated, Hausbeck said.
Sex work can be lucrative. Workers earn a minimum of $100
for a party, and one worker reported earning $11,000 during
one shift, Brents said. Sex work pays better than other
service sector jobs, and the sex industry jobs have helped
numerous women to escape welfare.
There are other advantages to having brothels. The authors
found that the brothel industry generates large amounts of
tax revenue for several Nevada counties.
Brents and Hausbeck ended their lecture by saying that the
subject of the sex industry here is interesting because
Nevada is the center of broad social changes.
"Living in Las Vegas gives us a unique setting for
talking about gender," Goodwin said.
Goodwin said that the Research Roundtable lectures help UNLV
faculty and students to be more aware of women's issues. The
lecture series started last spring with 20 or 30 attendees
and had over 50 audience members on Wednesday.
Issue: 10/10/2005
Section: News
Original Link:
http://www.unlvrebelyell.com/article.php?ID=535
