Escort`s websites Chiaro Stampa

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Escort’s websites:
A source of data for
prostitution studies?
Alessandra Gaia
Ph.D in Applied Sociology and Methodology of Social Research
Cycle XXVII
Università degli Studi di Milano - Bicocca
[email protected]
Escort websites and social research
Lack of studies on prostitution clients difficulties in reaching such an elusive and
hidden population (Holt and Blevins, 2007;
Di Nicola and Ruspini, 2009).
Are escort websites a source of data for
social research on prostitution?
Alessandra Gaia Ph.D student in Applied Sociolgy and Methodology of Social Research
Università degli studi di Milan–Bicocca – [email protected]
2
Research on an elusive population
The lack of studies "is mainly due to the difficulty in
identifying active customers" (Holt and Blevins, 2007:
334). Clients are subject to social stigma (O'Connell
Davidson, 1998) and generally hide the nature of
their consumption (McKeganey and Barnard, 1996).
Customers belong to a hidden population, not easily
accessible (Di Nicola and Ruspini, 2009).
Web analyses improve the accessibility to this
population Internet has become an important
resource for both sex workers and for their customers
(O'Neill, 2001).
3
Social stigma vs. anonymousness
The computer-mediated communication allows an
exchange of information free from social stigma.
Using Internet clients meet virtually to exchange
information and experiences on their consumption
with the advantage of remaining anonymous (Sharp
and Earle, 2003).
The exchange of information online has spread in
countries where prostitution is not regulated (e.g.
Italy) but also where it is illegal (e.g. U.S.A.) (Logan,
2010; Holt and Blevins, 2007).
Data cover both street (e.g. www.gufomappa.com)
and indoor prostitution (www.escortforum.net).
4
Document analysis – PROS:
avoiding bias due to social stigma
Document analysis permits reaching groups
that would be unreachable with direct
observation (Arosio, 2010).
Non - reactive methods: there is no
interaction between the researcher and the
production of the document relevant
feature when dealing with groups that may be
subject to social stigma.
5
Document analysis – Cons: virtual vs. real
identity, sampling and representativeness
Improper use of on line documents for the analysis of
“real” identities (Arosio, 2010) authors may create
fake profiles, give an identity that is totally or
partially different from the real one. Instead, on
line documents may be used to study the “on line
identity” as “virtual images of the self” (Arosio, 2010).
Sampling and case studies representativeness: If
the sample is not probabilistic the analysis is not
representative of the entire population. Define the
unite of analysis.
6
The Italian website: www.escortforum.com
Escort forum: The major Italian website in the sector. Includes
(data refer to the website accessed on June 2012):
Adds of sex workers: mainly female (1110), some
transsexual (27) and few males (4)
Forum for clients (various topics: 27 thematic areas, over 1
million messages)
Reviews of escort services
Roughly 160.000 users
Access rules, regulation and disclaimer
Specific jargon – as in other sex workers websites (Holt and
Blevins, 2007; Sharpe and Earle, 2007) aim: hiding the
nature of the consumption.
7
Reviews
www.escortforum.net
8
Reviews: www.escortforum.net
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Reviews: www.escortforum.net
10
Possible application: An Italian study
Di Nicola et al., 2007: Italian pilot study based on data from
www.escortforum.com. It analyzes the socio-economic
characteristics of prostitution clients.
Is it representative of the entire Italian population of
prostitution clients?
Is the “virtual identity” equal to “real identity”? (Slide 6)
How to chose which post to analyze (some authors are
more prolific than others).
Clients are mailnly youth (age 20-35), employed, with medium-
high scholarization, with good knowledge of thecnology and
internet (Di Nicola et al., 2007). They share a machistic
ideology, believing men is forced to search a paid sexual
relationship for “biological” reasons.
11
A study on male sex workers in the
USA 1/2
Logan (2010) constructed a dataset on 1,932 cases from the largest
online male sex worker website of the United States.
Advantages of the source:
Avoid selection problems of field work Possibility “to collect
information on escort (…) free from the selection problems one would
encounter in a field survey of escorts” (Logan, 2010: 686).
Identification of escorts’ home locations geographical distribution
Escort characteristics are yes-no questions and do not admit non
response useful to construct the pricing model.
Accessibility: The website is free for viewing by all ”information
provided is for a large, general client base and not manipulated to
please paying members of the website” (Logan, 2010: 686).
Coverage: “The data source provides sufficient coverage of the online
escort market”.
12
A study on male sex workers in the
USA 2/2
Findings:
The “geographic distribution of male sex workers is
more strongly correlated with the general population
than with the gay male population” (Logan, 2010: 679).
“Consistent with hegemonic masculinity, male escorts
who advertise masculine behaviour charge higher
prices, whereas escorts who advertise less masculine
behaviour charge significantly less” (Logan, 2010:
679).
“Race and sexual behaviour interactions exert a strong
influence on prices charged by male sex workers”
(Logan, 2010: 679).
13
To sum up:
Document analysis of online texts can be
useful in reaching a hidden population,
avoiding social stigma and access to the
field…
…but do not overlook:
The difference between “real” identities and
“virtual” identity.
Sampling issues
Representativeness.
14
Questions?
Thank you for
your attention!
15
References
Arosio, Laura. 2010. L’uso dei documenti. In De Lillo, Antonio, (eds.) Il mondo della ricerca
qualitativa. Utet. Novara.
Di Nicola, Andrea and Paolo Ruspini. 2009. “Objectives and Methodology of the Research” In
Cauduro Andrea, Andrea Di Nicola, Marco Lombardi, and Paolo Ruspini. Prostitution and
Human Trafficking. Focus on Clients. Springer, New York.
Di Nicola, Andrea, Andrea Cauduro, Marco Lombardi, and Paolo Ruspini. 2007. How much?
Uno studio pilota sulla domanda di prostituzione trafficata. Availabe on line:
http://www.ismu.org/index.php?page=437#
Holt, Thomas J. and Kristie R. Blevins. 2007. Examining Sex Work from the Client’s Perspective:
Assessing Johns Using On-line Data. Deviant Behavior, 28: 333_354, 2007.
McKeganey, Neil P. and Marina Barnard. 1996. Sex Work on the Streets: Prostitutes and their
Clients. Open University Press. Buckingham.
O’Connell Davidson, Julia. 1998. Power, Prostitution, and Freedom. University of Michigan
Press. Ann Arbor.
O’Neill, Maggie. 2001. Prostitution and Feminism. London: Polity Press.
Sharp, Keith and Earle, Sarah. 2003. Cyberpunters and Cyberwhores: Prostitution on the
Internet. In: Jewkes, Yvonne ed. Dot.cons: Crime, deviance and identity on the internet.
Cullompton, UK: Willan, 36–52.
16

Escort`s websites Chiaro Stampa

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