Economics, sexuality, and male sex work

Abstract

Male sex work generates sales in excess of one billion dollars annually in the United States. Recent sex scandals involving prominent leaders and government shutdowns of escort websites have focused attention on this business, but despite the attention that comes when these scandals break, we know very little about how the market works. Economics, Sexuality, and Male Sex Work is the first economic analysis of male sex work. Competition, the role of information, pricing strategies and other economic features of male sex work are analyzed using the most comprehensive data available. Sex work is also social behavior, however, and this book shows how the social aspects of gay sexuality influence the economic properties of the market. Concepts like desire, masculinity and sexual stereotypes affect how sex workers compete for clients, who practices safer sex, and how sex workers present themselves to clients to differentiate them from the competition. No other book analyzes male sex work as an economic market. Takes insights from sociological theory and applies them to markets, allowing readers to understand the economic importance of social theory to economics. By taking an economic approach to sexuality, gender and masculinity, this book brings readers who are intimidated by gender studies into the fold, showing them the importance of the field for human behavior.