Study: Sex workers make more just by carrying a Blackberry
By Peter SmithFebruary 8th, 2011, 6:45 pmComments (7)
In this month's Wired, Columbia sociologist Sudhir Venkatesh presents the fascinating results of years spent studying sex workers and technology. Venkatesh interviewed 290 women; his discoveries were many, but maybe the most interesting is that just carrying a Blackberry increases a prostitute's earning power, suggesting clean health and professionalism. A pretty amazing signifier, and probably one that Blackberry manufacturer RIM isn't any too psyched about. (Although you never know.) More of Venkatesh's findings:
• The internet has allowed prostitutes to cut out the middle man (pimps), booking their own clients online. Eleven pimps Venkatesh interviewed in 1999 were unemployed by 2003.
• In 2003, prostitutes found 9% of their clients on Craigslist; that number's down to 3%, while 25% of clients are now found on Facebook. 83% of call girls have Facebook pages.
• Prostitutes often carry two cell phones because clients like to take one away to establish a power dynamic.
Read the rest of the results here, including a breakdown of costs per neighborhood and more.
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Comments ( 7 )
What does that last finding mean, that clients take away a phone to establish a power dynamic? Not sure I get that.
I'm also confused by that last finding and would be pretty alarmed if a client thought they were removing my only means of communication with the outside world.
But this study is awesome.
So they can feel like they have power over the girl (but they don't know she has a second).
That's what confuses me. I get the power trip from the man's perspective. I just don't see how having a client think he has you alone and cut off from communication with the outside world is a good idea from a sex-worker perspective, considering the distinction between simple power fantasy and a desire to rob/beat/worse wouldn't be distinguishable from one another until it's a little late. I would not take someone snatching my phone as a sign that the encounter was going to go well. The point of cell phones, agencies (or made up cover-agencies), body guard-ish men, standing in groups, etc is partially so clients know you're not isolated: people know where you are and clients will get caught if they get inappropriate/violent. The author does not mention what level the girls who get their phones snatched most often are working at, so I guess it just depends on how highly you value the client or how much you need the money.
Yo, I tell ma beyatches to keep tha phone sos I can find them
fascinating. too bad about those unemployed pimps. I knew times were tough but who knew Facebook was the new pimp.
Apparently even the oldest profession changes along with technology. I wonder what the resume-appropriate term for "pimp" would be? "Intimacy manager" perhaps.
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