Description:
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Prostitution is a profession that is low-skill, labor intensive, female,and well paid. This paper proposes the following explanation. A woman can be either wife or prostitute, but not both. If marriage is a source of income for women, then the prostitute has to be compensated for foregone marriage market opportunities. Hence, prostitution must be better remunerated than other low-skill occupations. Furthermore, we discuss the link between income and prostitution, and show that prostitution may decrease not only in female income but also in male income, suggesting one reason why prostitution has seen a secular decline in developed countries. We point to the role of male sex ratios, and males in transit, in sustaining high levels of prostitution, and discuss possible reasons for its low reputation. Finally, we argue that recognition of prostitution as a female strategy may add to the understanding of the evolution of marriage patterns. |
