Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2-4-2020
Publication Title
Men and Masculinities
Publisher
SAGE Publications
First page number:
1
Last page number:
21
Abstract
Prostitution clients’ attitudes toward gender equality are important indicators of how masculinity relates to the demand for commercial sexual services. Research on male client misogyny has been inconclusive, and few studies compare men in different markets. Using an online survey of 519 clients of sexual services, we examine whether male client attitudes toward gender role equality are related to the main methods customers used to access prostitution services (i.e., through print or online media vs. in-person contact). We found no differences among men in these markets in attitudes toward gender role equality in the workplace and home. This is in a context where all clients had more egalitarian attitudes toward women’s roles than the U.S. male population in the General Social Survey (GSS). However, clients in in-person markets were less supportive of affirmative action than in online markets in a context where all clients were less supportive compared to the national average. These findings point to need to rethink how masculinity and gender role attitudes affect patterns of male demand for paid sex.
Keywords
Criminology; Deviance; Gender equality; Hegemonic masculinity; Sexualities; United States; Feminism; Prostitution; Prostitution demand; Prostitution clients
Disciplines
Criminology and Criminal Justice | Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
File Format
File Size
460 KB
Language
English
Repository Citation
Brents, B. G.,
Yamashita, T.,
Spivak, A. L.,
Venger, O.,
Parreira, C.,
Lanti, A.
(2020).
Are Men Who Pay for Sex Sexist? Masculinity and Client Attitudes Toward Gender Role Equality in Different Prostitution Markets.
Men and Masculinities
1-21.
SAGE Publications.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1097184X20901561
Included in
Criminology and Criminal Justice Commons, Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons