Posted on 01/11/2008 6:39:29 AM PST by rellimpank
Best-selling author's early findings about street-level prostitution draw criticism from local social workers
A two-year study of the economics of prostitution in Chicago found the women were forced to service police officers, worked more during holidays like July 4th and varied pricing based on their customer's race, according to a preliminary paper presented by the researchers.
University of Chicago professor and "Freakonomics" author Steven D. Levitt and sociology professor Sudhir Venkatesh of Columbia University organized a two-year study of street-level prostitution in the Roseland and Pullman neighborhoods. The study, which ended in May, also included Washington Park for about 8 months after police began a crackdown and the regular prostitutes moved their activity 6 miles north.
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
So how did they get their price data?
That happens in ever town and city in this country. LOL
‘Best-selling author’s early findings about street-level prostitution draw criticism from local social workers ‘
I find this ironic, having worked for the old ‘Welfare Department’ during Reagan’s time in the Whitehouse.
Quite a few of the ‘social workers’ back then were former welfare receipients and street walkers.
I see at least one flaw in the methodology. The researchers lost control over their data set. According to the article, the data was collected by intermediaries who, themselves, were former prostitutes. I would think that would alter the data collected and skew results in a manner that the researchers may not have considered. That said, how much grant money did they get for this? Remember folks, it his very likely that your tax dollars and mine paid for this twaddle.
You have a perverse mind. I like that.
There have been a couple really sad but interesting documentaries about prostitutes on HBO. One looked at Atlantic City and the other Honolulu.
Freakonomics was a great read. It was interesting to see how the crack trade mirrored the regular business world.
Also consider that the authors of the study do not seem to touch on the human equation and focus solely on the economics. That said, notice that most of these women collect under $20,000 per year selling themselves. Hell’s bells, they could work at Burger King and McDonald’s and make at least as much.
If you are a crack addict, you do not wake up to an alarm. You cannot get out of the house everyday. But when you need another fix you get out to a guy who detains you for a few minutes and then hands you a fifty. There is no choice of burger king or whore for these people.
If you are a crack addict, you do not wake up to an alarm. You cannot get out of the house everyday. But when you need another fix you get out to a guy who detains you for a few minutes and then hands you a fifty. There is no choice of burger king or whore for these people.
Supply and demand still govern things, whether it’s legitimate business or a black market. There’s no escaping it.
I’m guessing most of them are drug addicts or nuts, and couldn’t hold a regular job.
Yup. I am just saying that on an economic scale alone, they lose. They lose on levels as well.
It’s tough being self-employed.
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