Book review: J Bindel, The Pimping of Prostitution: Abolishing the Sex Work Myth T Sanders, M O’Neill and J Pitcher, Prostitution: Sex Work, Policy & Politics
| DOI | 10.1177/1748895818814314 |
| Date | 01 April 2019 |
| Published date | 01 April 2019 |
| Author | Natasha Mulvihill |
| Subject Matter | Book reviews |
https://doi.org/10.1177/1748895818814314
Criminology & Criminal Justice
2019, Vol. 19(2) 271 –273
© The Author(s) 2018
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Book reviews
J Bindel, The Pimping of Prostitution: Abolishing the Sex Work Myth, Palgrave Macmillan: London,
2017; 355 pp.: 9781137558893, £22.50 (pbk)
T Sanders, M O’Neill and J Pitcher, Prostitution: Sex Work, Policy & Politics, 2nd edn, SAGE:
London, 2017; 276 pp.: 9781473989351, £29.99 (pbk)
Reviewed by: Natasha Mulvihill, University of Bristol, UK
DOI: 10.1177/1748895818814314
Prostitution: Sex Work, Policy & Politics is a comprehensive primer for undergraduate
and postgraduate students and researchers on prostitution and sex work in the UK and
beyond. The authors seek to take the reader beyond the stereotypes and assumptions
about the sex industry.
There is a strong focus in the book on both the sociological understandings of sex
work (Chapter 1) and the importance of making sense of the practice of buying and sell-
ing sex in the context of contemporary capitalism, globalization and technological
change (Chapters 2 and 9). Chapter 3 explores the demographics of those involved in
selling sex, routes in and out and managing harm. Chapter 4 addresses the involvement
of children and young people in paid sex and/or being sexually exploited. The careful
discussion within this chapter about how we make sense of young people’s agency in
terms of the replacement of the term ‘youth prostitution’ with ‘child sexual exploitation’
is important. Chapter 5 considers who pays for sexual services, with the attendant policy
and criminal justice responses outlined in Chapter 7. Chapter 6 on sex workers, labour
rights and unionization is important in documenting the emergence of a social move-
ment, galvanized in part by the identification of HIV/AIDS. Chapter 8 explores the con-
flicting discourses of welfare, community and justice through which sex sellers and
buyers are variously supported or chastised. Chapter 10 is another strength to this book,
exploring feminist epistemology and methods and considering the practical and theoreti-
cal issues raised by research with sex workers, buyers and third parties.
In terms of format, the typologies presented in the book (e.g. sites of direct and indi-
rect sex work (p. 29) or male involvement in buying sex across the life course (p. 109))
are particularly helpful for teachers and students alike, as are the identification of research
gaps (most of which, illustratively, carry over from the 2009 to the 2018 edition) and
study questions. The liberal use of sub-headings in places, the listing of legislation or the
summarizing of existing research using bullet points in chapters are on the one hand
814314CRJ0010.1177/1748895818814314Criminology & Criminal JusticeBook reviews
book-review2018
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